Sunday, 5 October 2014

Type 2 Diabetes - 10 Myths & Facts [10个神话&事实关于第二类型糖尿病]

Type 2 Diabetes - 10 Myths & Facts [10个神话&事实关于第二类型糖尿]

1.        Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Type 2 Diabetes

FACTS - Experts don't fully understand what causes type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough insulin. Healthy eating—limiting fat, sugar, salt and cholesterol—is an important part of staying healthy for all adults. {My view – Eat healthy with regular exercise}

2.        Only Overweight or Obese People Develop Type 2 Diabetes

FACTS - Certain risk factors make it more likely for someone to develop type 2 diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of them. But being overweight or obese doesn't necessarily mean someone will develop type 2 diabetes. That's because there are other risk factors. This includes having a family history of the disease and being over age 40. {My view – Eat healthy with regular exercise}

3.        Type 2 Diabetes Always Causes Symptoms

FACTS - The telltale symptoms of type 2 diabetes are increased urination, thirst and hunger. Other symptoms include weight loss and fatigue; slow healing wounds and blurred vision typically occur later in the disease. {My earlier post, “Urine with Bubbles”, worth a read}

4.        Pre-diabetes Is Nothing to Worry About

FACTS - You either have diabetes or you don't. Having pre-diabetes puts you at very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that you can do something about it. Research suggests that you can cut your risk by 58% if you lose 7% of your body weight and exercise moderately for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

5.        Type 2 Diabetes Is Not As Serious As Type 1 Diabetes

FACTS - Left uncontrolled, both types of diabetes can cause serious complications and even be deadly. Complications include kidney disease, vision loss, neuropathy, amputations, heart attack, and stroke. Fortunately, controlling and managing type 2 diabetes can help prevent or delay these complications.

6.        People with Type 2 Diabetes Don't Need Insulin

FACTS - Many people manage type 2 diabetes with healthy eating, plenty of exercise, weight loss, and oral medicines. As the disease progresses, most people eventually need insulin. Starting insulin for type 2 diabetes does not mean you have failed to manage your disease. It means your disease is changing. Experts recognized this when they changed the name from "non-insulin dependent diabetes" to "type 2 diabetes."

7.        Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Cured

FACTS - There is no cure for type 2 diabetes. The disease is controllable with lifestyle changes, oral medicines, and insulin. In some cases, people have been able to return their blood glucose levels to normal and stop their medicines. Doctors refer to this as remission instead of cure because the risk of relapse is very high. People have achieved remission through sustained weight loss, healthy eating, and making physical activity part of their daily routine

8.        People with Type 2 Diabetes Can't Eat Sugar, Sweets or Starches

FACTS - Glucose—or blood sugar—comes from carbohydrates. Starches, fruits, sugar, alcohol, and even grains contain carbohydrates or carbs. The key to eating carbs with type 2 diabetes is portion control. With proper portion control, no foods should be off limits. {My view – Work with a Dietitian to derive a “RIGHT” diet portion for you.  Even consume too much brown rice may spike your post meal glucose }

9.        People with Type 2 Diabetes Have to Eat a Special Diet

FACTS - Eating diabetic or dietetic foods is not necessary. In fact, these foods may cause digestive problems and they are expensive. Instead, people with type 2 diabetes should eat a healthy diet. This includes limiting fat, cholesterol and salt. It also means eating fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains.  {My view - A friend with renal failure admitted he has a high sodium diet resulting his systolic number at around 200}

10.     People with Type 2 Diabetes Can't Lead an Active Life

FACTS - Leading an active life is vital to controlling type 2 diabetes. In fact, exercise can help your muscles take up and use glucose independent of insulin. Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity so your cells can use insulin better. People with type 2 diabetes should make exercise part of their daily routine. {Too much fat will reduce the sensitivity of insulin. My earlier post, “Neighborhoods That Encourage Walking Reduce Obesity and Diabetes” worth a read}


For further details, here is the Original Article, courtesy of CNN Health.

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