Common condition
At its core, diabetes is a health condition characterised by high blood sugar levels caused by the body’s inability to utilise food for energy production correctly. The main reasons for this are, either the body is not producing enough insulin or the body’s cells have stopped responding to the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that enables your body to break the food you consume down into energy.
What is diabetes?
At its core, diabetes is a health condition characterised by high blood sugar levels caused by the body’s inability to utilise food for energy production correctly. The main reasons for this are, either the body is not producing enough insulin or the body’s cells have stopped responding to the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that enables your body to break the food you consume down into energy.
When you eat your body breaks the food down into glucose (sugar) which is then released into the blood. This stimulates the release of the hormone insulin from the pancreas, which enables the body’s cells to use glucose for energy. Consequently, utilising this glucose for energy has the knock-on effect of lowering the body’s blood glucose levels.
So, in diabetics, the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin in response to the food eaten or the body’s cells don’t respond properly to the insulin it does produce i.e. the right amount of insulin is produced but it fails to do its job because the cells have become resistant to it. As a result, the body cannot use glucose for energy production and so blood glucose levels remain high. Continually high blood sugar levels can be dangerous because they can lead to other serious health problems, such as vision loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, and heart disease.
The different causes of diabetes mean different treatments are prescribed to manage the condition. Type 1 diabetes can only be treated through the administration of insulin because the body cannot produce its own. Whereas in cases of type 2 diabetes, the first stage of management will come from diet and lifestyle changes, however, if that isn’t enough to lower blood glucose levels prescription medicine will be the next port of call to try and minimise its effects.
There are 2 main forms of diabetes type 1 and type 2, both of which have the same consequence of high blood sugar levels, but different root causes. Type 1 is usually genetic and is caused by the body’s immune system destroying the cells responsible for insulin production, this is the form of diabetes where the body does not produce enough insulin. Type 2 tends to be caused by diet and lifestyle factors that have caused the cells to stop responding to insulin. Type 2 is the most prevalent form of diabetes and is most common in adults aged 45 or over, although it can also be diagnosed in children and teenagers. The most common symptoms associated with both types of diabetes are feeling thirsty, more frequent urination, feeling tired, weight/ muscle loss, and blurred vision. If you are experiencing some or all of these symptoms it’s important to seek medical assistance.
There is currently no cure for diabetes, but with the right medication and/ or some lifestyle changes (like eating healthy food and exercising) the condition can be controlled and its impact on the body greatly reduced.
No, we do not sell medication directly. We offer a variety of solutions via our partners. You'll be taken to their store directly when you purchase.
Additional information
What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels When You Have Diabetes?
Ketosis
