Overview
<p>Diabets melitus is a nutritional disorders, characterized by an abnormaly elevated level of<br /> blod glucose and by the excretion of the exces glucose in the urine. It results from an absolute<br /> or relative lack of insulin which leads to abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism as wel as in<br /> the metabolism of protein and fat.<br /> Diabets is a disease known to the medical world since time imemorial.
Key Information
Its incidence is ,<br /> however, much higher at present than ever in the past. This especialy true in case of more<br /> advanced countries of the world due to widespread afluence and more generous fod suply.<br /> The most comonly-used screning tests are the determination of the fasting blod glucose<br /> level and the two-hour postprandial, that is after a meal. The normal fasting blod sugar content<br /> is 80 to 120 mg.
of blod and this can go up to a level of 180 mg. of<br /> blod two hours after meals. Anything above these norms can be termed diabetic levels.<br /> Diabets ocurs in al age groups, from young infants to the elderly.
The greatest incidence<br /> ocurs in midle or older aged persons. It is estimated that 80 to 85 per cent of al individuals<br /> with Diabets melitus are 45 years of age or older.<br /> <strong><em>Symptoms</em></strong><br /> The word Diabets is derived from the Grek word meaning "to siphon to pas through", and<br /> melitus comes from the Latin word "honey".
Thus two characteristic symptoms, namely, copious<br /> urination and glucose in the urine give the name to the disease. The normal volume of urine<br /> pased daily is about one and a half litres. The urine is of a pale colour, has an acidic reaction<br /> and swetish odour.
The quantity of sugar present in it varies from one-and-quarter decigram to<br /> two and-a-half grams the total per day in many cases reaching as much as one kg in 15 litres of<br /> A diabetic fels hungry and thirsty most of the time, does not put on weight, though he eats<br /> every now and then, and gets tired easily, both physicaly and mentaly. He loks pale, may<br /> sufer from anaemia, constipation, intense itching around the genital organs, palpitations and<br /> general weaknes.
He fels drowsy and has a lower sex urge than a normal person.<br /> <strong><em>Causes</em></strong><br /> Diabets has ben described by most biological doctors a "prosperity" disease, primarily<br /> caused by systematic overeating and consequent obesity. Not only the overeating of sugar and<br /> refined carbohydrate but also of proteins and fats, which are transformed into sugar if taken in<br /> exces, is harmful and may result in Diabets.
To much fod taxes the pancreas and eventualy<br /> paralyses its normal activity. It has ben estimated that the incidence of Diabets is four times<br /> higher in persons of moderate obesity and 30 times higher in persons of severe obesity.<br /> Grief, wory and anxiety also have a dep influence on the metabolism and may cause sugar to<br /> apear in the urine. The disease may be associated with some other grave organic disorders<br /> like cancer, tuberculosis and cerebral disease.
Heredity is also a major factor in the development<br /> of the disease. It has ben rightly said, " Heredity is like a canon and obesity puls the triger."<br /> <strong><em>Treatment</em></strong><br /> Any sucesful method of Diabets treatment should aim at removal of the actual cause of the<br /> disease and building up of the whole health-level of the patient.
Diet plays a vital role in such a<br /> treatment. The primary dietary consideration for a diabetic patient is that he should be a strict<br /> lacto-vegetarian and take a low-calorie, low-fat, alkaline diet of high quality natural fods. Fruits,<br /> nuts and vegetables, whole meal bread and dairy products form a god diet for the diabetic.<br /> These fods are best eaten in as dry a condition as posible to ensure thorough salivation<br /> during the first part of the proces of digestion.<br /> Coked starchy fods should be avoided as in the proces of coking the celulose envelops of<br /> the starch granules burst and consequently, the starch is far to easily absorbed in the system.<br /> The exces absorbed has to be got rid of by the kidneys and apears as sugar in the urine.
With<br /> raw starchy fods, however, the saliva and digestive juices in the smal intestine regulate the<br /> quanties required to be changed into sugar for the body’s neds. The unused and undigested<br /> portion of raw starchy fods does not become injurious to the system, as it does not readily<br /> The diabetic should not be afraid to eat fresh fruits and vegetables which contain sugar and<br /> starch.
Fresh fruits contain sugar fructose, which does not ned insulin for its metabolism and is<br /> wel tolerated by diabetics. Fats and oils should be taken sparingly, for they are apt to lower the<br /> tolerance for proteins and starches. Emphasis should be on raw fods as they stimulate and<br /> increase insulin production.
