Have you recently learnt that your neighbour or your mother’s friend got diabetes? Yes, that sounds about right. The rate at which diabetes is increasing in India is alarming. Whether due to age or a lifestyle choice, diabetes has surged across all strata of people. Are you aware of why or what you can do to prevent it? Let’s find out.
What is diabetes?
Whenever your blood glucose is too high, you develop diabetes. Your primary energy source is blood glucose, which is obtained from food. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which facilitates the entry of food-derived glucose into the cells for energy production. Your body occasionally produces insufficient or no insulin.
Over time, health issues might result from too much sugar in the body. Even though there is no treatment for diabetes, you can manage it and maintain your health.
Types of Diabetes
There are three types of diabetes: type-1, type-2, and gestational diabetes.
- Type-1 diabetes: Those who have type-1 diabetes cannot produce insulin in their bodies. Although it can develop at any age, type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children and young people. Daily insulin intake is essential for survival.
- Type-2 diabetes: When you have poor insulin production or usage, you might have type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes can strike at any age, even in infancy. However, those in their middle years and above are most likely to develop this type of diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes: Some women experience the onset of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. But just after the baby is born, this form of diabetes typically disappears. However, if you had gestational diabetes, your risk of getting type-2 diabetes in the future is higher. Type-2 diabetes can occasionally be detected during pregnancy.
Majority of Rising Diabetes Cases in India
Type-2 diabetes, in which the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or resists insulin, is to blame for the rise in diabetes cases in India. The following are the causes responsible for type-2 diabetes:
- Genetics: Diabetes is strongly linked to and transmitted by genes.
- Lifestyle choices: Consuming food with high sugar content and not exercising enough can cause diabetes.
An autoimmune disorder, type-1 diabetes, is brought on by the body destroying the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas.
Why is there a rise in diabetes in India?
India’s way of life is changing, and more people are adopting a Western diet, which includes more packaged foods, trans fats, and processed carbohydrates. As cities continue to urbanise, more individuals are living less active, sedentary lifestyles. The following factors have all been connected to the rising number of adults with diabetes in India:
- Lack of understanding of diabetes preventative measures
- High-carb, high-fat and high-oil vegetarian meal options
- Demand for processed meats has grown
- Reduced exercise
- Smoking, drinking and environmental contamination
- Stress and pressure on the heart
- Elevated concentrations of cholesterol
Additional diabetes risk factors in Indians include:
- Obesity
- An inheritance of diabetes
If you are closely linked with these risks, you can get yourself tested to find out if you have diabetes. It is generally a glucose test, in which you do not eat overnight and are tested for your blood sugar levels.
How can it be reduced?
Numerous initiatives are being made to search for possible remedies to India’s rising diabetes rate. In India, natural and holistic medicine is prevalent. There is preliminary evidence that conventional exercises like yoga and medicines like ashwagandha may help lower blood sugar levels.
You can adopt the following preventive measures to help fight against diabetes:
- Change in the Indian diabetic diet: It’s crucial to reduce your daily calorie intake to lose weight. Your diet should consist of fewer servings and far less refined sugar to achieve that.
- Exercise frequently: Exercise has various health advantages, including assisting in weight loss and lowering blood glucose levels. This reduces the possibility of type-2 diabetes.
- Avoid smoking: Insulin resistance from smoking can result in type-2 diabetes.
Other preventative and therapeutic measures comprise:
- Diabetes education and screening
- Timely identification and therapy
- Sufficient blood sugar regulation through oral medicines
- Diabetic care
- Management of high blood pressure
- Switch to the Indian diabetic diet, such as leafy vegetables and cinnamon
- Caring for diabetics’ feet and eyes
- Checking for diabetes-related illnesses
Conclusion
Diabetes cases are rising worldwide, and India is experiencing a sharp increase in diagnoses. Genetic components, modifications in the Indian diabetic diet, and changes in activity levels are only a few of the complicated elements contributing to the prevention of diabetes in India. The first step in resolving this issue is ensuring everyone can access diabetic care services. Change your lifestyle and food; this will help you lead a healthy life.
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