According to Typep-1 Siegenthaler & Aeschlimann, (2007) the neme diabetes wass derived from a greek word, diabeinein which implies “to siphon”. There are two main types id diabetes (type 1, type 2) even though some researchers often contend that there is a third type called gestational diabetes. Ideally,type 1 diabetes is autoimmune conditions that occurs when the beta cells of the pancreas have been spifflicated (Siegenthaler & Aeschlimann, 2007; News medical, 2013). The leads to loss of glucose that becomes visible in the urine if it is above the renal threshold that is 190 to 200 mg/dl on average. This condition of urine in the blood referred to as glycosuria causes patients to urinate frequently and drink more than is normal, a condition known as polydipsia (Siegenthaler & Aeschlimann, 2007). This type of diabetes if not treated with exogenous insulin is fatal. Most common methods of administering insulin have been through injection, indwelling catheters, inhaled insulin, and the commonly used which is through injection. All these methods replace the missing hormone that should have be produced by the non-functional beta cells in the pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes is a non-insulin dependent form of diabetes (WebMD, n.d; Siegenthaler & Aeschlimann, 2007). People suffering from type two diabetes produce insulin, but either their body cannot use the insulin effectively, or their pancreas does not produce the required amount of insulin. Thus, due to low insulin levels the glucose fails to get into the cell leading to a build up in the blood causing the cells not to function as required (Siegenthaler & Aeschlimann, 2007). The buildup of glucose in blood lead to the destruction of the small blood vessels supplying blood to various vital organs inclusive but not limited to the kidneys, eyes, and the body’s nerves In other instances buildup of glucose in blood lead to hardening of large arteries hence increasing the chances of one to experience a cardiovascular disease. The extra glucose also leads to frequent urination that leads to dehydration. On severe cases can lead to diabetes coma as the person gets too sick that they cannot take in any fluids.
I can be noted that diabetes is a treatable disease is seemingly very easy to treat with some treatment measures only involving life changes while some only entailing the use of supplements (supplementation). Notably, there is a unique relationship between the occurrence of diabetes and the Beta-carotene ( and antioxidants). This relationship can be best understood with the understanding of Beta-carotene and its effects in the body.
Beta-carotene falls under the group of yellow, red, and orange pigments called carotenoids (Granado et. al., 1998). This group provides about 50 % of the vitamin A needed in a diet. Mostly found in in fruits, and vegetables, the usage of this vitamins are many and vary from treatment of AIDS, decreasing asthma symptoms, preventing certain cancers, treating alcoholism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, skin disorders and many others. Beta carotene can also be used to reduce sun burns and for malnourished women lower the chances of death during pregnancy and night blindness, fever and diarrhea, after giving birth. Carotenoids are antioxidants and protect the body from molecules known as radicals. Notably, empirical researches have shown that free radicals can impact damagingly on the body as they damage cells through a process known as oxidation. Anti oxidants helps boost the immune system and lower risk of chronic diseases.
Beta-carotene may protect against type 2 diabetes by reduction of oxidative stress and replenishing anti-oxidant reserves (Niki, 1996). The excessive production of reactive oxygen aas well as the reduction of antioxidant defense capacity of the body are caused by oxidative stress. Research has shown that oxidative stress promotes endothelial dysfunction, causes systemic inflammation, impairs pancreatic Beta cell insulin secretion and interferes with glucose disposal in peripheral tissues. These promote the progression of type 2 diabetes (Niki, 1996).
Epidemiologic studies have shown that concentrations of anti-oxidants like Beta-carotene were notably lower in individuals with type 2 diabetes compared to the levels in nondiabetic control subjects (Ford, Will, Bowman & Narayan, 1999). It is still indeterminable whether the effect of Beta carotene on diabetes is effective as a sole anti oxidant or together with vitamin C and E. The direct effect of anti oxidants on diabetes is yet to be confirmed Ford, Will, Bowman & Narayan, 1999).
Diabetes has various complications and anti oxidants known to heighten the incidences of vascular disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. Patients with type 1 diabetes classified as the group at risk for low vitamin. Some studies have suggested that to some extent supplementation with carotenoids and other antioxidants may help reduce or prevent long term complications of diabetes mellitus. Several studies suggest that a higher concentration of carotenoids can lead to reduced risk of vascular diseases.
