Diabetes mellitus is a group of several diseases. As a result of bad lifestyle especially the type 2 diabetes can be developed. The essence of this disease is in the lack of insulin, namely:
- relative deficiency (the body produces insulin, but resistance arises and hence the insulin produced does not have the necessary effect)
- absolute deficiency (insulin stops being produced)
Insulin (produced by the pancreas) allows the metabolism of blood glucose (conversion to energy). In the event of insulin deficiency, the glucose is not metabolized and hyperglycaemia occurs (an extreme increase in blood glucose).
An essential risk factor for the disease is e.g. long-term overeating, especially excessive consumption of carbohydrates (especially fast, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars), having the following effect:
- the body adapts more to carbohydrate burning (carbohydrate metabolism) and burns fats harder – instead of burning fat it sends a signal (taste) to get more carbohydrates
- a lot of insulin is produced (it responds to the blood glucose level) that stores the excess energy it receives in the subcutaneous fat (glycogen stores are full) – obesity
- insulin resistance arises (the body cannot effectively use the produced insulin, blood glucose levels rise) and type 2 diabetes can emerge, as well as high blood pressure and the related problems
Risk factors and mechanisms for the prevention of type 2 diabetes are very similar to those of atherosclerosis, and both are part of the metabolic syndrome.
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