How to Avoid Diabetes

Want to learn about how to avoid diabetes in early stages? Or about how to avoid diabetes naturally? This diabetes post is what you need. It contains everything you need to know about preventing diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus is a condition that causes the pancreas to stop functioning effectively, or ceases to function at all. There are two major forms of diabetes — type 1 and type 2. This article focuses specifically on the prevention of type 2 diabetes since there is no know way to prevent type 1 diabetes. While diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar values, type 2 diabetes is also associated with a condition known as insulin resistance. Even though there is an element of impaired insulin secretion from the beta cells of the pancreas, especially when toxic levels of glucose occur (when blood sugars are constantly very high), the major defect in type 2 diabetes is the body’s inability to respond properly to insulin.

Eventually, even though the pancreas is working at its best to produce more and more insulin, the body tissues (for example, muscle and fat cells) do not respond and become insensitive to the insulin. At this point, overt diabetes occurs, as the body is no longer able to effectively use its insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Over time, these high levels of sugar result in the complications we see all too often in patients with diabetes. While genetics plays an important role in the development of diabetes, individuals still have the ability to influence their health to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

The risk for developing diabetes increases in certain cases such as the following.

• Genetics: People with a close relative with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk.
• Ethnic background
• Birth weight: There is a relationship between birth weight and developing diabetes, and it’s the opposite of what one might intuitively think. The lower the birth weight, the higher the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Metabolic syndrome: People who have the metabolic syndrome are at especially high risk for developing diabetes.
• Obesity: Obesity is probably the most impressive risk factor and in most situations the most controllable.
• Gestational diabetes: Women who have gestational diabetes during pregnancy have a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Other risks for the development of diabetes include endothelial dysfunction (abnormal response of the inner lining of blood vessels) and retinal artery narrowing (narrowing of the tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye).

What are Symptoms of Prediabetes?

In general, prediabetes is not associated with any specific symptoms. However, there may be indicators of problems in blood sugar metabolism that can be seen years before the development of overt diabetes. Health care professionals in the field of endocrinology are now routinely looking at these indicators in patients who are at high risk for developing diabetes.

Irregular menses (menstruation) and premenstrual syndrome

There is an association between the lengthening of the menstrual cycle and the risk for developing diabetes, particularly in obese women. In a national study of nurses, those who had a cycle length of greater than 40 days were twice as likely to develop diabetes then those who cycled every 26 to 31 days. The association is thought to be related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which also is known to be associated with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may be a precursor for type 2 diabetes.

Impaired fasting glucose

By definition, diabetes is associated with a fasting blood sugar of greater than 126 mg/dl. There is another group that has been identified and referred to as having impaired fasting glucose or prediabetes. These people have a fasting blood sugar value of between 110-125mg/dl. The main concern with this group is that they have an increased potential to develop type 2 diabetes when compared to the normal population. The actual percent increase varies depending on ethnicity, weight, etc.; but it is significantly higher, regardless of absolute numbers. In addition, people with impaired fasting glucose also are at increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

Inflammatory markers

The role of inflammation in disease development is an area of extreme interest. For example, we have begun to understand the importance of inflammation and heart disease. We now know that inflammation may play an important role in the development of diabetes as well. An inflammation marker known as C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be increased in women at risk for developing the metabolic syndrome, and in both men and women at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have shown shifts in the blood levels of a number of markers for inflammation during the progression from no disease, to prediabetes, and then to full-blown diabetes. This research highlights the importance of inflammation as part of the mechanism of diabetes development.

Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes

One of the most important factors in the development of diabetes is genetics (over which we have no control). However, there are things in our environment and lifestyle we can control to help prevent diabetes naturally or lower our personal risk of developing diabetes, including:

Weight Loss

In people at risk for diabetes, weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity as well as delay, and even prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. In patients with overt diabetes, weight loss can play a tremendous role in improving blood sugar control.

Two large studies — one in Finland and the other in the U.S. (the Diabetes Prevention Program [DPP]) — have shown the benefit of weight loss in diabetes prevention. In the Finnish study, more than 500 men and women with impaired glucose tolerance were assigned to a control group or an exercise/weight loss group. By the end of the study, the weight loss group had lost about 8 pounds, and the control group about 2 pounds. The weight loss group had significantly less participants develop diabetes than the control group.

