Why is diabetes dangerous?
Diabetes is a metabolic condition when the body fails to produce and respond to insulin. It is characterized by increased blood sugar level which over time leads to substantial and sometimes fatal damage to the renal, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Diabetic patients have a 2–3 times higher risk of strokes and heart attacks than healthy people (1).
2.6% of cases of blindness are caused by diabetes (2).
Diabetes is one of the main factors in the development of renal failure (3).
People with diabetes have an increased risk of ulcers and limb infections.
But in many cases diabetes is preventable and once diagnosed early and managed properly, should not substantially reduce quality of life.
Causes of diabetes
There are two types of pathology: type I diabetes and type II diabetes.
While type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease usually associated with genetic predisposition, type II diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is largely preventable (4). It is estimated that 9 out of 10 cases of type II diabetes can be avoided just by making lifestyle changes even if your close relatives are affected.
Risk factors for developing diabetes are:
sedentary lifestyle
unbalanced diet
being overweight and obese
metabolic syndrome: high blood sugar, extra fat around the waist, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides
genetic predisposition
chronic insufficiency of the adrenal cortex
long-term use of certain groups of medications, smoking, chronic stress.
How does diabetes develop?
Cells need glucose for energy, and insulin helps to deliver glucose into the cells.
In type I diabetes, the body produces very little insulin causing glucose accumulation in the bloodstream. This glucose overload causes life-threatening complications unless treated with lifelong insulin therapy.
In type II diabetes, the body does produce insulin, but the cells lose their ability to sense it. Leading again to glucose level elevation in the blood. Type II diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, but now it is becoming more and more common in children and teens mostly due to the spread of childhood obesity (5).
A dangerous tandem for diabetes.
Diabetes often goes hand in hand with high levels of LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol. Risk factors for developing both conditions are similar: metabolic syndrome and sedentary lifestyle.
LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, carries cholesterol to the arteries. When its levels are staying too high for too long, it will build up on the walls of your arteries and form atherosclerotic plaques. This in turn may lead to life-threatening cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, strokes.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) (or “good cholesterol”) comes to the rescue and returns LDL cholesterol to the liver for recycling and destruction. A healthy balance between the two types is critical as it prevents cholesterol plaques from building up in the arteries.
Diabetes often disrupts this cholesterol balance further contributing to the blood vessel damage and magnifying the danger.
The good news is that both diabetes and high cholesterol can be prevented and regulated (6).
Lifestyle changes.
First of all, simple yet very effective lifestyle changes can make a huge difference:
Control body weight
Add physical activity to your life
Eat a healthy and balanced diet
Reduce alcohol drinking and smoking
Supplementation.
Consider a new nutraceutical BETULEX™ containing betulin.
Betulin is a natural compound with multiple metabolic benefits. It is found in many plants, but the most abundant source is the bark of the birch tree.
Among many studied health benefits of birch bark, betulin has attracted the most attention of scientists for its powerful effects in preventing and controlling cholesterol levels, weight gain, diabetes.
Betulin has been researched extensively, and scientists have found that it has a very specific molecular target inside the cell. This is a protein called SREBP which turned out to be a key regulator of fat metabolism.
Betulin works by slowing down the activity of SREBP leading to reduction of the biosynthesis of cholesterol and lipids.
Today, scientists are considering the use of this unique feature of betulin as a potential therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases, including type II diabetes (7-10).
BETULEX™
Birch bark extract is now available in a form of a new breakthrough neutraceutical - BETULEX™ - conveniently packed in capsules containing high purity betulin.
It is produced using a patented environmentally friendly technology.
It is free from gluten, artificial colors, and flavors.
It is non-addictive and has no reported adverse effects.
It is effectively used as a diabetic supplement.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a serious yet in many cases preventable condition. There are several simple lifestyle changes that can be implemented to keep it in check. On the supplement side, a newly introduced and powerful natural remedy from the birch bark called betulin can be used to help your body along the path to regain its metabolic balance.
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