Preventing and Combating Type-2 Diabetes
Posted on April 27, 2015
When you hear the term “diabetes” you probably associate it with the intake of high levels of refined sugars, right? Wrong….While eating these is definitely not in any way beneficial to your health and in many ways is very detrimental, it is NOT the direct cause for diabetes. What if I told you physical inactivity is a leading cause of the disease? Diabetes Mellitus, or persistently high blood-glucose levels, falls into two categories: Type-1 or insulin-dependent, and Type-2 or non insulin dependent. Type-1 is due to inadequate insulin production by the pancreas and has no known cause and is not preventable. Type-2 represents 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide and stems from insensitivity or ineffective use of insulin in the body. It is largely preventable and, though the mechanisms are not fully understood, obesity and physical inactivity are believed to be the main causes. Thus, the prevention and treatment of Type-2 diabetes is what I’d like to elaborate on in this article.
The Risks
-associated with a 2-4 X increased risk of hypertension, heart disease and stroke.
-in the US, it’s the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic amputations.
-if diagnosed at age 40: Men lose 12 years of life, women lose 14.
-used to mainly affect adults but is increasingly prevalent at younger ages.
The Science
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and is responsible for maintaining blood glucose levels. It does this by stimulating glucose uptake by our cells and inhibiting glucose release by the liver. After eating, carbohydrates are digested into glucose which is transported to tissues, such as the brain, for energy use or to our muscles and liver to be stored as glycogen for later use. It’s the role of insulin to enable glucose to leave the blood and enter the various cells in our body. Now that we understand how insulin works, I want to discuss the conditions that lead to Type-2 diabetes. It all starts with insulin resistance. Scientists are unsure exactly how this occurs but much of the evidence points to inactivity and obesity. In insulin resistance, insulin is still is being produced but it isn’t being used by the cells to remove glucose from the blood. This leads to hyperglycemia, or elevated blood sugar levels. Since insulin isn’t being used effectively, it can’t signal the liver to stop releasing glucose. Blood sugar levels rise and even more insulin is produced by the pancreas to try and regulate it. This cycle can only last so long until the pancreas becomes exhausted and becomes defective at producing and releasing insulin. The existing insulin resistance is compounded by decreased insulin production and the condition becomes full-on Type-2 diabetes.
How can exercise help?
Exercise has been shown to prevent diabetes as well as reverse and/or control the progression of insulin resistance and Type-2 diabetes. It increases glucose uptake by the liver and working muscle, decreases insulin secretion and reduces insulin resistance. Helmrich et al found that the risk of developing type-2 diabetes decreased by 6% for each 500 calories/week increase in physical activity. That’s a 42% lowered risk for those who burned 3500 calories/week through exercise! Prevention is always the best medicine. Wei et al studied all-cause mortality in men who already had type-2 diabetes and found that those who were low-fit and inactive had a 2.1X and 1.7X relative risk of dying prematurely as compared to their more fit and physically active counterparts. In other words, even though they still had diabetes, they were less likely to suffer from the disease states that diabetes can lead to. So to return to the beginning of this article, definitely eat less refined sugars (or ideally none) since this could help you lose any excess weight that is increasing your chances of developing type-2 diabetes. But focus on exercising every day and you’ll be well on your way to better health!
