Diabetes mellitus is a nutritional disorder, characterized by an abnormally high level of blood glucose and the excretion of the excess glucose in the urine. It results from an absolute or relative lack of insulin which leads to abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism and metabolism of protein and fat. The word diabetes is derived from the Greek word meaning to siphon, to pass through, and mellitus comes from the Latin word honey. The cases of diabetes are much higher these days as compare to the past. The most commonly used screening tests are the determination of the fasting blood glucose level and the blood glucose level tested two hours after a meal. The normal fasting blood sugar content is 80 -120mg. per 100 ml of blood, this can go up to a level of 160 mg. per 100 ml of blood two hours after meals. Anything above these levels can be termed as diabetic levels. It occurs in all age groups but the most common sufferers are obese people in middle or older age

Read more on Herbal Remedies for Diabetes and Blood Sugar Treatment and Control Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is autoimmune disease that affects 0.3% on average. It is result of destruction of beta cells due to aggressive nature of cells present in the body. Researchers believe that some of the Etiology and Risk factors which may trigger type 1 diabetes may be genetic, poor diet (malnutrition) and environment (virus affecting pancreas). Secondly, in most of the cases, diabetes occurs because there is abnormal secretion of some hormones in blood which act as antagonists to insulin.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is also called non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. It occurs when the body produces enough insulin but cannot utilize it effectively. This type of diabetes usually develops in middle age. A general observation says that about 90-95 % of people suffering with diabetes are type 2; about 80 percent are overweight. It is more common among people who are older; obese; have a family history of diabetes; have had gestational diabetes. There are number of risk factors found to be responsible for type 2 diabetes like, the more the Etiology and Risk factors carried by an individual, the higher the risk for developing diabetes.

Causes of Diabetes

1.Poor Diet (Malnutrition Related Diabetes) : Improper nutrition, low protein and fiber intake, high intake of refined products are the expected reasons for developing diabetes.

2.Obesity and Fat Distribution : Being overweight means increased insulin resistance, that is if body fat is more than 30%, BMI 25+, waist grith 35 inches in women or 40 inches in males.

3.Sedentary Lifestyle : People with sedentary lifestyle are more prone to diabetes, when compared to those who exercise thrice a week, are at low risk of falling prey to diabetes.

Diet Plan for Diabetes

Eating right for diabetes comes down to three things:

1. What you eat. Your diet makes a huge difference!! You should eat mostly plant foods, cut back on refined carbs and sugary drinks, and choose healthy fats over unhealthy fats.

2. When you eat. Diet is part of it, but keeping regular meal and snack times also affects your blood sugar levels and will help to keep them more constant.

3. How much you eat. Portion sizes matter. Even if you eat very healthy meals, if you eat too much you will gain weight, which is a factor in diabetes.

Treatment for Diabetes

As symptoms of diabetes tend to show up much later than the condition occurs in your body, it is advisable to have your blood sugar levels diagnosed periodically.

Even if there are natural remedies that have been developed for the treatment for diabetes, insulin injections and implantable insulin pumps are the most sought out ones. Type 1 diabetes can be treated with exercise, insulin and a balanced diet. Type 2 diabetes is first treated with weight reduction, a diabetic diet and exercise. Weight reduction and exercising increases the bodys sensitivity to insulin, thus controlling blood sugar elevations.

When these methods fail to lower the blood sugar levels, oral medications are used. If oral diabetes medications are insufficient and do not help lower the glucose levels in blood, insulin treatment is used.