Diabetes is a disorder where there is too much sugar(glucose) in the bloodstream. Surely this is a good thing to have the cells bathing in sugar, surely one would have boundless energy? There is a catch! The bloodstream has ample sugar, but the cells themselves are being starved of sugar because it cannot pass from the bloodstream(outside of the cell) to the inside where it is needed. Most of the body’s functions are carried out inside the cells, and they need sugar to work.

It would make more sense to say that diabetes is a condition where the cells are starved of  glucose, but there is plenty of glucose circulating in the body which can’t get inside the cells.  The symptoms of diabetes are fatigue(from lack of sugar in the cells), excessive thirst due to high sugar in the urine drawing water out of the body causing dehydration and  urinating excessively. That means a person is running to relieve themselves frequently, but unlike a urine infection where only a small amount of “strong” urine is passed,  copious volumes of dilute urine are passed with each visit to the bathroom.

Another feature is the tendency to get recurring infections, especially yeast infections or infected wounds. This is because the bacteria and yeast causing the infection have access to the glucose which the body’s cells do not. They thrive in the glucose rich environment.

There are 2 types of diabetes which are recognized.

Type 1 diabetes commonly has its onset in early life as a child or young adult. It is caused by an absolute lack of the hormone insulin which “opens the door” to enable glucose to enter the cells. The onset  of type 1 diabetesis usually fairly sudden and unexpected.  This type of diabetes is very serious and if not treated the person will soon fall into a coma and die. The treatment for this form of diabetes is insulin injections for the rest of their life. This type of diabetes causes much more severe problems with the body’s other organs such as kidneys, eyes, heart and limbs/feet. Type 1 diabetics should NEVER EVER smoke, and the best approach is not to start with cigarettes as they are guaranteed to put a type 1 diabetic in an early grave.

Type 2 diabetes occurs later in life, usually from middle age onwards, has a more gradual onset and is a milder form of the disease in many cases. With this type of diabetes there is plenty of circulating glucose and reasonable levels of insulin, but the cells won’t let the glucose or the insulin in . So the inside of the cells starve while there is plenty of insulin and glucose circulating in the blood. Why? It appears there is a complex mechanism involving several other nutrients and trace elements including Chromium, selenium, zinc,  vanadium, manganese ,vitamins B3, B6 and Coenzyme Q10. There is a genetic tendency to this form of diabetes and more research is needed to find how to correct diabetes type 2. In the interim the main treatment is with diet, exercise and medication which help to lower the blood levels of sugar. Unfortunately high circulating blood glucose in type 2 diabetes leads to heart disease, artery disease, kidney and eye problems but usually not as severely as with type 1.