Causes Of Diabetes: What are they? - By: Allan Michael Taylor

Diabetes can be one of the worst chronic diseases, robbing you of your health and ultimately our life. While doctors differ about the causes of the disease, there are several factors believed to heighten your risk of contracting diabetes. In order to reduce risk factors, you should pay attention to your general health, especially what you eat, and learn everything scientists already know about this disease. It has already been proven that genetics play a role in the risk of developing diabetes. Family history bears this out, even going back a hundred year or more to before the disease was well-known. Those with an immediate family member who has diabetes are up to 33% more likely to eventually end up getting the disease than those whose family histories do not contain it. Let us take a look at the causes of diabetes...

There are also special risk factors for children, especially those whose mothers already have diabetes. A mother who has contracted diabetes prior to conception or suffers from gestational diabetes while pregnant seems more likely to have children who develop juvenile diabetes than a mother who is free of the disease. Children whose fathers have diabetes are also at risk for contracting it in childhood, but the risk is far less.

For this reason, mothers should take special care while pregnant to ensure she does not inadvertently pass diabetes on to her child. Her blood sugar should be checked regularly, and she should follow her doctor's advice to make sure it remains under control throughout her pregnancy. A diabetic mother whose blood sugar remains at normal levels is significantly less likely to pass the diabetes on to her child than one who has a difficult pregnancy due to the condition.

Scientists have not yet developed a cure for diabetes or even a reliable way to predict who will have the disease. They are studying genetic factors in order to more effectively prevent the disease in the future. Current studies are also examining the question of whether low doses of diabetes drug can help prevent the disease in relatives of those who already suffer from it.

Scientists around the world are hard at work isolating the genes that cause diabetes. No single cause has been determined yet, nor has a cure been found. However, research show that diabetes can be effectively controlled so that it does not significantly affect your life or the lives of your loved ones. A study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases is currently studying whether treating the diabetic's closest relatives with low doses of insulin or oral diabetes medication can help prevent the onset of the disease.

It is known that the second most important factor besides genetics is what a person eats. Diabetes is often referred to as the "disease of prosperity" because excessive eating is a significant cause of its onset. Over time, eating too much sugar, protein, and fat appears to lead to diabetes.

Chronic overeating overtaxes the pancreas, which is the organ in the body that produces insulin. Eventually, the pancreas shuts down altogether, and stop producing insulin. This condition rarely occurs in impoverished countries where overeating is not an option for most people.

There are many causes of diabetes, mostly linked to diet and genetics. It is vital to be aware of your family history, more so if there are many diabetics in your family. However, it is just as important to follow nutritional guidelines and change your lifestyle to include healthy exercise in order to reduce the risk of diabetes.

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