Diabetes and
Cancer
Diabetes
In a previous post I mentioned that
my family history of Type 1 diabetes was a major motivator for me to get
healthy. Many people think that because their grandmother had diabetes and
their mother also had diabetes that eventually they will also end up with
diabetes. But this is not necessarily true. Healthy eating and maintaining a
healthy body weight can prevent you from a life time of finger sticks and
injecting yourself with insulin. Diabetes is the number one diagnosed chronic
disease in the United States, and is steadily on the rise especially in
children and young adults. Living with diabetes is a major obstacle for many
people as it restricts a person’s diet as well as their lifestyle because of
having to follow a strict medication regimen. Having diabetes also predisposes
a person to other major health complications such as kidney disease, eye
problems such as glaucoma and cataracts, heart disease such as stroke and heart
attack, and problems with their nerves such as diabetes neuropathy which causes
pain and tingling in the extremities and sometimes dizziness. If there was
something you could do to avoid going through all of this, wouldn’t you want to
take action to prevent diabetes? Well, there is a lot a person can do to avoid
having early onset diabetes and eating healthy is the key.
The term diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affects how the body uses blood glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body’s cells, and it fuels your brain. Having diabetes mean that a person has too much glucose in the blood, more than the body can use. You obtain glucose from two sources; the food you eat provides glucose, but your liver also produces glucose. The glucose is mostly absorbed in your bloodstream and is used by the cells, but insulin from the pancreas must be present to help move the glucose into the cells. When too much glucose is in the bloodstream the pancreas is not able to make enough insulin and this causes high blood glucose levels. Also everyone’s pancreas can only make so much insulin over a lifetime and this is where diabetes begins. Constant unhealthy eating, leads to constantly high levels of glucose in the blood, as the pancreas works hard to manufacture and secrete enough insulin to move the glucose into the cells, the pancreas cells eventually begin to die because of over use and the pancreas can no longer secrete any insulin at all or either it can secrete only a very little bit of insulin.
The term diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affects how the body uses blood glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body’s cells, and it fuels your brain. Having diabetes mean that a person has too much glucose in the blood, more than the body can use. You obtain glucose from two sources; the food you eat provides glucose, but your liver also produces glucose. The glucose is mostly absorbed in your bloodstream and is used by the cells, but insulin from the pancreas must be present to help move the glucose into the cells. When too much glucose is in the bloodstream the pancreas is not able to make enough insulin and this causes high blood glucose levels. Also everyone’s pancreas can only make so much insulin over a lifetime and this is where diabetes begins. Constant unhealthy eating, leads to constantly high levels of glucose in the blood, as the pancreas works hard to manufacture and secrete enough insulin to move the glucose into the cells, the pancreas cells eventually begin to die because of over use and the pancreas can no longer secrete any insulin at all or either it can secrete only a very little bit of insulin.
There are two types of chronic diabetes.
According to the American
Diabetes Association
“Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and happens
when the body does not produce enough insulin, and in Type 2 diabetes either
the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells ignore the
insulin”. Type 1 diabetes is genetically linked, but only 5% of diagnosed
diabetics have this type of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form
of diabetes and is all the preventable form of diabetes. Preventing or delaying
Type 2 diabetes involves eating healthy, exercising, and maintain a healthy
body weight.
Healthy eating to prevent diabetes
involves eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and limiting your intake of
unhealthy carbohydrates such as cookies, cakes, and candies. Also you should
avoid consuming large of amount of sugary sodas to both prevent diabetes and
kidney problems. Exercising to avoid diabetes can be simply taking a walk daily
to help your body’s cell use the excess glucose in your blood stream.
Maintaining a healthy body weight goes hand in hand with healthy eating and
exercising.
Cancer
There are many
proven causes of cancer such as smoking, environmental hazards, and infections.
But it is not widely known that poor dietary habits can also cause certain
types of cancer. Poor nutrition high in calories, high in cholesterol and fats
is a precursor for many types of cancer of the digestive system.
Proper nutrition
leads to the prevention of many major diseases including certain types of
cancer. “Cancers of the bowels, stomach, pancreas, mouth, breast, and food pipe
are directly related to diet, a diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables can
greatly reduce a person’s risks of these types of cancer” (Nilsen, 2011). It is
also advised to limit the amounts of red and processed meats eaten, as well as
limiting sodium intake, and limiting the consumption of caffeine and alcohol to
decrease the risk of obesity related cancer. Of course exercise and maintaining
a healthy body weight is also an important prevention method.
Overall proper nutrition, healthy
eating, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body weight is the major
prevention mechanism in many chronic diseases that are related to obesity and
unhealthy eating. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, limiting your intake in
sodium, caffeine, sugars, and alcohol can keep your body healthy and working
properly. A healthy person is usually a more energetic person whose body has
the ability to fight off infection and viruses. It has also been proven that a
healthy person is able to think clearer and performs better academically and
professionally. Many employers are trending toward charging what they deem as
“unhealthy employees”, those that smoke, drink, or are overweight more money in
insurance premiums. With all the problems that being unhealthy causes a person,
wouldn’t you think it is better to just eat healthy to prevent problems later
on in life?
Works
Cited
Nilsen,
R. (2011, June 27). Cancer statistics with healthy and unhealthy eating. LiveStrong Magazine, Vol.89. Retrieved
March 10, 2012, from Academic Premier Database.
