There are in fact two main types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2, and they are totally different in cause and treatment regime. There is also a strain of diabetes called gestational diabetes that is only suffered by pregnant women. To understand diabetes, we must first appreciate the role that insulin plays in our body. When we consume glucose, fructose or carbohydrates, our body converts them into glucose in the blood stream. For us to be able to use the glucose to produce energy, our pancreas produces insulin which ‘unlocks’ receptors in our cells and allows the glucose to enter the cells and be used for energy. |