糖尿病
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder classified by abnormally
high blood sugar resulting from low levels of the hormone
insulin. Type 1 diabetes (for which there are genetic links)
occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing
cells (pancreatic beta cells), resulting in high blood sugar.
In type 2 diabetes (typically lifestyle-related) insulin is
produced, but the target cells do not recognise it and glucose
is not able to move into the cell. This causes a need for
abnormally high amounts of insulin; type 2 diabetes develops
when the beta cells cannot meet this demand.
Continuous high levels of glucose can result in damage to
blood vessels – the underlying cause of many of the health
problems associated with diabetes. People with diabetes have
two to four times the risk of developing heart disease or
stroke than the general population. They are also highly susceptible
to conditions such as nephropathy (damage to the kidneys)
and peripheral neuropathy (diabetic nerve damage) [i]. Sufferers
who have chronic diabetes are about 50% likely to experience
some kind of nerve damage.
How fatty acids help
Individuals with diabetes are advised to maintain a healthy
weight, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet to control
blood sugar levels. Insulin itself plays a vital role in fatty
acid metabolism by switching on the genes for specific enzymes
needed to convert short-chain fatty acids to long- chain fatty
acids. Where insulin is absent or activity is impeded, the
enzymes needed to create specific fatty acids cannot be produced,
causing deficiencies. Indeed there is increasing evidence
that supplementing with long-chain fatty acids has significant
beneficial effects on diabetic neuropathy [ii] and serum lipids
(cholesterol, triglycerides) [ii] as well as other diabetic
complications such as nephropathy (damage to the kidneys)
and macroangiopathy (fat and blood clots in the large blood
vessels) [v, v, vi] . Omega product, with its optimum ratio of omega-3
& -6 fatty acids, is an ideal supplement for addressing
the symptoms associated with diabetes.
|
|
|