Carotene supplementation in the diet lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and could remarkably give insight to the positive effect of carotenes on patients with diabetes. This is because it leads a delay of accelerated development of atherosclerosis (build of fat and lipids in the arteries) in diabetes mellitus patients. The known function of carotenoids on the body focus mainly on its antioxidant function and reduction in the levels of the complications associated with diabetes.
Hypercholesterolemia leads to reduction of plasma cholesterol thus, a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis. Consumption of carotenoids in a high concentration may reduce the risk of this type of cardio vascular disease which is one the complications of diabetes. Carotenoids have a substantial effect on cholesterol synthesis as the share the same synthetic pathway. The carotenoids effect on cholesterol synthesis might explain why they have a serious effect of lowering cardiovascular diseases.
Cardio vascular mortality is the leading cause of mortality for many diabetes patients with this condition not being diagnosed. The studies on carotenoids until now only focused on its oxidative effect thus to further determine their effects a study was conducted to determine the effect of adding carotene in the nutrients on lipid metabolism in diabetic rats. The experiment showed that carotene supplementation of Beta carotene induced change on the metabolism of lipids in induced diabetic rats.
Plasma concentration and triacylglycerol were high in diabetic rats, but feeding of Beta carotene lowered the concentration. Dietary concentration of Beta carotene reduced total cholesterol levels. Dietary Beta carotene reduced serum total cholesterol and low density cholesterol concentrations in spontaneously hypertensive rats (Tsai, Mazeedi, & Mameesh, 1992). They also showed that Beta carotene supplementation significantly resulted in low LDL levels and unusually low lipoprotein triacylglycerol concentrations.
The function of Beta carotene on lipids is through competitive mechanism. There is little information as to how this whole process happens. What is known is that carotene and cholesterol; lipid share a common synthetic pathway as early discussed. Carotene through the blood is transported in the body with the association of chylomicron a transporter in the body. This goes together with seriously low-density lipoprotein and LDL remnants.
Absorption of carotenoids is achieved through disruption of the food matrix, dispersion into lipid droplets and be solubilized into mixed bile micelles. A study on the effect of carotenoids on macrophage cholesterol breakdown showed that nutritional “supplementation of carotenoids may act as moderate hypocholesterolemic agents and not as their commonly known; antioxidants (Tsai, Mazeedi, & Mameesh, 1992). These have an inhibitory effect on macrophage 3-hydroxy-3 methyl glutaryl coenzyme. This compound is a reductase; an enzyme that limits the rate of cholesterol synthesis. This clearly showed that enrichment of macrophages with b-carotene leads to the suppression of cellular synthesis of cholesterol and increases macrophage LDL receptor action. Carotenoids with Beta carotenoids as the main focus of this discussion may not directly have an effect on diabetes. But, diabetes only worsens because of the chronic illnesses associated with it. One of the main chronic conditions associated with diabetes is cardiovascular diseases, which worsens with increased cholesterol levels in the body. Carotenoids through the competitive mechanism help lower the cholesterol levels in the body. They reduce harmful cholesterol by metabolizing them into lipid emulsions thus lowering their negative effects in the body. It can clearly be argued that nutritional intake of carotenoids would lower the effects of diabetes by lowering the blood cholesterol levels.
Concisely, with regards to the two most common types of diabetes, Beta-carotene besides being used for prevention purposes is overly utilitarian in the melioration of diabetes.
References
Ford, E.S, Will, J.C., Bowman, BA., and, Narayan, K.M. (1999). Diabetes mellitus and serum carotenoids: findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Epidemiol, 149:168–76.
Granado, F., Olmedilla, B., Gil-Martinez, E., Blanco, I., Millan, I., and Rojas-Hidalgo, E. (1998) Carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and their immediate relatives. ClinSci (Lond), 94:189-95.
Niki, E. (1996). Alpha-tocopherol. (1st ed. )New York, NY: Marcel Dekker.
News medical. What is Type 1 Diabetes?(n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.news medical.net/health/What-is-Type-1-Diabetes.aspx. 2nd March, 2013.
Tsai, A.C., Mazeedi, H.A., and Mameesh, M.S. (1992). Dietary b-carotene reduces serum lipid concentrations in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed a vitamin A-fortified and cholesterol- enriched diet. J Nutr, 122:1768-71
WebMD. Type 2 Diabetes. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/type-2 diabetes. 2nd March, 2013.
Siegenthaler, W., & Aeschlimann, A. (2007). Differential Diagnosis In Internal Medicine: From Symptom To Diagnosis ; 323 Tables. Stuttgart: Thieme.
