Diabetes has been known, although not fully understood, for centuries and takes its name from a Greek word which means “passing through” in reference to one of the condition’s major symptoms – that of excessive urine production. The word Mellitus was then added many years later during the fifteenth century from the Latin for “honey” in reference to the fact that patients with diabetes were found to have high levels of sugar in both their blood and urine.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder which specifically affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and which requires medical treatment and, invariably, a range of lifestyle changes.

The human body requires a source of energy in order to function and takes it energy from the food that we eat. This food is composed of a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats with carbohydrates accounting for between 55% and 75% of this mix in a normal balanced diet. High carbohydrate foods include such things as beans, bran, bread, cereals, pasta and rice.

As food passes through the digestive system it is broken down into a variety of organic compounds and one of these, which the body uses as a prime source of energy, is glucose. Glucose is carried to various parts of the body through the bloodstream and is extracted by the cells of the body to fuel cell repair and growth.

One essential element in the transfer of glucose from the blood to the body’s cells is insulin, which is produced by specialized cells known as beta-cells which are located in an area of the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans.

People with diabetes fall into two broad categories – those with type 1 diabetes (which used to be known as “childhood” or “juvenile” diabetes) and those with type 2 (adult) diabetes. There is also often said to be a third form of diabetes known as type 3 or gestational diabetes but, although there are some differences, this is essentially nothing more than type 2 diabetes which happens to occur during, and as a result of, pregnancy.

In the case of type 1 diabetes patients develop a problem with the insulin producing beta-cells in the pancreas and the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin to move glucose from the blood into the body’s cells. As a result it is necessary to very closely monitor the levels of glucose in the blood and then to administer insulin (often by regular injection) so that glucose can be moved into the body’s cells and the level of glucose in the blood brought back down to normal.

In type 2 diabetes the body often continues to produce insulin normally but the cells of the body develop a resistant to it and insulin levels in the blood start to increase. In the early stages of type 2 diabetes this can often be counteracted by lowering the intake of glucose producing carbohydrates, increasing physical activity and losing weight, especially where weight loss is aimed at trimming fat from the area of the abdomen. If the condition worsens then it can normally be controlled through the use of medication.

At present there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and, although the symptoms of both can often be reduced very considerably, most patients will require ongoing treatment throughout life.

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