The DPP study showed a similar result. In this study, there was also a group taking metformin (Glucophage) as a preventive measure. At the end of the study, the lifestyle group actually did better at prevention of diabetes than those taking metformin. In fact, the study was stopped early, because the benefit of weight loss (the weight loss group lost about 15 pounds on average and kept it off) was so dramatic.

Exercise

When adjusted for family history, the benefits of exercise can be evaluated based on previous studies. Of note, for every 500 kcal burned weekly through exercise, there is a 6% decrease in relative risk for the development of diabetes. This data is from a study done in men who were followed over a period of 10 years. The study also notes a greater benefit in men who were heavier at baseline. There have been similar reports on the effects of exercise in women.

Exercise is thought to be a major determinant of insulin sensitivity in muscle tissue. By increasing exercise, the body uses insulin more efficiently, for up to 70 hours after the exercise period has occurred. Thus, exercising three to four times per week would be beneficial in most people.

The same benefits appear when looking specifically at people with impaired prediabetes (glucose tolerance/impaired fasting glucose). When diet and exercise are used as tools in this population over a 6-year study and compared to a control group, glucose tolerance improves by about 76% compared to deterioration in 67% of the control group. The exercise group also had a lesser rate of progression to type 2 diabetes.

Much of the benefit of exercise occurs independent of weight loss. However, when combined with weight loss, the benefits increase substantially.

Eat healthy fats

Fatty foods are high in calories and should be eaten in moderation. To help lose and manage weight, your diet should include a variety of foods with unsaturated fats, sometimes called “good fats.”

Unsaturated fats — both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — promote healthy blood cholesterol levels and good heart and vascular health. Sources of good fats include:

• Olive, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed and canola oils
• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, peanuts, flaxseed and pumpkin seeds
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna and cod

Saturated fats, the “bad fats,” are found in dairy products and meats. These should be a small part of your diet. You can limit saturated fats by eating low-fat dairy products and lean chicken and pork.

Eat healthy plant foods

Plants provide vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates include sugars and starches — the energy sources for your body — and fiber. Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, is the part of plant foods your body can’t digest or absorb.

Fiber-rich foods promote weight loss and lower the risk of diabetes. Eat a variety of healthy, fiber-rich foods, which include:

• Fruits, such as tomatoes, peppers and fruit from trees
• Nonstarchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower
• Legumes, such as beans, chickpeas and lentils
• Whole grains, such as whole-wheat pasta and bread, whole-grain rice, whole oats, and quinoa

The benefits of fiber include:

• Slowing the absorption of sugars and lowering blood sugar levels
• Interfering with the absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol
• Managing other risk factors that affect heart health, such as blood pressure and inflammation
• Helping you eat less because fiber-rich foods are more filling and energy rich

Avoid foods that are “bad carbohydrates” — high in sugar with little fiber or nutrients: white bread and pastries, pasta from white flour, fruit juices, and processed foods with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

Skip fad diets and make healthier choices

Many fad diets — such as the glycemic index, paleo or keto diets — may help you lose weight. There is little research, however, about the long-term benefits of these diets or their benefit in preventing diabetes.

Your dietary goal should be to lose weight and then maintain a healthier weight moving forward. Healthy dietary decisions, therefore, need to include a strategy that you can maintain as a lifelong habit. Making healthy decisions that reflect some of your own preferences for food and traditions may be beneficial for you over time.

One simple strategy to help you make good food choices and eat appropriate portions sizes is to divide up your plate. These three divisions on your plate promote healthy eating:

• One-half: fruit and nonstarchy vegetables
• One-quarter: whole grains
• One-quarter: protein-rich foods, such as legumes, fish or lean meats

Smoking

Smoking 16 to 20 cigarettes a day or more can increase a person’s risk of developing diabetes to more than three times that of nonsmokers. The exact reason for this isn’t well understood. It may be that smoking directly decreases the body’s ability to utilize insulin. Moreover, it has been observed that after smoking, blood sugar levels increase. Finally, there is also an association between smoking and body fat distribution; smoking tends to encourage the “apple” shape, which is a risk factor for diabetes.

Conclusion

Diabetes is a scary thought for anyone. It is the leading cause of kidney disease, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, blindness etc. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Yes, you can avoid diabetes all together if you take proper precautions.