Diabetes is a disease of what we eat. In other words, diabetes is a disease of lifestyle and is treated by reversing the cause either by dietary means or using drugs.

There are 2 types of Diabetes: The type one cause by lack of the hormone insulin and the type 2 due to what build-up of unwanted foods in out body and insulin not working anymore to remove this food from our blood.

The type 1 insulin must be treated by treated by replacing the insulin. The type 2 can be controlled by curtailing what we eat, taking drugs that increase the efficiency of insulin present in out body with drugs. The type 2 diabetes has increase to epidemic proportions in Nigeria. It is estimated by diabetes will kill more people that many other diseases in 20 years time if current trends continue,

Symptoms

There are 4 main symptoms of diabetes: weight loss, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, and tiredness. In the rural areas without any health facility, commonest way to spot diabetes is by observing ants being attracted to site of urination, suggesting presence of sugar in urine. But simple urine tests will diagnose diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is more common in children but due to the epidemic of obesity, children are manifesting the type 2 (adult onset form) in recent times..

Prevention

Avoid smoking and alcohol that expose people to diabetes.

Avoid getting fat and overweight

Prevent undue food intake especially heavy starch foods at night

Attend hospital or laboratory if you have any of the symptoms of diabetes above

Early diagnosis and proper adherence to prescribed diets and / or drugs is very important in treating diabetes, Diabetes type 2 an be reversed within 3 months if strict dietary advice is complied with and no drugs will be needed.

The main problem with our communities, is the lack of proper information, and lots of misleading information about the disease from money-making quacks.

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