Approximately 16 million Americans are the victim of this disease and about half of them don't even know that they are diabetic.
Type 2 diabetes is responsible for 90% of the cases. This type of diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. Far to many people eat a high-carbohydrate and high-fat diet and as a result, many have become less sensitive to their own insulin. Insulin is a storage hormone that drives sugar into the cells to be utilized or stored as fat.
Our body wants to control our blood sugar, but. Apart from the disease itself, the side effects are also threatening. Type 1 diabetes usually effects children and is caused by an attack of the immune system, which makes them insulin poor.
Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in our industrialized society. One-third of all new cases of kidney disease are caused by diabetes.
Insulin resistance or Syndrome X is caused by our modern life style. As much as 80% of diabetics will die from cardiovascular disease and diabetes is the leading cause of amputations and blindness in the elderly. |