More than 500 million people in the world, one in 10, live with diabetes, a chronic disease that can have very serious consequences and shorten life. According to WHO data, in 2014 the number of people affected was 425 million, while in 1980 there were 108 million people with diabetes worldwide. This means that diabetes is increasing dramatically, which is why many experts consider it a true pandemic.
Spain is not far behind and sadly we are the second European country in percentage of adults with diabetes, according to data from the Spanish Diabetes Society. Almost 15% of adults in Spain, or in other words, one in seven, suffer from diabetes.
When we eat, the carbohydrates in food are digested and transformed into glucose. This glucose is absorbed and once in the blood, it is distributed throughout all the organs to provide the cells with the energy they need. To enter the cells we need the action of a hormone produced by the pancreas: insulin.
In type 2 diabetes, the most common form and the one we will talk about here, the pancreas produces enough insulin, but the cells do not respond to it, therefore, glucose cannot enter the cells and accumulates in the blood, which which causes problems throughout the body. Having high glucose (“sugar”) in the blood damages the kidney and causes hypertension and kidney failure. In the eyes, it causes retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma, which can lead to blindness.
Diabetes increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. High sugar damages nerves and arteries, especially in the legs, and this can lead to wounds that do not heal and become infected, in some cases requiring the amputation of a finger, foot, or even the entire leg.
Although many people think that diabetes is a disease that can “affect” anyone, the truth is that even in 90% of cases it could be avoided. Until not long ago it was only seen in people over 50 years of age, but the age of onset continues to decrease and there are already many cases diagnosed in adolescents and even children. This is because diabetes is the direct consequence of our lifestyle, and specifically of three factors: poor diet, lack of physical exercise, and being obese or overweight.
The goal of conventional medicine has been to “correct” the defect that occurs in diabetes: excess blood sugar. To do this, medications that lower glucose are used. This helps delay complications, but it does not cure the disease because it does not solve the problem that caused it. If complications occur, they will be treated with more medications (to lower cholesterol, to lower blood pressure), with amputations, with dialysis for kidney failure, or with heart surgery. The dietary advice given to patients with diabetes is: eat fewer calories to lose weight and eat fewer carbohydrates to have less glucose. Again, this simplistic and myopic view has very limited effect on the course of this disease, if any.
People with diabetes are educated to learn how to keep their blood sugar levels in check. It is explained to them that diabetes is a chronic disease and that they must learn to live with it. Very rarely is a patient informed that if she corrects the factors that led him to develop diabetes it is very possible that she will need less medication and that he may even be able to stop taking it completely. If not much time has passed since the diabetes diagnosis and the pancreas cells have not been completely damaged, the cure may be permanent.
Multiple studies have shown that regaining a healthy weight increases insulin sensitivity and improves or reverses diabetes. But how we reach that weight is also important. It’s not about eating fewer calories, it’s about eating foods that nourish our body and our microbiota (the bacteria in our gut) and help cells heal. Today we know that cells lose sensitivity to insulin as a result of the state of chronic inflammation that occur in the body when there is excess fat and lack of vitamins and antioxidants.
Traditional Mediterranean diets, blue zone diets, and vegetarian and vegan diets, which are rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, are the ones that greater preventive and curative power have shown against diabetes. Not only do they promote weight loss, but they maintain a healthy intestinal microbiota and reduce inflammation.
Animal foods (rich in saturated fats, animal proteins and heme iron and lacking antioxidants), refined grains, sugar and sugary drinks are the main risk factors related to diabetes and are those that must be excluded from the diet.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, don’t limit yourself to taking medication. Look for a doctor and a nutritionist who are up to date and who can guide you on the path to regaining your health.