by David Cowley

Created on: March 21, 2010

Sugar diabetes affects 7 percent of the United States population, about 20.8 million people, and about 6 million sufferers do not even know they have the disease. Globally, estimates are about 3 percent of the population. Sugar diabetes is a term used for several disorders that prevent the regulation of blood sugar level. The body produces a hormone called insulin to carry the glucose throughout the body and this means those who have sugar diabetes are unable to produce enough insulin, or their bodies cannot use the insulin produced effectively. When the body is not producing enough insulin, it is called diabetes type one and when the body cannot use what is produced effectively, it is called diabetes type two.

 
Prevention is the best cure and although it is unclear what causes type one sugar diabetes, there are several risk factors with diabetes type 2. You are at risk if a close family member has the disease, if you are overweight or obese, if you have high blood pressure, if you have had stroke or heart attack, if you are a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome or gestational diabetes, if you have impaired fasting glycemia or impaired glucose tolerance, or if you have mental problems. Knowing the risk factors will help you take precautionary measures such as going for regular checkups.

One way of controlling the level of blood sugar is to take a proper diet. The level of blood sugar is determined by the glucose in the blood and it therefore follows that if you have low blood sugar, you should eat foods that increase blood sugar level, and vice versa. To increase blood sugar level, eat starchy foods since they produce glucose when digested. These include rice, oatmeal, and bread, but avoid simple carbohydrates. Your diet should also include fruits and fresh vegetables. However, only eat small potions of sweet fruit. Some foods have a high glycemic index. These should be taken together with fibrous foods to reduce the sugar’s impact. Avoid fruit juices, fats, excessive salt intake, and excessive alcohol consumption.

Taking at least 60 gm of onions every day will bring down the levels of your blood sugar. This is because of the chromium and sulfur in the onions. However, the onion should not be deep fried – it should be in a salad. Barley has soluble fiber that makes it ideal for people with sugar diabetes. Raw garlic increases insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar levels. Lemons are full of Vitamin C and the acidic property of lemons lowers

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