What is Diabetes?

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes

Diabetes-Simplified

Diabetes is a condition of body in which levels of Glucose in Blood are above normal simply put- the whole body is drenched in a 'bloody syrup'

Normal Blood Glucose

It is normal and necessary to have some glucose in the blood! but not higher than the tolerable levels... Normal Glucose levels are considered to be:

Fasting ( without having any food for 8 hrs) less than 100mg/dl

Source of Blood Glucose

Glucose in the Blood is derived from the food we eat. Different foods contain different amounts of glucose, even if they contain the same amount of glucose the way it is absorbed in the blood may be different, as is determined by the Glycemic index of the food. Carbohydrates are most easily converted to glucose in the body by the process of Digestion. The Glucose present in foods is quickly absorbed in the stomach and intestines and from there on into blood.

Glucose Powerhouse

Glucose is the most important, and readily usable source of energy in our body- like electricity in the house or petrol/fuel in car... We simply cannot function without it. Most of the organs do have some stores of energy like fatty acids, glycogen etc. but the most  vital organ -brain does not have any stores of its own - it needs glucose derived from blood for its energy each and every minute (remember, brain is an energy guzzling organ- it uses more energy by weight than any other organ in the body) and we need the brain to be working inorder to survive just as well. So our body stores glucose in various organs like Liver, Muscles or in form of some fats like Triglycerides and clears it from the blood.

When we have not eaten for some time and already utilized the glucose present in the blood after meals or snacks or any food for that matter, glucose is released from the stores of the body...

Insulin the 'Conductor'

Insulin is the Hormone which plays the role of Conductor here- it tells the various organs and cells either to store Glucose or release it into Blood Stream. When Insulin levels are high in the Blood Stream Glucose is stored in the cells...When its levels fall Glucose is released from its stores (Primarily Liver).

If Insulin looses its effectiveness- Blood Glucose is not mobilized properly 'into' the cells ( stored)- High Glucose after meals; or may 'gate crash' into blood stream from its 'stores, without proper Insulin 'invitation' as happens when Fasting Blood Glucose is High. The high levels of glucose in the blood are responsible for all the complications of Diabetes Like CAD & CVD ( Diseases of Blood vessels leading to Heart Attack & Stroke),  Retinopathy ( Blindness), Nephropathy ( Kidney Failure), Diabetic Foot, Neuropathy ( Disease of Nerves) etc...