Cause of Diabetes
In the early days not much was known about the cause of diabetes.
In fact it wasn't until 1889 that a link between the pancreas and the condition was discovered by German physicians Joseph von Mering and Oskar Minkowski.
When your body cannot use the sugar present in your blood, your glucose levels are raised and you are diagnosed as being a diabetic. (I found a website that offers natural products to help control blood sugars and stimulate insulin production, if needed. Worth checking if balancing glucose levels is giving you a problem.
It took until 1922 for insulin to be identified as a treatment that could deliver some relief from the cause of diabetes type 1. Read more on the history of diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes; your pancreas hasn't packed up altogether. It just isn't working as efficiently as it should or you might have a resistance to properly using the insulin you are producing.
Some scientists thought diabetes might be hereditary – and there does seem to be an inherent risk factor from parents for would-be diabetics. But this alone is not enough to cause diabetes; an additional trigger, such as a virus, often acts as a catalyst to the condition developing.
Other triggers, especially for type 2 diabetes, includes your lifestyle; if you eat too much fat or processed food; or eat too much of the wrong type of carbohydrates or are reticent about taking exercise there's a possibility you could develop the condition.
Often, people who are heavily overweight - obese - are prone to becoming diabetic.
Check out these free diabetes publications which give you steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of Different Types of Diabetes
Sugar-diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, with type 2 being the most prevalent. Type 1 is more often diagnosed in young people. Read about the symptoms of different types of diabetes here.