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Diabetes mellitus affects 16 million people in the US. It is the fourth leading cause of death, and is the principle cause of blindness and the most common cause of kidney failure. Many people have diabetes but don’t know it. Type I diabetes, often called juvenile onset diabetes, affects 5% of the diabetic population. People with Type I diabetes are dependent on insulin. Type 11 diabetes, or non-insulin dependent diabetes, usually affects adults and can run in families. In recent years there is a dramatic increase in Type 11 diabetes, due to hereditary factors, diets high in processed foods, and lack of regular exercise. ‘What was once referred to as adult onset diabetes (Type II,purchase cheap Glucotrol) is now affecting obese children.

Many experts see diabetes as a marker for aging, as diabetics have been known to develop higher cholesterol and typically die of heart disease at a younger age than non-diabetics. It is hypothesized that elevated glucose generates a large number of free radicals, which damage cells. When practitioners hear about problems with glucose and insulin, they normally think of diabetes. In 1988 Stanford endocrinologist Gerald Reaven, MD, coined the term Syndrome X. Syndrome X refers to conditions brought about by excessive refined carbohydrate diets. This includes two or more of the following: insulin resistance, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, abdominal obesity, and high blood pressure. Having Syndrome X increases one’s odds of getting diabetes or heart disease. The easiest way to diagnose insulin resistance is with a glucose tolerance test.(purchase Glucotrol)

In abdominal obesity (”beer gut,” “pot belly”) glucose is stored as fat, genetically this has helped our species during times of famine. As the number of fat cells increase, the relative percentage of muscle cells decreases, reducing the number of sites for insulin to function. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers; obese women are more likely than thin women to develop breast cancer. Cholesterol and triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In Syndrome X, there may be a high total cholesterol, low good HDL cholesterol, high LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio, or high triglyceride levels. There may also be oxidized LDL cholesterol. Sugar Overload

The body strives to maintain a balance of glucose (blood sugar). After meals, the body responds to the rise in blood glucose by secreting insulin, a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas. Insulin lowers blood glucose by increasing the rate at which cells throughout the body absorb glucose. A decline in blood glucose causes the release of glucagon, a hormone produced by alpha cells of the pancreas. Glucagon stimulates the release of glucose stored as glycogen in body tissues, especially the liver. If the blood glucose falls rapidly or if a person is angry or fearful, the result causes a release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and corticosteroids by the adrenal glands. These chemicals have the power to breakdown stored glucose to provide extra energy to cope with a crisis. Insulin can increase blood pressure in a number of ways. It can increase the retention of sodium, increase the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone, as well as triggering the sympathetic nervous system to speed up heart rate and blood pressure. Increased blood flow in the arteries can be due to obesity, as the heart has to pump harder through a larger body, and/or arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which makes the vessels less elastic. (Given equal water pressure, water moves through a narrow hose faster and with greater pressure than it does through a wider hose,purchase Glucotrol.)

Hypertension can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, and is also associated with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Causes of diabetes and Syndrome X include stress, excessive amount of processed foods and lack of exercise. Physical and psychological stress increase cortisol levels, which reduces the ability of glucose to get into the cells, as well as being a risk factor for heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Fatigue, mental exhaustion, and anger are associated with excess levels of cortisol.

Sweeteners including sugar, fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup, and grape concentrate are consumed at alarming rates. The average US consumption of sugar is over 150 pounds per year, as compared with residents in the 1800’s who consumed 12 pounds per year. If we go back further, sugar was rarely consumed at all, the main source of sweets being honey and whole fruits. In addition to being damaging on their own, sugars provide empty calories, which replace nutrient dense foods. Sugar increases LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It makes platelet cells aggregate, which tends to contribute to heart disease and stroke, and also reduces levels of calcium and phosphorus, which are needed to maintain healthy bones.