How to beat diabetes? Is there a way out? And if so, what is the best treatment for this disease?
Diabetes mellitus is a global medico-social problem of the 21st century. Twenty years ago, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the world did not exceed 30 million. Today there are more than 260 million, and by 2025 this number could increase to 380 million. In this regard, diabetes is defined by WHO as an epidemic of non-communicable disease. The United Nations, concerned about the evolving situation, in December 2006 adopted a special Resolution 61/225, in which diabetes mellitus is recognized as a serious chronic disease that poses a threat to the entire world community and leads to heavy social and economic losses. That sounds like a sentence. Is there a way out of this situation, and what are the chances of healing for people with diabetes?
In Russia, diabetes and its complications are in third place among the causes of death. According to official statistics, there are 2.8 million people with diabetes in our country. However, according to the results of control and epidemiological studies, this number reaches 8-10 million people, of whom 80% have type II diabetes. Not detected in time and therefore uncontrolled, diabetes entails the threat of the rapid development of severe vascular complications. By the time a person feels the need to see a doctor, changes in his body may become irreversible. Due to the complications of diabetes, more than 1 million lower limb amputations are performed in the world every year, more than 300 thousand patients lose their sight completely, and almost 500 thousand have serious kidney complications.
Treatment regimens for diabetes I and II are similar: a patient is usually prescribed a variety of drugs: to stabilize blood glucose levels, to normalize metabolism, to improve the work of the pancreas, liver, kidneys, cardiovascular system, organs of vision, etc. If you strictly comply with all the requirements of a doctor, diabetes can be “frozen” for decades, maintaining vigor and performance all your life.
But medication alone is not enough to defeat diabetes.
Several medical treatment centers have convincingly shown that most type II diabetics can bring blood sugar levels back to normal, often in a matter of weeks, by making certain changes in their lifestyle, namely: switch to a diet that is rich in fiber and very low in fat plus daily do physical education.
A crucial role is played by the restriction in the diet of fats of plant and animal origin. The less you consume them, the less their amount reaches your blood flow. This gives rise to a complex process that consistently unlocks insulin. Now, insulin can promote the flow of glucose from the blood into the cells of the body. Often the effect is simply amazing. Type II diabetic, which limits fat intake to 10–15% of daily calories, can often lower blood sugar to normal levels in less than 8 weeks. Many, in the end, are able to completely abandon the drugs taken in diabetes – both pills and injections.
The presence in your diet of a sufficiently large amount of natural, fiber-rich foods plays an important role in stabilizing blood sugar levels. If foods are consumed in a form that is devoid of their natural component, fiber, the sugar level in the blood can rise sharply. Under normal conditions, a portion of insulin counteracts this. People who eat refined and rich in calories, but poor in fiber, sugar content in the blood can experience drastic changes during the day. In contrast, fiber-rich foods level blood sugar and maintain energy at a stable level.
Active exercise has an insulin-like effect, as it helps to “burn fuel” faster (blood sugar and fatty acids).
Getting rid of excess weight is often all that is needed to normalize blood sugar levels. This goal will be promoted by both a low-fat, fiber-rich diet and regular active exercise.