33 million people in Pakistan are affected by this disease.
Diabetes is not just a disease but also a silent killer. Its main causes include obesity, unhealthy lifestyle, family history of diabetes, unbalanced diet, aging, blood pressure, and blood lipid imbalance. Diabetes is a disease that affects the functions of the human body that affect the metabolism of carbohydrates (sugar), fats, and proteins in the body.
Previously, this disease only occurred in adults and the elderly, but today this type is more common in children and adolescents. Some amount of insulin is found in the blood of these patients, but this amount is not enough to maintain normal blood glucose levels. Sometimes insulin loses its ability to use the glucose in the human body, which is also called insulin resistance.
Both genetic and environmental factors combine to cause destruction of pancreatic cells and insulin resistance. Studies of hereditary effects have shown that if one twin develops diabetes after the age of forty, the other will also develop diabetes within a year. At the beginning of the disease, the number of insulin-producing pancreatic cells increases, which leads to an increase in the amount of insulin during fasting (empty stomach), which can cause blood glucose levels to drop below normal.
It can sometimes be dangerous, but over time, other tissues replace the insulin-producing cells and insulin deficiency gradually occurs. Obesity plays the most important role among environmental factors, due to which insulin resistance is encountered. Therefore, obesity is a very important factor in the development of type 2 diabetes.
The World Health Organization recently released a report, according to which 108 million people worldwide were suffering from diabetes by the 1980s, while this number had reached 422 million in 2014. According to the report, diabetes is spreading more rapidly in developing and third world countries. According to the report, the diabetes rate among people aged 18 and above in 1980 was 4.7, which increased to 8.5 in 2014.
While according to 2016 data, 1.6 million deaths were caused by diabetes alone throughout the year.
About 33 million of Pakistan’s adult population has some form of diabetes. Thus, about 27 percent of Pakistan’s adult citizens (every fourth Pakistani and every eleventh in the world) suffer from this disease. A study was conducted in 2023 by the World of Statistics, an organization organized by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Georgia State University, according to which the rate of diabetes in Pakistan is 30.8 percent.
This study provided data from 38 countries, of which Pakistan is in first place, followed by Kuwait, where the rate of diabetes is 24.9 percent, and Egypt, which is in third place, where the rate of diabetes is 20.9 percent. The lowest proportion of diabetes patients was in Nigeria, where the rate of this disease was recorded at 3.6 percent.
According to health experts, blood sugar can be kept at the appropriate level by making a healthy diet and exercise a regular practice. The disease can also be controlled by avoiding sweets and consuming vegetables, fruits, grains, and omega-3 fish oils in the diet. Physical exercise helps control blood sugar levels. It is important for the affected person to walk or climb stairs.
Foods that protect against sugar.
There is no better strategy for controlling sugar than diet.
Health experts say that there is no better strategy for controlling sugar than diet, and if you want to keep your sugar under control, include the following five foods in your routine.
Milk.
It is an easily digestible food rich in calcium and vitamin D, which is useful in blood sugar. Its consumption keeps blood glucose under control, while the use of low-fat yogurt can also be very useful. Porridge mixed with milk for breakfast is very useful for diabetic patients.
Flax seeds.
Flax seeds contain fiber and flavonols, which your body converts into omega-3. Flax seeds reduce cholesterol and blood sugar.
Their consumption can prevent heart attacks and other heart diseases. According to health experts, consuming flax seeds with oatmeal for breakfast has excellent health benefits.
Sage.
It is a special herb that helps in the absorption of insulin in the body and increases its activity. It is also called sage in English and spekas and safukas in Urdu. It reduces the risk of sugar and also controls type 2 diabetes. It increases the immunity of the body by regulating liver functions. According to research conducted in Germany, eating spekas on an empty stomach reduces blood glucose levels and can also be used with tea.
Beans.
Fiber-rich beans make you feel full. Their consumption not only reduces blood sugar but also lowers cholesterol. They are best used with salads and soups.