Basic Definitons of Diabetes
Before studying the causes of diabetes you must understand what is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease caused by a hormonal imbalance. Insulin is helpful in the sugar supply to different parts of the body. When beta cells in either produce small amounts of insulin or produce insulin in the pancreas, a stage which is called diabetes. In other cases, insulin is produced in the pancreas but the blood cells do not respond to insulin. This factor of insulin imbalance leads to diabetes.
Diabetes is classified into different categories on the basis of the above factors. They are commonly known as type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
In type 1 diabetes insulin is not produced in the pancreas. This is because beta cells producing insulin are attacked and destroyed by the body’s cells. Investigations are yet to confirm why this happens. This system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells has a name called “autoimmune reaction.” There are no proven results available to establish the cause of cell destruction. However, certain results are indicative of what happens. They are:
a) You can be the result of a specific viral or bacterial infection.
b) You can be the result of toxins that are consumed through food.
c) According to some scientists is the result of cow milk feeding in infancy very young.
The above causes are only hypothesis and exact cause has not yet been established.
The other form of diabetes – type 2 diabetes develops in the following circumstances:
a) insulin resistance. At this stage when insulin is produced in the pancreas but the blood cells do not respond to insulin. This leads to excessive production of insulin. This excessive production of insulin results in getting the insulin-producing cells exhausted.
b) As a result of insulin-producing cells get exhausted, you may not have enough insulin or the available insulin may not be normal for the body system.
Here are some other factors that may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. These factors include age, overweight and physical inactivity.
There are some other reasons that may increase the risk of diabetes. But these are not so common and can be found in exceptional cases.
Prolonged continuous consumption of certain drugs / steroids / medicines can raise blood sugar leading to diabetes.
Women may suffer from gestational diabetes during pregnancy. However, this type of diabetes is temporary but likely to become type 2 diabetes can not be excluded.
Some diseases affect the pancreas. The pancreas can be damaged as a result of these diseases. This results in the malfunction of the pancreas and no insulin production. This can lead to diabetes.
What does not cause diabetes?
You know that obesity – which is the cause of diabetes – is the result of eating sweets or the wrong kind of food. But eating sweets or the wrong type of food does not lead to the onset of diabetes.