Dear readers,
Let me begin with the etiology of diabetes. Etiology , as you may know, is the branch of medicine dealing with the causes of diseases. Diabetes is spreading in the the developing countries with alarming speed . It is an ancient disease.The pioneers of the Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda called the disease Madhumeha which literally means sweet urine . The Ayurvedic doctors considered over-eating and lack of exercise as the cause of diabetes. These ancient practitioners of Ayurveda were right in considering over-eating and lack of exercise as the cause of diabetes ! According to Modern Medicine the failure of beta-cells in the pancreas to produce insulin is the ultimate cause of diabetes . But in most cases of diabetes it is the failure of the insulin to reach the cells that causes diabetes . This phenomenon is called insulin resistance .
The complications of Diabetes
What causes insulin resistance ?Doctors are of opinion that the build-up of fat in the body is the cause of insulin resistance . > As a result y of this build-up of fat , insulin is obstructed from reaching cells where glucose must combine with oxygen in the presence of insulin to generate energy . The food we eat is broken down into simple form of sugar called glucose . If large amounts of glucose accumulates in the blood stream for too long it may cause irreparable harm to the body . It may harm the nervous system , blood vessels kidneys. liver., the heart and it may lead to diabetic neuropathy , diabetic retinopathy and eventually lead to mutilation and blindness.
Is diabetes preventable ?
An important thing we have to remember is that the symptoms of diabetes can not be reversed once they start showing . From what I said it is clear that diabetes is not fatalistically inevitable . We know fully well that over-eating and lack of exercise are the causes of diabetes . How simple it is then to save ourselves from suffering and pain . But we can prevent all that by following a sensible life style ! Eat only as much food as you need to and expend the unwanted energy by doing physical activities
Please remember , the human body as God made it, is an amazing , self-correcting mechanism. The Creator has done every thing possible to help us lead a healthy life during t our appointed life-span . No external enemies can conquer us. The threat to our life is within us , our failure to make use our will. As Milton's Adam tells Eve in Paradise Lost (Book 9), " God hath done His part, do thine" . God ," 'whose creating hand nothing imperfect or deficient left", wants man to do only a few things . He has to drink the right quantity of water , he has to eat the right kind and quantity of food and last but not the least he has to do physical labour. Obviously , God could not have done all these three things on man"s behalf ! If only man exercises his will , he can keep away all the life- style diseases like diabetes and cancer and lead a happy and healthy life!
I will continue the discussion in my next post ..
Thank you for visiting
PROF V.P. RAJAPPANN
Let me begin with the etiology of diabetes. Etiology , as you may know, is the branch of medicine dealing with the causes of diseases. Diabetes is spreading in the the developing countries with alarming speed . It is an ancient disease.The pioneers of the Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda called the disease Madhumeha which literally means sweet urine . The Ayurvedic doctors considered over-eating and lack of exercise as the cause of diabetes. These ancient practitioners of Ayurveda were right in considering over-eating and lack of exercise as the cause of diabetes ! According to Modern Medicine the failure of beta-cells in the pancreas to produce insulin is the ultimate cause of diabetes . But in most cases of diabetes it is the failure of the insulin to reach the cells that causes diabetes . This phenomenon is called insulin resistance .
The complications of Diabetes
What causes insulin resistance ?Doctors are of opinion that the build-up of fat in the body is the cause of insulin resistance . > As a result y of this build-up of fat , insulin is obstructed from reaching cells where glucose must combine with oxygen in the presence of insulin to generate energy . The food we eat is broken down into simple form of sugar called glucose . If large amounts of glucose accumulates in the blood stream for too long it may cause irreparable harm to the body . It may harm the nervous system , blood vessels kidneys. liver., the heart and it may lead to diabetic neuropathy , diabetic retinopathy and eventually lead to mutilation and blindness.
Is diabetes preventable ?
An important thing we have to remember is that the symptoms of diabetes can not be reversed once they start showing . From what I said it is clear that diabetes is not fatalistically inevitable . We know fully well that over-eating and lack of exercise are the causes of diabetes . How simple it is then to save ourselves from suffering and pain . But we can prevent all that by following a sensible life style ! Eat only as much food as you need to and expend the unwanted energy by doing physical activities
Please remember , the human body as God made it, is an amazing , self-correcting mechanism. The Creator has done every thing possible to help us lead a healthy life during t our appointed life-span . No external enemies can conquer us. The threat to our life is within us , our failure to make use our will. As Milton's Adam tells Eve in Paradise Lost (Book 9), " God hath done His part, do thine" . God ," 'whose creating hand nothing imperfect or deficient left", wants man to do only a few things . He has to drink the right quantity of water , he has to eat the right kind and quantity of food and last but not the least he has to do physical labour. Obviously , God could not have done all these three things on man"s behalf ! If only man exercises his will , he can keep away all the life- style diseases like diabetes and cancer and lead a happy and healthy life!
I will continue the discussion in my next post ..
Thank you for visiting
PROF V.P. RAJAPPANN
