What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Very simply, diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal.  In type 2 diabetes, the body fails to properly use insulin, which is needed to take sugar from the blood to the cells.  Type 2 diabetes most often starts in adults and is also the most common type of diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of all people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes.

The food we eat is broken down into nutrients and metabolized.  A majority of the food we eat is broken down into simple and complex sugars also called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. The sugar enters the bloodstream for delivery throughout the body, which is called blood sugar. Sugar, in the form of glucose, is the main source of fuel for body cells.

The hormone insulin is produced in the pancreas. It is this hormone that helps metabolize blood sugar into energy.  Insulin takes blood sugar from the bloodstream and delivers it into our cells throughout our body and into the different organs such as the eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc. The sugar provides energy to the cells to keep our hearts beating, our lungs breathing, and our kidneys separating and discharging waste matter from the blood, tissues, or organs. The hormone insulin allows glucose in blood to enter cells. In type 2 diabetes, either the body doesn't produce enough insulin or cells are resistant to effects of insulin.

The problem with type 2 diabetes is not the insulin production but how the insulin is being used or metabolized; the body does not use it effectively. Metabolism is a chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism, which is necessary for the maintenance of life. In metabolism, some substances are broken down to yield energy for vital processes while other substances, necessary for life, are combined or produced by synthesis (combining chemical elements).The condition known as "insulin resistance" occurs when the cells do not respond to (resist) insulin's attempt to enter with glucose. As a result, the amount of glucose builds up in the blood instead of entering the cells. The cells are starved of energy; less glucose is absorbed from the blood. The sugar stays in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells where it is needed. The pancreas responds by producing more and more insulin. When the cells do not respond, high levels of glucose build up in the blood, leading to Type 2 diabetes.

How many People have Type 2 Diabetes?

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Type 2 diabetes is up 90% since 1997. According to CDC about 23.613 million people in the United States, or 8% of the population, have diabetes. The total prevalence of diabetes increased 13.5% from 2005-2007. Only 24% of diabetes is undiagnosed, down from 30% in 2005 and from 50% ten years ago.

While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.

Diabetes and Nutrition

Diabetes and nutrition are closely linked. Nutrition and exercise play a role in its progress; nutrition is also one of the disease's most powerful treatments. Because of this strong and critical connection to nutrition and exercise, researchers have carefully studied the use of nutritional and botanical supplements in the prevention and control of the disease. They found that ionized alkaline water and many vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, minerals such as chromium, as well as herbs like gymnema sylvestre, can safely, effectively, and naturally lower blood sugars and help prevent diabetic complications. What is even more important, however, is that these vitamins, minerals, and botanicals can be combined together to create a diabetic formula where all the ingredients work together with better overall results. Clinical studies have suggested that proprietary blends of ingredients will result in higher levels of energy, better immune system functioning, faster weight loss after working out due to increased metabolism and better functioning of the liver and other major organs.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) obesity is the major risk factor for diabetes. It is not necessary to become thin to avoid diabetes. A study of subjects at high risk for diabetes shows that you can cut your risk of diabetes by 58% in a three-year period by only doing two things:

•     Lose 5% to 10% of your body weight.
•     Do 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five days a week; take a walk.