Diabetes is a condition that is really unlike any other. Sufferers can expect to live long, normal lives but in the meantime, they need to think much more carefully about what they eat, about their lifestyle and about administering the insulin shots that they have been given by their doctors. They become greatly more attuned to their bodies and how they work but at the same time, they live with a range of unpleasant symptoms and constant fear that their blood sugar could skyrocket, causing nerve damage and a host of unwanted side effects.
But what causes diabetes? How does such an unusual condition come to be and why do some people get it and not others? Seeing as diabetes is not an infection and is not caused by bacteria, this means that something is happening inside the body. A switch has been flipped and this can happen for a wide variety of different reasons. In this post, we’re going to break down 18 different causes of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Some of these causes will be things that are outside of your control.
Others will be things that you can consider as you go about your daily routine and as you consider factors such as your diet. With the right approach, you might find you are able to make necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle therefore and actually reduce the likelihood of diabetes.
1. Insulin resistance
What actually causes diabetes at the most fundamental level is a change in the way that the body deals with insulin. In type 2 diabetes, this means that the body has become resistant to insulin, thereby meaning that it won’t have as much effect on the body.
The role of insulin is to tell the body to absorb and use sugar and so when this system stops working properly, the blood starts to become more saturated with sugar, ultimately affected healthy blood flow and potentially leading to nerve damage. This also means the body won’t be able to use its primary energy source, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic. The system will try to remove the blood sugar and this is what meanwhile causes frequent urination and subsequent thirst.
