But even though it's one of our most devastating diseases, and many people have heard about it, not many really know what it is.

"Diabetes" is the Greek word for siphon. They used it as a mouthwash, to prevent the formation of cavities. What Diabetes Means to You Millions of peoples have diabetes in this country. Before diabetes is diagnosed, the body has already begun to manifest changes and symptoms. So what were the ancient Greeks doing tasting urine.

Remember, this was before the name brand mouthwashes that are so popular today. To test for pre-diabetes, you need to find the blood glucose levels in your bloodstream. Diabetes does not suddenly appear.

The name diabetes mellitus has an interesting origin.

At some point the Ancient Greeks discovered that when certain people drank a lot, the liquids almost immediately left their body in the form of urine - as though it were siphoned from their body. Hence the phrase "diabetes mellitus" or sweet flavored siphoned liquid. Researchers have defined a blood glucose level threshold. They further noticed that the urine in these people tasted sweet. The word "mellitus" is a Greek word that means sweet.

Collectively these symptoms are often referred to as pre-diabetes.