Diabetes - Myths & Misconceptions

Let's look at some myths and misconceptions about diabetes...it has been long held that weight gain causes diabetes, especially if the weight gain is in the belly region. However, current research suggests that it is actually diabetes that causes the weight gain. This would make more sense as even very skinny people can get diabetes. With those who had the weight gain, the majority don't get diabetes for a number of years. Further, those who maintained stable levels of weight, and who eventually did develop diabetes, didn't have a significant rise in their level of insulin resistance...which again has been a long held belief.
So, if we know that not everyone who is overweight develops diabetes, and not everyone who has type 2 diabetes is overweight, then what is the underlying cause? Well, so far, it appears that it is much more complicated that Big Pharma/Western medicine has lead us to believe. The following are a few of the factors involved:

• genetic predisposition
• type of predominant fat cells: those with less brown fat
• location of fat: whether it is evenly distributed or more about the middle
• high intake of sugars
• adrenal function
• ineffective production of anti-oxidants
• insufficient production of glutathione
• insufficient healthy microbiota (abundance of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes; significant increase in lactic acid bacteria, Akkermansia, Archaea and Enterobacteria)
• gut inflammation
• decreased levels of vitamin D (pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin have vitamin D receptors)
• heavy metal toxicity: arsenic, cadmium, mercury & nickel
• high levels of AGEs (Advanced Glycation Endproducts) whether formed in the foods eaten or formed in the body
• various drugs are also know to cause diabetes and include: statin drugs, anti-hypertensives, corticosteroids, thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, etc.

Note, the above is not an exhaustive list. But the list does point out that there are many contributing factors to the development of diabetes. The challenge is that putting people on insulin or insulin regulating drugs does not solve the problem. Blood glucose regulation begins in the gut. If there is low healthy microbiota and/or inflammatory issues in the gut then this regulation is altered. The next step happens in the liver. If the liver is toxic, inflamed, has any of the non-alcoholic fatty liver issues or low glutathione, the liver won't be able to regulate the blood glucose levels effectively and the task now falls to the next in line, the adrenals. If the adrenals are in either a hyper or a hypo model of functioning, they too will not be able to regulate the blood glucose levels and the job falls to the pancreas.

This week we also have a quiz for you to take to determine if you might be dealing with diabetes. Access the quiz by clicking the button below!