People don’t pay much attention to diabetes and many of those who have it think that it’s just one of those things you get when you grow old. Everybody has it, what’s the big deal? Diabetes is a very common disease that can ruin lives. It can leave people blind, unable to walk, it can cause kidney failure, heart disease and many more problems. Diabetes can kill, and it does kill. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death from disease.

Diabetes used to be something older adults get, not anymore. Only about 40% of diabetic patients are over the age of 65. More and more kids get diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, people have decrease insulin production due to impaired beta cells function and decreased sensitivity to insulin (insulin resistance). Diabetes is more common in people over the age of 30 who are obese. 40% of people suffering from diabetes are over the age of 65. Initially type 2 diabetes is treated with diet and exercise, it is usually enough to set back the clock and decrease glucose levels to normal. If elevated glucose levels persist, diet and exercise are supplemented with oral antidiabetic medications. In some patients even oral medications can not control glucose levels, this is when insulin injections are given.

The two main problems related to insulin in type 2 diabetes are insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Insulin binds to receptors on cell surface and initiate glucose metabolism. There are a few factors that contribute to insulin resistance, genetics and obesity are two of them. In order to overcome resistance and lower glucose level pancreas has to increase insulin production. However if beta cells cannot produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose level, glucose levels will rise.

Because insulin resistance can be caused by obesity, the primary treatment is weight control. Exercise can help loose weight and increase glucose absorption. Certain types of oral medications can stimulate insulin production which will decrease glucose levels as well. These medications are treating the symptom, but not the problem itself. As soon as patient stops taking medication, glucose levels go back up. The only way to improve insulin production is to repair beta cells in the pancreas. So far there is no knows medication in traditional medicine that can do this. Flex seeds however have shown great results in repairing beta cells and lowering glucose levels.

Recent studies have demonstrated that type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Healthy diet and exercise routine can help prevent diabetes. Weight loss is the key to maintaining healthy glucose level. Certain foods can increase the chances to get type 2 diabetes. Consumption of carbonated beverages and trans fats can significantly increase likelihood of getting diabetes. Carbonated beverages affect pancreas, specifically beta cells. These drinks can lower insulin production. Women who drink one or more cans of soda per day are 80% more likely to get diabetes. Trans fats are able to build up in the body and cause weight gain. Not only that, but they also clog the arteries and in combination with diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolism. Excluding trans fats from the diet recurs some label reading skills. Many companies don’t mention trans fats along with other fats, they simply add “partially hydrogenate oil” or “hydrogenated oil” along with the list of ingredients. Manufacturers don’t have to list trans fats is there is a small amount of it in the food, so they add it along with ingredients hoping that consumer will not notice. A little bit of trans fat might not cause much damage, but every little bit adds up and builds up.