Diabetes mellitus is not uncommon, on the contrary, diabetes is currently considered one of the epidemics of the 21st century. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 180 million people with diabetes in the world. And the same number are already sick, but do not yet know about their disease. Every 13-15 years the number of patients with diabetes mellitus doubles, and if such trends continue, then by 2025 the number of patients with diabetes will exceed 300 million.
Every 13-15 years the number of patients with diabetes mellitus doubles.
Why is this disease so widespread? Most scientists believe that this is due to a change in our lifestyle. Scientific and technological progress and its rapid introduction into everyday life have led to a significant decrease in people’s physical activity and excessive consumption of fatty and sweet foods, which leads to the development of obesity, the highest risk factor in the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus; it is an autoimmune disease associated with the destruction of the insulin-producing β-cells of the pancreas. This leads to high blood sugar levels. More often, type 1 diabetes mellitus develops in children and adolescents, it is treated only with insulin, which patients must inject themselves independently and for life. Not only heredity, but also acquired factors are blamed as triggers in the development of type 1 diabetes. Among them, more and more accusations are being made against cow’s milk. With the early inclusion of cow’s milk in the child’s diet, the body triggers an immune response, as a result of which its own β-cells die, which leads to type 1 diabetes mellitus — this is the most common form of the disease, which mainly affects people of working age.
Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic disease in which complications arise and progress from many organs and systems. The development of these complications is mainly due to a chronic increase in blood sugar levels. In the absence of treatment or its insufficient effectiveness, gross disturbances occur not only in carbohydrate, but also in fat and protein metabolism, which can cause the development of coma (an acute complication of diabetes).
Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic disease in which complications arise and progress from many organs and systems.
With type 1 diabetes mellitus and its poor compensation, the main problems are damage to the eyes and kidneys, the nervous system, and chronic infections. Arterial hypertension and heart damage often occur, which contributes to the development of severe heart attacks or heart failure. Damage to the eyes, kidneys and nervous system is the cause of a decrease in the life expectancy of patients and disability at a young age.
In type 2 diabetes mellitus, especially when combined with obesity, the presence of arterial hypertension, blood lipid disorders and high blood sugar levels are the main causes of acute vascular accidents: heart attacks and strokes. As with type 1 diabetes, eye and kidney damage gradually progresses.
Cow’s milk may be considered a risk factor that increases the possibility of diabetes.
It is still difficult to talk about the primary prevention of type 1 diabetes mellitus, especially in children with severe heredity. However, cow’s milk can be considered a risk factor. Dorothy Becker, professor of pediatrics in Pittsburgh and director of the Diabetes Center at Children’s Hospital, argues that “… Breastfeeding is the best prevention of many diseases, including diabetes, and is actively recommended by pediatricians.” Although cow’s milk is not the only cause of type 1 diabetes, pediatricians around the world now recommend mandatory breastfeeding in the first 6-12 months of life.
Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus is especially relevant, given that already at the onset of the disease, cardiovascular complications of diabetes are detected, which then steadily progress. It is known that at the time of detection of diabetes mellitus, the number of functioning β-cells has already been reduced by about 50%.
Breastfeeding is the best prevention of many diseases, including diabetes.
The basis of primary prevention of diabetes mellitus is a healthy lifestyle. First of all, it is a balanced diet, which provides 4-5 meals a day, preferably at the same time. Food should contain the required amount of carbohydrates (50-60%), fat (30%), protein (15%), be rich in vegetables and fruits. The content of flour, sweet and fatty foods is limited. Eating fish is very useful — up to 4-6 times a week. This improves the lipid composition of the blood and is considered an effective measure for the prevention of cardiovascular complications.
The role of physical activity is also very important. Even a small amount but regular physical activity (40-50 minutes of daily walking, cycling or swimming at least three times a week for 1 hour) can delay the development of diabetes for many years.
The basis of primary prevention of diabetes mellitus is a healthy lifestyle.
In recent years, measures for the prevention of diabetes mellitus include a number of medications that are prescribed to patients with a slight increase in fasting blood sugar or after glucose load. However, good nutrition and increased physical activity remain mandatory and leading in terms of their effectiveness in terms of prevention and important components of treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Can diabetes be avoided? Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous concept. Allocate type 1 diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus and old age. In this type of diabetes, an increase in blood sugar is caused by a decrease in insulin activity in tissues (insulin resistance) and inadequate (delayed) insulin secretion in response to food intake. When eating foods rich in easily digestible carbohydrates, these patients quickly increase their blood sugar after eating.
Insulin resistance is usually accompanied by extra weight or obesity. In this case, extra pounds of adipose tissue are localized, as a rule, in the abdomen. The accumulation of fat in this area is very unfavorable in terms of the development of such serious diseases as hypertension, atherosclerosis, oncological pathology and diabetes mellitus. In addition to severe obesity, the leading risk factors for diabetes mellitus are aggravated heredity, physical inactivity, and hypertension.