Diabetes Mellitus is of two main types: Type 1 and Type 2.
Facts About Diabetes
There has been a tremendous rise in the cases of Diabetes over the last several decades. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 37.3 million Americans have Diabetes in 2022, which is 11.3% of the US population. 1 In contrast only 0.9% Americans had Diabetes in 1958. 2
Worldwide, the situation is not much different. The global Diabetes prevalence in 2019 is estimated to be 9.3% (463 million people). 3
Why is Diabetes on the Rise?
Obviously, one has to wonder why Diabetes is on such a rise despite all the technologic advancements, trillions of dollars spent, and diabetes awareness carried out by big medical organizations such as the ADA (American Diabetes Association), European Diabetes Association, and WHO. Obviously, all have failed miserably to put brakes on the pandemic of Diabetes. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry is making huge profits. Global pharmaceutical revenue of anti-diabetic products was astronomical – 27.1 billion Dollars – in 2008, which further increased to an insane 78.7 dollars in 2018.4 Something is just not right with this picture!
Unfortunately, our medical approach is to prescribe drugs and not address the root cause. This is the main reason for these staggering numbers.
What Causes Diabetes?
As an independent, research-oriented endocrinologist, I see the followings as the basic factors that cause Diabetes.
Stress
Most of us are aware of the ill-effects of stress on our life. However, you may not be aware that stress of daily living is one main factor for causing Diabetes.
Inactivity
We were couch-potatoes in the 1980’s. Back then inactivity used to last a few hours in the evening, but with the so-called internet-revolution, we are now inactive 24/7. We are stuck to a screen most of our waking hours. Sad, but true.
Poor Nutrition
During my career as a doctor, I have not seen anything more confusing than dietary recommendations. People go on Zero-Calorie sodas and develop many neurologic symptoms as well as Diabetes. Most people simply want an escape for not changing their lifestyle. They are mostly in a hurry when it comes to their meals so they pick up whatever is convenient.
In addition, nutritious value of food has gone down over the last many decades, thanks to our advances in commercial farming which may be beneficial for the farmers but not to the public.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency
Often, people are low in vitamins and minerals which not only affect their general health, but also increases their risk of Diabetes. For example, Zinc plays an important role in the production of insulin by the pancreas. Unfortunately, Zinc deficiency is quite common especially among vegetarians and vegans.
Fast and processed food culture, commercial farming, and personal choices are the main reasons for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Vitamin D Deficiency
You may not be aware that Vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a hormone. Most people are low in Vitamin D due to our modern lifestyle. However, the good news is that we can take a Vitamin D supplement and prevent a number of illnesses including Diabetes.
A landmark study comes from Finland. This study began in 1966 when a total of 10,821 children born in 1966 in northern Finland were enrolled in the study. Frequency of Vitamin D supplementation was recorded during the first year of life. At that time, the recommended dose of Vitamin D for infants in Finland was 2000 I.U. per day. These children were then followed for 31 years for the development of Type 1 Diabetes. Researchers made the amazing discovery that those children who received the daily recommended dose of 2000 I.U. of Vitamin D during the first year of their life, had an almost 80% reduction in the risk for the development of Type 1 Diabetes compared to those children who received less Vitamin D.5
For comparison, the government-recommended dose of Vitamin D for infants is only 400 IU per day worldwide. It is no surprise we are seeing such a rise in Type 1 Diabetes.
In Summary
Diabetes has been on the rise over the past 60 years thanks to our modern lifestyle. However, you can prevent diabetes by taking charge of your health.
