Dr Ghayur Ayub
TO understand the question, we have to know some basic facts about diabetes. For example, a
compound known as glucose and a molecule called insulin play important roles in causation of the disease. The blood level of glucose depends on insulin. The food we eat is converted to glucose. Insulin shifts the glucose into cells where it gets involved in three processes; some of it is converted into energy called ATP; part of the remaining is converted to glycogen; and the rest is changed to fat. The latter two are stored for rainy days. When the blood glucose level is low for whatever reason such as fasting, glycogen and fat successively convert back to glucose to keep up with metabolism. The released glucose comes in the blood stimulating beta cells of pancreas to release Insulin. Insulin on its part, pushes glucose back into the cells. The important point is that the cell has to have space to accept glucose. This is the natural metabolic process of energy production at cellular level.
When we keep on ingesting large amount of glucose from food for years and the insulin keeps pumping it into the cells, the cells fill up to the brim leaving no space for more glucose. Such a situation is called Insulin Resistance and the person goes into a pre-diabetic state. When the signs and symptoms of high sugar start to appear and people start passing sugar in urine they are diagnosed as having type two diabetes. At the time of diagnosis, the doctors tell them two things. First, the sugar has gone out of control blaming it as the causative agent. This might be true in the beginning when control over the diet is lost for years pushing up the level of glucose which in turn raises the insulin level. But later on, it is the raised insulin which disturbs the glucose metabolism. Second, diabetes is an untreatable and progressive disease and patients have to carry on with treatment for the rest of their lives.
They are wrong on both counts. The point they miss is that the actual cause of diabetes is not glucose but the Insulin Resistance patients develop because of persistently high level of insulin. The resistance is developed because insulin keeps on trying to push glucose into the cells already filled with glucose. Instead of focusing on the cellular metabolism and emptying the cells of the stored glucose, the doctors put the patients on the first line of antidiabetic drugs which elevate the level of already raised insulin. The trick works for a while and blood sugar comes down by forcefully stuffing the cells with more glucose. Soon, the first line medication becomes ineffective when the insulin fails to push more glucose into the cells. The doctors put them on the second line of medication and the process goes on until they use all the drugs. In the end, they are left with the last hope-the insulin injections. Again, they keep on increasing the dose of insulin to the frustration of patients and worsening of diabetes. While all this jargon goes on, the patients are attacked from three sides by; high level of insulin; poorly controlled glucose level; and the anti-diabetic drugs. All three have their own atrocious side effects on liver, kidneys, eyes, nervous system, cardio-vascular system, muscles ect. Liver being the metabolic centre and main detoxing organ takes the main brunt and goes into fatty changes. In the process, the glucose metabolism turns upside down and complications start to appear which are treated separately by the relevant specialists such as cardiologists, nephrologists, neurologist, eye specialists, amputation doctors ect. All this is due to missing the point that it is the high blood level of insulin which is playing havoc with metabolism of glucose at cellular level. The doctors in their wisdom keep pushing insulin to let glucose enter the already stuffed cells.
This anomaly has been proved by the researchers such as Dr Jason Fung who is a Canadian nephrologist and wrote two researched books on the subject. Other researchers also came to the same conclusion. All of them have proved with facts and figures that diabetes is a treatable disease and has been treated wrongly by the doctors. According to them, with proper management the Insulin Resistance which is the main cause of diabetes can be corrected by reducing the level of insulin thus converting abnormal glucose metabolism to normal. They have come up with following suggestions. 1) Start proper diet regimes with low carbohydrate, moderate protein and high fat. 2) Start taking fibre in the diet. 3) Start physical activities such as normal walk, walking up and down the stairs, jogging, aerobatic exercises, anaerobic exercises or high intensity intermittent training. 4) Start intermittent fasting. 5) Drink a lot of water. In addition, they say it will be helpful if patients learn how to sleep soundly. They have proved that with this management, the dose of anti-diabetic drugs comes down to half, less than half, and one fourth in a few weeks. Some patients stopped taking medication altogether proving that diabetes is curable disease. The researchers blame the existing way of treatment wherein the doctors prescribe drugs that enhance the blood insulin levels which is the main culprit. At the same time they advise the patients to exercise and be watchful of their diet. The researchers see a paradox in this approach. They believe most of the treating doctors do not know that the actual cause of diabetes is not glucose, it is insulin. The good news is that in coming years the whole concept of diabetes and its treatment is going to change.
— The writer is a freelance columnist, based in United Kindgom.
