Diabetes type 2 is a chronic disorder affecting metabolism. It is characterised by high level of glucose in blood, lack of insulin and resistance of the body to insulin action. This article outlines the pertinent aspects of the disease and how dietary plan affects its prevention and management. It is classified under lifestyle diseases because it is caused by changes in how people eat and level and nature of day-to-day activities occasioned by the current living standards.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Signs and symptoms of this condition develop progressively over a period. It is possible that a person would have Type 2 Diabetes for many years without noticing. The condition is characterized by the following signs and symptoms:
• Frequent urination and excessive thirst
High glucose levels in the blood increase osmotic pressure in the blood vessels which cause water to be pulled from surrounding tissues. Withdrawal of water from tissues causes thirst, causing the victim to drink more water and consequently urinate frequently.
• Hunger
The inaction of insulin prevents adequate supply sugar into the cells. The muscles and organs get depleted of energy. Little energy in vital organs and muscles stirs up intense hunger.
• Weight loss
The disease is characterised by lack of ability to metabolize glucose. In such case, the body is forced to utilize alternative sugars in fat and muscles. Further, frequent urination causes loss of calories.
• Fatigue
Inadequate amount of glucose in cells within body organs and muscles reduces energy level, which makes the affected person tired and irritable.
• Blurred vision
High levels of blood sugar may cause loss of fluids in the eye lenses causing them to become flaccid and deformed. The deformed lenses affect vision.
• Wounds and infections
Type 2 diabetes reduces the ability of human body to resists infections and heals.
Causes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the action of insulin has been interfered due to the inability of pancreases to produce insulin or when the body does not respond to the presence of insulin, also called insulin resistant. There is no known specific reason why a body would resist insulin or pancreas ceases producing, but environmental and genetic factors are considered contributing factors. The environmental factors are associated with changes in lifestyle and include weight gain and sedentary habits.
Risk Factors
The following factors predispose individuals to get the disease, which explains why some people develop the disease while others do not.
Excessive Weight
Excessive weight predisposes an individual to develop type 2 diabetes because the increased fatty tissues make the cells be insulin resistant. That notwithstanding, persons with lean weight are not immune to developing the disease.
Distribution of Fats
A person with whose fats are stored primarily around the abdomen is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those whose fat distribution is in other parts of the body.
Inactivity
Lack of adequate physical activity increases the probability of developing the disease because of the resultant weight gain. Physical activity is important because it uses up glucose, thereby making cells sensitive to insulin.
Family History
A person is at a higher risk of developing the condition if parents or siblings have it. This is associated with genetic makeup.
Age
Type 2 diabetes risk is high as a person gets old. A person of age above 45 years is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes possibly because older people gain weight with age, exercise less often and lose muscle mass. However, due to changes in lifestyle, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the younger people is increasing drastically.
Prediabetes
Abnormal increase in blood sugar, but not sufficient to be declared diabetes, it is referred to as prediabetes. If this condition is not treated, it is likely to develop in to type 2 diabetes.
Prevention and management of type 2 diabetes are based on the risk factors and causes listed above. Regular exercises and proper nutrition have a direct bearing on the amount of sugar in blood and responsiveness of cells to insulin. Thus, prevention and management should focus on the two factors (Ley, Hamdy, Mohan & Hu, 2014).
Effects of Vitamins on Diabetes Management
Vitamins are essential in limited quantities by all organisms as a critical nutrient. Human bodies cannot synthesise this essential nutrient and can only be obtained from diet, except for vitamin D, which comes from sunlight exposure. There are 13 different types of vitamins with varying recommended daily intakes. These vitamins are derived from different food types wholly or as a combination. Alongside minerals and other compounds, vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants. Although antioxidants in which vitamins are among are not usually involved in type 2 diabetes aetiology, it helps in alleviating the associated complications. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals cause damage to organs and blood vessels. The antioxidant effect of vitamins A, C and E is capable of reducing this damage. The role of vitamins in the management of type 2 diabetes is in the restoration of damaged vessels and alleviation of oxidative stress. Therefore, a dietary plan should have provision for vitamins within the recommended daily intake (Campbell & Rains, 2015).
