Archive for the ‘Diabetes’ Category
Diet for diabetics
Being diagnosed with diabetes, often, means that a person needs to change his eating habits. Those of us who have ever tried various ‘diets’ know exactly how difficult it is to change the eating pattern. In most of the controlled diets, there is a severe restriction on calories intake. Because of this restriction, the person is perpetually hungry, feels deprivation of food and if the food does not taste good due to lack of flavour, the person longs for more food. As a result, he abandons...
Diabetes terms you should know
Pancreas: A gland located just behind the stomach which produces hormones and enzymes required for digesting food. Islets/Islands of Langerhans: The clumps of cells within the pancreas, which produce insulin and other hormones. The cells are of three types: Alpha cell : Cells which make and release glucagons hormone. Beta cells : Cells that produce insulin. Delta cells: These cells produce a hormone known as somatostatin. Gland: A group of special cells that produce and secrete chemical compounds....
Differentiating between diabetes type 1 & 2
Being diagnosed with diabetes, often, means that a person needs to change his eating habits. Those of us who have ever tried various ‘diets’ know exactly how difficult it is to change the eating pattern. In most of the controlled diets, there is a severe restriction on calories intake. Because of this restriction, the person is perpetually hungry, feels deprivation of food and if the food does not taste good due to lack of flavour, the person longs for more food. As a result, he abandons...
Common questions about what is diabetes mellitus
What is Insulin and What is Its Role in the Body? Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. After a meal, the glucose levels in the blood rise. In response to raised blood glucose level, the pancreas produces insulin, which helps in the entry of glucose into the cells. A part of this glucose is used to produce energy and the remaining is stored as glycogen, in liver and muscles. Insulin thus helps the entry of glucose into the cells and in the storage of glucose as glycogen. Insulin is also...
Diabetes – Causes and terms you should know
Diabetes – The Causes: Terms you should know Etiology: The study of causes of a disease. Antigens: Substances that cause an immune response in the body. The body recognises the antigens as harmful and produces antibodies to eliminate them. Antibodies: These are produced by the body to protect it from antigens. Autoantibodies: Antibodies prepared by the body against its own tissues. Autoimmunity: A condition in which the body’s own immune system attacks cells of the body. In type 1 diabetes,...