Essay about Diabetes Explained

Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed for proper storage and use of carbohydrates. Without it, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, resulting in a diabetic emergency. It affects about 7.8% of the population. The incidence of diabetes is known to increase with age. It’s the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the US, and is the primary cause of blindness and foot and leg amputation. It is known to cause neuropathy in up to 70% of diabetic patients. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

Carbohydrate counting requires the person to count the carbohydrates in the foods they eat and to set a limit to how much he/she can eat in a day to keep their blood glucose in range. This helps control blood glucose levels because carbohydrates increase glucose levels more than any other food.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates is one of my favorite meal categories. I need carbohydrates for energy, because I am extremely active. I happened to be under my DRI goal of three hundred and twenty-one grams, and consumed two hundred and eighty. Normally my diet is high in carbohydrates because I love noodles, rice, and bread; everything that contains carbohydrates. The recommendation that I have for myself would be that I should consume less carbohydrates, and have them for fewer meals.

People often do not realize how deadly and complicated diabetes is. When first diagnosed with diabetes patients may often be confused by how their lifestyle will have to change. Some patients may not even know how serious the complications may be. This information is to help not only the people who are affected by diabetes but also to inform everyone on how to help prevent the onset of diabetes.

When analyzing the comparison of the percentages intake of carbohydrates, the dietary recommended intake (DRI) in iprofile was 45-65%. The outcome of the three-day process displays that I am within an acceptable range of 57%. However, the foods that were part of the three-day diet consisted of various carbohydrates such as complex, simple, and fiber. Despite, that many people try to avoid or cut starches, they are vital to an individual health for several reasons. However, the body used carbohydrate as the primary source for providing energy, to protect against diseases, controlling weight, which all factors are important in a healthy diet (Mayo Clinic, 2016). An importance of carbohydrates in the diet, it can easily store in both the muscles and liver for future use and plays a role in the organs such as the kidneys, brain, and the heart for operating properly (Medline Plus, 2016).

According to Healthy People 2020 (2014), diabetes affects over 29 million people in the United States, with another estimated 28 percent of the population having undiagnosed cases. Of those at risk, African Americans are almost 2 times more likely to be diagnosed as opposed to their Caucasian counterparts. Many preventable associated factors include limited knowledge regarding disease processes, healthy diet, and limited knowledge of one’s own body. Our goal is to provide our African American community the opportunity to learn more about diabetes and how to reduce the risk of type II diabetes and signs and symptoms of diabetes during a community event.

Complications like heart diseases, kidney failure and high blood pressure are very common diseases for type 1 diabetics. Ideally food that is low in cholesterol, sugar, fats and sodium are what they need to focus on eating. Meal plans for type 1 diabetics include a mix of high fiber rich foods like green leafy vegetables and fruits. All of this is to help reduce blood pressure and stabilize the blood glucose level of the person.

need for increased understanding of the economic, and societal seriousness of diabetes and its complications, and of the escalating costs to individuals, families, workplaces, society and governments.

The most important aspect of dietary management of diabetes is carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates found in breads, cereals, potatoes, vegetables and other foods raise the blood sugar approximately the same amount as simple sugars. Carbohydrates and the glucose they generate are an energy source. Insulin produced

Nearly 16 million people in the United States have diabetes, the disease classified as a problem with insulin. The problem could be that your body does not make insulin, does not make enough, or it simply does not know how to use it properly. Diabetes is also known as "diabetes mellitus".

The optimal level for carbohydrate consumption and safety has been debated. According to the DRI, on average, the general adult population should be consuming 45-65% of total energy from carbohydrates. Some researchers have been exploring the effect of low carbohydrate diets on long-term weight loss, which contradicts the DRI. Evidence shows that short-term low-carbohydrate diets resulted in rapid weight loss with some benefit on metabolic changes, but there are a lack of findings in long-term studies.1 A different study showed that consuming a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet resulted in greater weight loss than a low glycemic index diet. Carbohydrates are used in the body as the primary source of fuel but since ketogenic diets are low in carbohydrates, fat becomes the main fuel in its place. But these results are uncertain for long-term weight loss because the duration of the study was less than one year.2 In a randomized trial of 148 men and women, individuals were told to consume either a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet. Researchers found that weight loss and risk factors for cardiovascular disease decreased when consuming a low-carbohydrate diet, making this an option for long-term weight

Much research has been done on determining the genes that are responsible for diabetes mellitus. Type I diabetes is known as a "complex trait," because the mutations in several genes contribute to it. IDDM1 on chromosome 6, IDDM2 on chromosome 11, and the gene for GCK, glucokinase, on chromosome 7, have all been reported as playing an integral part in the development of Type I diabetes (Dahlquist 5). The mechanisms behind these genes are not yet known at this time. In Type I diabetes, "the body's immune system mounts an immunological assault on its own insulin and the pancreatic cells that manufacture it" (NCBI, 1999). There are two proposed mechanisms for Type I diabetes. The first deals with environmental factors that trigger the autoimmune process, usually in the childhood development stage. The second mechanism suggest that a superantigen reaction results in rapid destruction of pancreatic b cells, which eventually leads to the onset of the disorder (Morwessel 545). There are two hypothesized forms of Type I diabetes: a B8

The low-carbohydrate diet dates back to 1797, when Scottish surgeon John Roll successfully treated two diabetic Army officers with a low-carbohydrate diet, which made the low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet became the standard treatment for diabetic and obese patients throughout the 19th century (Morgan 10). Subsequently, there was a rise in demand for low-carbohydrate diet books in 1958, 1967, and 1972, by Dr. Richard Mackarness, Irwin Stillman, and Dr. Robert Atkins, consecutively, with the latter one received the most widespread popularity. All of these diets expressed a steady emphasis on a diet with high protein, high natural fat in replacement of the loss in carbohydrate intake.

     Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin (Type One Diabetes) or can’t use available insulin efficiently ( Type Two Diabetes). Insulin is a hormone vital to helping the body use digested food for growth and energy.

is generally defined as no more than two drinks a day for men and one