Minerals and Diabetes Management
Minerals play a vital role in the management of most diseases including diabetes. Magnesium has the greatest role in diabetes management and prevention. It helps in regulating blood sugar and in insulin function and secretion through allowing glucose to pass through cell membranes. Type 2 diabetes patients often have low blood magnesium levels. Magnesium deficiency can result in insulin resistance, which provokes the need for high insulin supply. Chromium ensures efficient functioning of insulin, and hence, its deficient can trigger type 2 diabetes. The effect of this mineral on insulin may help diabetes patients to lose weight. Nutrition prioritizes on encouraging diabetes patients to have diets that improve associated conditions like blood pressure, glycemia, and dyslipidemia. All other minerals like sodium, potassium and calcium help in curbing most of these disorders, and hence, patients should incorporate as much mineral as possible in their diets (O’Connell, 2001).
Carbohydrates, Proteins & Fats, and Diabetes Management
Carbohydrates
Evidence strongly suggests that diets in processed carbohydrates increase the risk of diabetes while whole grains reduce the risk. Carbohydrates like white bread, donuts, white rice, mashed potatoes, bagels as well as most breakfast cereals have a high glycemic load and index. Increased glycemic index and load result to sustained spikes in insulin levels and blood sugar, and consequently high diabetes risk. A study done in China revealed that women ate foods with higher glycemic index were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes by 21% compared to those who ate foods with lower glycemic index. Another research found that replacing white rice for whole grains could lessen diabetes risk. Women whose diets included at least five servings of white rice per week were more likely to develop diabetes by 17% compared to those whose diets contained at most one serving a month. Those who consumed at least two serving of brown rice a week were less likely to develop diabetes by 11% than those who hardly consumed it. It is believed that replacing white rice with whole grains might reduce diabetes risk by up to 36%.
Proteins
Among proteins, eating red meat has the highest diabetes risk. Studies have substantially proven that consuming red meat like lamb, beef, and pork including processed red meats such as hot dogs and bacon elevates diabetes risk even when consumed in small amounts. A meta-analysis indicated that consumption of 3 ounces of red meat daily leads to a 20% increase in type 2 diabetes risk. More so, consumption of small amounts of refined red meat daily, say, one hot dog or 2 bacon slices, increases the likelihood of developing diabetes by up to 51%. The study further revealed that replacing red meat with a healthier protein like poultry, fish, and nuts or with whole grains lowers diabetes risk by 35%. It is noteworthy that avoiding red meat greatly reduces diabetes risk. It is possible that the high content of iron in red meat diminishes the effectiveness of insulin or destroys insulin-producing cells. Also, the high amounts of nitrites and sodium in refined red meats could be another cause. Processed and red meats are the basis of the unhealthy Western diets, which appears to be the root of diabetes in the genetically at-risk groups (Campbell & Rains, 2015).
Fats
Fat types may affect diabetes development. There are good fats like polyunsaturated fats which are present in vegetable seeds, nuts and oils, and can prevent type 2 diabetes. On the contrary, Trans fats increase diabetes risk. Some of the bad fats include those in margarine, fried foods, packaged baked products and all oils with a label “partially hydrogenated”. Polyunsaturated or omega 3 fats in fish help in heart disease and not diabetes prevention. However, patients with diabetes can eat fish to protect them from a heart attack (Campbel & Rains, 2015).
References
O’Connell, B. S. (2001). Select vitamins and minerals in the management of
diabetes. Diabetes Spectrum, 14(3), 133-148.
Campbell, A. P., & Rains, T. M. (2015). Dietary protein is important in the practical
management of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The Journal of nutrition, 145(1), 164S-169S.
Ley, S. H., Hamdy, O., Mohan, V., & Hu, F. B. (2014). Prevention and management of type
2 diabetes: dietary components and nutritional strategies. The Lancet, 383(9933), 1999-2007.
