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by: RayWilliams
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Word Count: 440

Diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism caused as a result of the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Our bodies use glucose, a form of sugar which our digestive system has broken down from the food we eat, which is then transported around the body via the bloodstream. This supply of energy use the bloodstream to be transported around where it can be absorbed by the cells but diabetes stops this from happening. If this situation remains unchecked, levels of glucose in the blood increase to dangerous levels.

Information in this article is regarding the two major types of the condition. Mainly affecting children and young adults, type 1 or juvenile onset diabetes occurs when insulin production stops completely; this results in the diabetic requiring an insulin injection every day to stay healthy and alive. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood and is required for the body to function normally. The second type is called adult onset diabetes and happens later in life; this is caused when the insulin is either not being produced in sufficient quantities or there is a problem in its use, however a careful diet plan can usually treat the condition.

To stay alive we need energy, something which is supplied in abundance by everyday foods like various pastas, bread, potatoes, rice and fruit for instance. Some serious conditions can result from excess levels of glucose in the blood including blindness, heart and kidney disease and even the removal of limbs. By sticking to a diabetes health care regime, most of these conditions can be helped; these conditions will vary form person to person but most should see improvements with some complaints halted altogether. Managing this condition means changing your lifestyle to suit your condition any medication that has been prescribed; this includes watching your blood sugar levels, blood fat and cholesterol in addition to quitting smoking.

You will also need to maintain your weight, and maintain your blood pressure to within the guidelines set by your doctor. Diabetes once recognized in the sufferer will be with them for the rest of their lives; in America there are more than five and a half million recognized sufferers.

However, it is estimated that about the same number of people again have the condition; there are more than 600,000 new cases every year so the situation is worsening. It is a worrying fact that whilst 34,000 American citizens die each year as a direct result of diabetes, another 320,000 die that have the condition where it may be an underlying reason.