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The source of energy in the body is blood sugar or glucose. This fuel, extracted from the food we eat, is driven into the cells where it is required by insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. The cells store a certain amount of glucose for immediate needs. Excess storage is the cause of obesity. |
In the process of movement, or to keep the organs functioning, the energy is drawn from the glucose stored in the cells. But there are situations when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to move the glucose into the cells, or the cells do not burn their glucose store fast enough. In such situations a back up of glucose is created which circulates in the bloodstream. Such a condition is known as high blood sugar. Blood sugar is the primary marker for diabetes.
There are two kinds of diabetes. Type 1 is what a person is born with, and needs insulin from the start. In type 1, the pancreas does not produce adequate insulin or does not produce it at all. Type 2 diabetes is a condition developed in later life and can be controlled without insulin shots.
High blood sugar is the cause of other damage, apart form being the root cause of diabetes. It leads to heart disease, impaired circulation, poor eyesight and is even a risk factor for cancer. The damage to organs as a result of high blood sugar is irreversible. It also damages the veins, walls of the veins and arteries.
When a person has had a long spell without food, his blood sugar level drops. If he then has a large, starchy meal to satiate his appetite, it leads to a sudden surge of glucose which is immediately transferred by the insulin into the cells. The blood sugar rises rapidly, then falls, then tapers off. This abrupt undulation in sugar levels causes a spell of dizziness. These spells are known as sugar rushes.
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