The Difference Between Type I And Type II Diabetes
What is glucose (aka sugar)?
You might know exactly what sugar is already. That white, crystal looking substance. It’s in nearly everyone’s kitchen. Maybe you’re also thinking of things like candy, chocolate, cake, donuts, and other sweet treats. Well, you’re right. Those have sugar, too. When we eat any of those things, our blood sugar (i.e. the sugar in our blood stream) increases & our bodies have to process that sugar and utilize it in one of a few ways. Before we dive in, it’s important to understand that sugar is also found in carbohydrates. Things like chips, popcorn, bread, potatoes, and even vegetables (although the carbohydrate amount in vegetables is extremely low) contain carbohydrates which our bodies turn into sugar - the same exact sugar as the white, crystal substance in your kitchen. So, let’s get into the nitty gritty…
Glucose is a sugar molecule that provides energy to living organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates. Our bodies use glucose for energy, but once it’s provided enough energy, it’s stored as fat. Insulin helps our bodies metabolize sugar and is a key component to managing the sugar in your blood streams.
Insulin comes from the pancreas and is produced in response to glucose entering the bloodstream. If there is not enough insulin to bind to the glucose, that is when blood sugars can become elevated. When the blood sugar is elevated, it is circulating in the body and causes a large amount of inflammation, leading to other complications. The main illness we think of with elevated blood glucose levels is prediabetes and Diabetes.
What are the two types of Diabetes?
Type I diabetes is when your body does not make any insulin. Most of the time, this illness is diagnosed in the younger population, but it can happen at any age. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease which means the immune system attacks the pancreas not allowing it to produce insulin. Typical treatment for type I diabetes is insulin and monitoring blood sugars throughout the day. Other things that can help are exercise and eating a lower carb diet.
Type II diabetes is when the pancreas starts to become insulin resistant. This means that the pancreas cannot support the amount of insulin needed to help metabolize the glucose being ingested. This disease is typically of an older population, but now it is occurring much more frequently in the younger population, even children.
The main reason why type II diabetes occurs is because of the amount of sugars and simple carbohydrates being consumed by that particular person. When too many sugars and carbohydrates are eaten, the glucose levels spike, and the pancreas cannot keep up with the amount of insulin needed. Eventually, the organ becomes tired and cannot produce enough insulin to manage sugar levels. It can also be caused by stress, environment, or metabolic conditions.
What are the potential complications and side effects of diabetes?
heart disease
chronic kidney disease
nerve damage
vision loss
hearing loss
stroke
mental health changes
Ways You Can Prevent Diabetes
A lot of people think that just because you have the genetic tendency to develop diabetes that you’re doomed. This is not true. The genes predispose you, but if you try to prevent it from happening, you won’t necessarily “turn” the gene on.
First and foremost, adjust what you’re eating! If you are eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), it is likely that you’re eating a diet full of processed/simple carbohydrates with low or no nutritional value. Start changing your diet to clean, whole foods. This means to eat fresh, good quality meat, lots of fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, and complex carbs. Simple carbs typically are made from wheat. THINK: crackers, cookies, pretzels, etc. Complex carbs are carbohydrates from vegetables or sweet potatoes. Eat more fiber as this slows carbohydrate digestion.
Secondly, get moving! Exercise helps to regulate insulin levels. Even just a simple walk after a meal can help your body metabolize sugar which reduces excess sugar floating around in your blood stream.
Lastly, relax! Stress increases insulin levels, so any amount of de-stressing can help your body process sugar more optimally.
Treatment for diabetes in conventional medicine is diet, lifestyle changes, and medication. In functional medicine, we try to find the root cause of why you have diabetes or insulin resistance. We look for dietary changes needed, triggers, unresolved trauma or stress, infections, and inflammation.
Reach out to us if you’d like to join the waitlist for a free discovery call and see if working together would be a good fit. Your health is in your control.
FREE Consultations!
Let’s discuss some of the symptoms and problems you are having and how we can help in this FREE 15 minute discovery call.
We’d love to be a part of your wellness journey!
The Shore Integrative Health Team
(443) 339-9713
kristin@shoreintegrativehealth.com
508 Idlewild Avenue, Unit 5
Easton, MD 21601
Written by Virginia Conner, PA-C