Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are persistently above normal. People with diabetes usually have problems to convert food nutrients into energy for whole body use.

After a meal, food is broken down into glucose sugar that is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the hormone insulin made in the pancreas to help them process blood glucose into energy.

The pancreas is an elongated small organ that lies just behind the stomach. The pancreas has two major functions in the body that serve for digestive and hormonal function. One of the hormonal functions is the secretion of insulin hormone that plays role of glucose regulation in the body.

It also secretes some digestive enzymes that help break down carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and acids in the duodenum.

People develop type 2 diabetes because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly. Eventually, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin for the body’s needs and this result in the amount of glucose in blood to increase while the cells are starved of energy.

If this diabetes is not diagnosed early enough, the high levels of blood glucose damages nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections and amputation.

In type 2 diabetes, a person can develop the disease if they regularly eat more sugar and refined carbohydrates than the body can properly use. With repeated intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, the body is forced to produce and release insulin so frequently than one or both of the following conditions may arise.

The pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin to effectively deal with the sugar and refined carbohydrate intake.

One or both of the above mentioned conditions will eventually lead to a high blood sugar level, which over the long term will dramatically increase the risk of developing life complications.

To reduce the risk of developing diabetes, you need to regularly engage in some form of exercise that builds and maintains the muscle mass. Muscle tissue has significant capacity to store excess blood sugar in the form of glycogen.

By developing stronger muscular network, the more capacity you have to store excess blood sugar and maintain a healthy blood sugar level. This is one of the biggest benefits to doing some resistance training on a regular basis.

Movement is also important in protecting the body from diabetes. The more you move your body throughout the day, the more sugar your cells need to burn up to produce energy.

There is also need to reduce or eliminate the intake of the most common sugar-rich foods in grocery stores such as soda, conventional store-bought cookies, cakes, jand muffins. Also are conventional chocolate or candy bars and many boxed breakfast cereals.

It is also important to eat magnesium-rich foods on a regular basis. Consistent intake of magnesium-rich foods can significantly lower your risk of developing diabetes.

Some of the common magnesium-rich foods include peanuts and avocado.

There are numerous food staffs that helps prevent diabetes type 2 condition.  Green leafy vegetables cut the risk of developing diabetes by a good percentage.

Although some green leafy vegetables contains nitrates that reduce oxygen consumption during physical exercise; however, they are also of potential significance to diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease

People who get plenty of vitamin K from food may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who get less of the vitamin.

Vinegar when taken regularly can help manage diabetes, moderate food cravings and increase the body’s absorption of calcium resulting to healthier bones.

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease caused by the failure of the pancreas to secrete insulin.

Type 1 diabetes only exists in the chronic state because people are born with this condition or with the insulin deficiency that later leads to an aggressive diabetes disease. This also means that it is a hereditary disease that runs in families.

People diagnosed of diabetes type 1 have to rely on the insulin drugs throughout their lives.

Dr Joseph Kamugisha is a resident oncologist at Jerusalem Hospital, Israel