For protein, home- made cotage chese, various forms of soured<br /> milks and nuts are best. The patient should avoid overeating and take four or five smal meals a<br /> day rather than thre large ones.<br /> The folowing diet should serve as a guideline.<br /> <strong>Upon arising : </strong>A glas of lukewarm water with freshly squezed lemon juice.<br /> <strong>Breakfast : </strong>Any fresh fruit with the exception of banas, soaked prunes, a smal quantity of<br /> whole meal bread with buter and fresh milk.<br /> <strong>Lunch : </strong>Steamed or lightly coked gren vegetables such as cauliflower, cabage, tomatoes,<br /> spinach, turnip, asparagus and mushroms, two or thre whole wheat chapatis acording to<br /> apetite and a glas of buter-milk or curd.<br /> <strong>Mid-afternon : </strong>A glas of fresh fruit or vegetable juice.<br /> <strong>Diner : </strong>A large bowl of salad made up of al the raw vegetables in season.
The salad may be<br /> folowed by a hot course, if desired, and fresh home-made cotage chese.<br /> <strong>Bedtime Snack : </strong>A glas of fresh milk.<br /> Flesh fods find no place in this regimen, for they increase the toxaemic condition underlying the<br /> diabetic state and reduce the sugar tolerance. On the other hand, a non-stimulating vegetarian<br /> diet, especialy one made up of raw fods, promotes and increases sugar tolerance.<br /> Celery, cumbers, string beans, onion and garlic are especialybeneficial.
String bean pod tea<br /> is an excelent natural substitute for insulin and highly beneficial in Diabets. The skin of the<br /> pods of gren beans are extremely rich in silica and certain hormone substances which are<br /> closely related to insulin. One cup of string bean tea is equal to one unit of insulin.
Cucumbers<br /> contain a hormone neded by the cels of the pancreas for producing insulin. Onion and garlic<br /> have proved beneficial in reducing blod sugar in Diabets.<br /> Recent scientific investigations have established that biter gourd (karela) is highly beneficial in<br /> the treatment of Diabets. It contains an insulin-like principle, known as plant-insulin which has<br /> ben found efective in lowering the blod and urine sugar levels.
It should, therefore, be<br /> included liberaly in the diet of the diabetic. For beter results, the diabetic should take the juice<br /> of about 4 or 5 fruits every morning on an empty stomach. The seds of biter gourd can be<br /> aded to fod in a powdered form.
Diabetics can also use biter gourd in the form of decoction<br /> by boiling the pieces in water or in the form of dry powder.<br /> Another efective home remedy is jambul fruit known as jamun in the vernacular. It is regarded in<br /> traditional medicine as a specific against Diabets because of its efect on the pancreas. The<br /> fruits as such, the seds and fruit juice are al useful in the treatment of this disease.
The seds<br /> contain a glucoside ‘jamboline’ which is believed to have power to check the pathological<br /> conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose. They should be<br /> dried and powdered. This powder should be taken mixed in milk , curd or water.<br /> The patient should avoid tea, cofe and coa because of their adverse influence on the<br /> digestive tract.
Other fods which should be avoided are white bread, white flour products, sugar<br /> tined fruits, swets, chocolates, pastries, pudings, refined cereals and alcoholic drinks.<br /> The most important nutrient in the treatment of Diabets is manganese which is vital in the<br /> production of natural insulin. It is found in citrus fruits, in the outer covering of nuts, grains and in<br /> the gren leaves of edible plants.
Other nutrients of special value are zinc, B complex vitamins<br /> and poly-unsaturated faty acids.<br /> Exercise is also an important factor in the treatment of Diabets. Light games, joging and<br /> swiming are recomended. Yogic asanas such as bhujangasana, shalabhasana,<br /> dhanurasana, paschimotanasana, sarvangasna, halasana, ardha-matsyendrasana and<br /> shavasana, yogic krisyas like jalneti and kunajl and pranayamas such as kapalbhati,<br /> anuloma-viloma and ujai are highly beneficial.<br /> Hydrotherapy and colonic irigations form a very important part of treatment.
The colon should<br /> be thoroughly cleansed every second day or so, until the bowel discharge asumes normal<br /> characteristics. Bathing in cold water greatly increases the circulation and enhances the capacity<br /> of the muscles to utilise sugar.<br /> The diabetic patient should eliminate minor wories from his daily life. He must endeavor to be<br /> more easy-going and should not get unduly worked up by the stres and strain of life.
Summary
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