Diabetes: risk factors and blood sugar control
Is there a history of diabetes in your family? Do you need to control your sugar intake but don’t know how? In this article, we will discuss diabetes risk factors and provide tips for managing your daily sugar consumption.
The two types of diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is typically subdivided into type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Both types share genetic, immunological, and metabolic factors, with evidence suggesting that diabetes may be an autoimmune disease.
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
It is already known that our lifestyle influences the likelihood of developing diabetes, but it is now understood that this is not the only cause. In fact, several studies demonstrate the link between a family history of diabetes and the risk of developing new cases of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Sweden serves as an example, where 32% of patients with type 1 diabetes have at least one family member with type 2 diabetes. Thus, we see that the development of diabetes arises from the interaction of external factors, such as diet, with factors intrinsic to us, such as genetics.
Since we cannot alter our genetic heritage, the only option is to address external factors: adopting a healthy diet and engaging in physical exercise. Changing lifestyle habits is the path to preventing the development of diabetes.
It is estimated that over the next 20 years, the prevalence of diabetes will rise from the current 10% to 20% of the population—particularly type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90% of diabetes cases.
Blood sugar control
When a diagnosis of the disease is inevitable, the patient requires monitoring to control disease progression and ensure the best possible quality of life. To achieve this, physical activity should be encouraged, and, above all, necessary changes to dietary habits must be made.
This is even more important for diabetics who take insulin, as they must account for the sugars they consume in order to adjust the amount of insulin to take.
For example, one small potato contains the same amount of carbohydrates as two spoonfuls of rice or pasta. On the other hand, three spoonfuls of chickpeas or beans contain the same amount of carbohydrates as six spoonfuls of peas or fava beans. This means that these foods are converted into the same amount of sugar and have the same effect on raising blood glucose levels; therefore, the same amount of insulin is administered.
There are currently charts available that list carbohydrate equivalents for quick and easy reference. This allows you to eat a variety of foods, provided you stick to the daily amounts recommended by your doctor and/or nutritionist. You can view an example here.
In summary, genetic inheritance, along with lifestyle, will determine the likelihood of developing diabetes. Therefore, it’s important to control what’s within your reach: diet, physical exercise, and regular blood glucose monitoring. Only in this way can we prevent diabetes from becoming one of our health problems. major health problems in the world today.
