The origin of diabetes is somewhat of a mystery. Findings that date back to the 19th century have given science what knowledge it does have about the disease. Diabetes was found to be linked to the pancreas in the early 1900's by Canadians Frederick Banting and Charles H. Best. It wasn't until the 1976 that a clarification of causation was expressed by Alexander Beam. In a paper on diabetes, Beam wrote that the susceptibility to develop diabetes was inherited, but that environmental factors could contribute to the onset of the disease. The vagueness surrounding diabetes unfortunately does not aid in determining a concrete plan of prevention. Without fully understanding its cause, one cannot educate the public as to how to avoid developing diabetes. Unfortunately, even insulin's role in diabetes and metabolic processes is not completely clear. It is known that poor nutrition, increased levels of stress and physical inactivity are environmental factors that can bring on diabetes, with or without genetic predisposition. Diabetes is an old disorder. It has been known about for thousands of years and yet it is only today that it has become an epidemic. Part of the problem is that the nature of diabetes is a mystery, even to educated adults. People do not understand what insulin does in the body and how the insulin metabolism affects the health. Even current medical science has some misconceptions about the true nature of the disorder. Science has been able to examine the cell's processes in respect to metabolism and fat storage. What it cannot answer is which comes first, the chicken or the egg. As a person's weight increases as result of poor nutrition, overindulgence of foods, or physical inactivity. His or her metabolism slows down and is overwhelmed. The result is less sensitivity to natural sugar converting processes. When the body cannot convert the glucose into fuel for cells, it stores the glucose as fat. The more fat cells store, the more overweight an individual becomes. This literally boggs down the systems. The cycle continues to repeat if nothing changes. Another speculation is the role of acidity and the body's response to elevated pH levels. It is thought that over consumption of caffeine, sugar and other carbohydrate rich foods stimulates the liver, muscles and fat cells. Once stimulated, these cells release their respective glucose into the blood stream. This is the elevation that individuals record when monitoring blood sugar level. In order to counteract elevated acidity, the body uses fat to neutralize pH levels. Fat is stored, then, as a safeguard to protect cells. Over time, acidity can lead to other serious health risks, including diabetes. The repeated pattern of elevated blood sugar levels can cause damage to the cardiovascular system, endocrine system and circulatory system. Furthermore, the role insulin plays in the metabolic process is not fully understood. The common belief is that insulin is needed to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. The term "insulin dependent" was coined in the 1950's. It gave to the impression that muscle and fat required insulin to unlock the cell, allowing it to convert the glucose. However, current studies conclude that many different cellular bodies transport glucose. Cells need glucose for their cellular respiration process, regardless of insulin presence. The nature of diabetes is very individual. While it may manifest itself in the form of different symptoms, the illness is dependent upon management and proactive measures. Balance is of the essence in combating diabetes. Balance of hormones in the endocrine system, weight management and activity levels. Nutrition and fitness have been found to effectively prevent the onset of diabetes, as well as control its progression once diagnosed. Nutritionally, incorporating alkalizing foods, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates (as opposed to simple carbohydrates) helps to restore the body's natural balance. With an increase in physical activity, pre-diabetes and diabetes can be successfully prevented or managed.
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