Diabetes is considered one of the most pressing medical problems of our time. Here you can find out what you can do to prevent it and how you can positively influence the course of the disease.
More and more people suffer from diabetes. Worldwide, there are already almost four million. In all likelihood, there will be many more in the coming years. The number of diseases is also steadily increasing in Germany. In this context, doctors are focusing primarily on prevention. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that
a reduction of 60 percent would be possible through a healthy lifestyle. Although not all diabetes can be prevented, if you follow a few important tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of contracting the disease. In addition, many complaints can also be alleviated if you already have diabetes.
Forms and symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is also known as "sugar sickness. This is because sugar (glucose) plays a central role in the disease. This is because diabetes patients have elevated blood glucose levels, which occur in different ways and have severe effects on the body.
Basically, two types of diabetes mellitus are distinguished:
1. Diabetes type 1:
This less common form of diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It means that your immune system destroys cells that produce insulin. Under normal circumstances, this hormone ensures that sugar reaches the cells where it is needed. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood.
2. diabetes type 2:
Diabetes type 2 mainly affects older people.
The reason is that your cells are insensitive to insulin. Here, too, the result is a higher blood sugar level. Diabetes type 2 is the most common form of diabetes.
The Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus are manifold. For example, the following are typical:
frequent urge to urinate and strong thirst
Susceptibility to infections
The tricky thing about type 2 diabetes is that it's hardly noticeable at first. If it is recognized, there are often already consequential damages present. This includes nerve damage or even a heart attack or stroke.
In the Treatment of diabetes comes mainly medication and insulin (which is often injected under the skin) can be used. Also crucial, especially with type 2 diabetes, is a healthy lifestyle. This includes a healthy diet as well as regular physical activity.
Preventing diabetes – a healthy lifestyle pays off
Even if you want to prevent diabetes, it is important that you maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is especially true for type 2 diabetes, which can often be prevented in this way.
But what does this mean in detail? Above all, it is important that you maintain a healthy body weight. If your weight exceeds normal levels, in many cases insulin sensitivity in the liver, muscles and fatty ties is reduced. It is therefore not only worthwhile for visual reasons to pay attention to a slim line. The following measures in particular pay off:
Healthy diet: Pay attention to
A balanced mixed diet. This is primarily composed of fruits and vegetables and whole grain products. Dairy products and fish are best eaten in small amounts, and meat even more so. Be especially careful with sweets. Soft drinks are generally not recommended, as they have a particularly high sugar content and are not filling.
Regular exercise: Exercise not only helps keep you from developing obesity. It also ensures that the insulin in the body works better. The type of exercise you prefer depends on your preferences. Endurance sports such as jogging, cycling or swimming are particularly recommended.
Regular walks are also beneficial to health. At least 30 minutes a day is a good guideline.
Avoid stress: Stress has a negative effect on health in many ways and promotes obesity. Therefore try,
Ensure that you have enough relaxation in your everyday life. Various relaxation techniques such as yoga, progressive muscle relaxation or meditation can be a great help and offer you short breaks from the stressful lifestyle.
Get enough sleep: A permanent lack of sleep has negative consequences on the secretion and effect of insulin. Therefore apply
Prolonged sleep disturbances as an important risk factor for diabetes. Although personal sleep requirements are very individual, experts recommend that anyone who wants to prevent diabetes should sleep around seven to eight hours a night.
Stop smoking: Say goodbye to the glow stick, you can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 50 percent. The same applies to many other diseases. Frugality is also the order of the day when drinking alcohol. A glass of wine now and then is not a problem, but two beers every evening is.
All of these measures are not only helpful if you want to prevent diabetes. They also relieve the symptoms of diabetes and help you get by with less medication or insulin.