04/11/2020
𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝟭: 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗦
To understand what diabetes is, first, you must understand how your body processes food to provide all your body cells with the energy they need to keep you alive and well.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 (𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀, 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘁𝗰), 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗘, 𝗮 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗨𝗚𝗔𝗥.
We need glucose from food because that's what gives the body ENERGY for proper body function.
Converted carbohydrates in the body (GLUCOSE) moves into the bloodstream.
The body detects that the glucose in the blood or blood glucose level is rising.
In response to this rise, the pancreas, a little gland that sits just underneath the stomach, starts to release a hormone called INSULIN.
𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦.
The bloodstream then takes the glucose and the insulin to every cell of our body that NEEDS it!
A simple example of how this works in the cells of our muscles is this:
At the muscle cells, it is insulin that allows the glucose to get into the cells where it can be used for energy.
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧.
When insulin fits well into the door of the cells, the cells open up to let glucose in and as a result, the level of glucose in the blood starts to drop.
This is important because the body functions best with blood glucose at an optimal level. It does not like it when blood glucose levels rise too high or drop too low. High or extremely low levels cause organs to malfunction and die.
In a healthy person, there is a cycle within the body that God put in place to balance out the glucose and the insulin level.
This is achieved by the food you eat, the lifestyle you live, the pancreas and the liver.
More about that later!
However, in some people, the system does not work properly and then they develop diabetes.
Why?
Simply because there is way too much glucose in the blood either because of a malfunction at the level of the pancreas to produce insulin or a malfunction at the level of the cells.
Simply put:
𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻-𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗲 level 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱.
We will talk about the different types, causes, risks and treatment in subsequent posts.
Meanwhile, is there anyone you know who has been diagnosed with diabetes? Which type?
Let me know in the comments area below.
