04/11/2020
๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ญ: ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฆ
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.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ต๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ (๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐, ๐ณ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐, ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐, ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐๐บ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ), ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐, ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ.
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.
๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ.
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.
๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง.
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:
๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ-๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป-๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐น๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ level ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ.
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.
