Type I diabetes and Type II diabetes are not the same disease.
Both are caused by an imbalance between the glucose in the blood and the insulin that facilitates glucose entering the body’s cells. The devastating effects of elevated glucose are identical in both diseases. But here the similarity ends.
Type I diabetes is caused by destruction of pancreatic cells which produce insulin, resulting in little or no insulin available to do its job. Type II diabetes is caused by an imbalance between amount of glucose in the blood stream and the effectiveness of the insulin to push it into the cells.
Chronic overeating (too many calories), high intake of easily absorbed carbohydrates (high glycemic index carbs), and saturated fats (especially transfats) and cholesterol in the diet all contribute to a high blood glucose level.
High blood fat levels (triglycerides and saturated fat), low omega-3 fatty acids, high levels of fructose (read – fruit juice concentrates and high fructose corn syrup), and being overweight cause the body’s cells to not respond to the insulin in the body – called insulin resistance.
High levels of cortisone (stress), meat consumption, sedentary life style, and low Vit. D can all make the insulin resistance worse.
The resulting combination of elevated glucose levels and ineffective insulin causes too high blood sugar and too little effect of insulin – Type II diabetes.
The chronic overeating results in excess weight gain which leads to further medical problems – hypertension, heart disease, liver dysfunction, and decreased response to leptin (an molecule that stops people from eating to excess).
Many of these conditions exacerbate the insulin resistance and the elevated glucose levels, making the problem grow and worsen.
What’s the answer? How do we stop this form of diabetes which accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes?
Almost 100% of Type II diabetes can be totally eliminated by lifestyle change.
A well-balanced diet (consisting of an abundance of low glycemic index foods and the elimination of high fat food) designed for losing down to and maintaining normal weight, should be coupled with a half-hour of cardiovascular exercise five days a week.
The evidence for these two effective interventions has been documented in multiple studies. These two are more effective than any of the anti-diabetes medicine given individually or in combination. It only remains for the patient to actually do them. But if you do them, it actually works. See, that’s not hard.