Causes of Diabetes

Despite all the advances of medicine, it is still not clear why some people get diabetes, while others don't. There are many known causes for diabetes and among the most important are:

• Heredity. Heredity is one of the most frequent cause of diabetes. It has been known for ages that diabetes can be inherited but the exact way this happens is not known yet. Nevertheless, it is a safe bet that if your family has a history of diabetes, this increases the risk for you as well by about 30% in comparison to if your family didn't have such a diabetes history. It is the diabetes gene that you inherit from your parents that makes you more predisposed to Type 2 Diabetes.

• Nutrition. The second more important cause for diabetes is nutrition. There is a saying that you are what you eat. As far as diabetes is concerned, this is absolutely true. Doctors refer to diabetes as to “a prosperity disease” because in countries where there is lack of food and people don't have the bad habit of overeating, diabetes is almost missing.
  It is a popular myth that eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates leads to diabetes. Yes, eating excessive amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates does lead to diabetes but overeating as a whole, no matter if it is only proteins and fats, also causes diabetes because proteins and fats are ultimately transformed into sugar. But still, foods like bread, cakes, chocolates, ice creams, sweets are the major diabetes risk. That is why it good to follow a healthy diet, even if you are not predisposed to diabetes.

• Obesity. Obesity is another major cause of diabetes. Most often obesity is not isolated – i.e. it a consequence of hereditary factors and bad diet. About 70-80 percent of diabetics are overweight and the percentage is higher for individuals who have Type 2 diabetes. Obesity prevents insulin from working properly and makes the muscles and tissue cells more and more resistant to insulin. In many cases diabetes can be put under control pretty easily – by losing weight.

• Lack of exercise. Leading an inactive life also increases the risk of diabetes. Exercise is very useful not only because it prevents us from gaining weight but because when one exercises, his or her body uses a lot of glucose (sugar) to supply the energy and this leads to decreased blood sugar levels.

• Stress. Stress, tension, grief, anxiety, business and marital misfortunes and all the other negative emotions that accompany our busy lives are also a cause of diabetes because they affect what we eat and how the food is processed by our bodies. The result of all these is that the levels of blood sugar rise and this is a symptom of diabetes.

• Smoking. Smoking also increases the risk of diabetes, especially for people who are obese or who have had a family history of diabetes. Men are more affected by smoking than women.

• Medications and other diseases. Certain medications, if used over a long period of time, also can cause diabetes. Sometimes diabetes can be caused by other diseases and disorders, like cancer, tuberculosis or cerebral disease. Many individuals suffering from type 1 diabetes found the condition followed a previous infection, including polio, mumps, and the Epstein-Barr virus.