A FEW regular readers of this column have asked when I will be
writing on diabetes. One or two have added in passing that diabetes may
not be one of those diseases caused by dehydration, stating that
everybody knows that diabetes is caused by excess sugar. Yes indeed, the
time to write on diabetes has come and of a truth diabetes is caused by
lack of water in the body.
For a very long time the notion that diabetes is caused by too much sugar in the body, which eventually wears off the insulin – producing cells in the pancreas has held sway. Let me state quickly that there are two types of diabetes: Insulin–Dependent Diabetes otherwise known as Juvenile–Onset Diabetes starts in childhood and can only be treated by daily injections of insulin. In this group the pancreas no longer produce insulin.
The second type of diabetes is the Insulin–Independent Diabetes where the pancreas is still capable of secreting insulin. The pancreas is an organ located between the stomach and the beginning of the duodenum.
Physiologically speaking, insulin is produced by the beta cells of the Islets of Langarhans in the pancreas. The well-known function of insulin is to drive glucose from the circulatory system into the cells for storage.
In other words, insulin regulates the blood glucose level. In diabetes it is thought that this function of insulin fails for one reason or the other, which we would not be treating here. There is therefore a buildup of excessive glucose in the blood. In this type of diabetes the cells of the pancreas are still capable of production of insulin when stimulated by certain chemical drugs.
Be that as it may, I would like to state that diabetes, like the rest of the chronic degenerative diseases, is a disease caused by lack of water in the body. Apart from the production and secretion of insulin by the pancreas in response to increase in the level of glucose in the blood stream after a meal, there is another very important function of the pancreas.
The pancreas is the seat of production of a copious bicarbonate buffer solution. This solution released into the upper part of the duodenum to neutralise the acidic contents of the stomach as they are released when the stomach gate is open (Pyloric sphincter). This function of the pancreas is regulated by the amount of water in the body.
In a state of dehydration, the amount of the bicarbonate solution is reduced and this can get to a critical level that there is not enough of it to neutralise the stomach content. If this is the situation, the opening of the Pyloric sphincter will not be effected and there will therefore be a “backing up” of the stomach contents as happens in stomach dyspepsia, ulcer and eventually Hiatus hernia (read Thursday, October 6, 2011 edition of The Guardian).
Histamine, like most of us now know, is the main water regulatory neurotransmitter in a state of dehydration. There are some other subordinate hormones that are released by the action of histamine. Amongst these are the Prostaglandins and Prostaglandin E (Pg E) is one we are interested in for the purpose of this write up. Pg E when released has two functions. It redirects water to the pancreas in times of dehydration to ensure that the buffer solution is being produced and secreted so that neutralizing of the stomach contents and digestion of food continue to take place.
Secondly Pg E inhibits the secretion of insulin. What is the reason for this? Simply put, when insulin is secreted, it not only drives glucose into the cells, but along with it are potassium, amino acids and water. The water that goes into the cells at such times when there is dehydration will further deplete the amount of free water for purposes such as the manufacture of the bicarbonate solution needed for neutralising the stomach contents and for digestion.
As the secretion of insulin gets blocked by Pg E, glucose accumulates in the blood stream and eventually appears in the urine which is the finding in diabetes. The cells of the body other than those of the brain depend on insulin for glucose, amino acids, salts and water for their functions. This is why these cells become severely affected in chronic unintended dehydration.
Let us now look at the role of salt in diabetes. Under normal circumstances, the osmotic forces that maintain the extracellular fluid volume are primarily from its salt, sugar and occasionally, its uric acid content. More often than not, in states of dehydration there is depletion of the level of salt. In a bid to maintain the osmotic forces, the brain increases the level of sugar to compensate for the low salt reserves; this increases the blood glucose level more. It has been discovered that this function of the brain is carried out by an amino acid known as tryptophan.
Tryptophan is the primary ingredient from which the four main neurotransmitters (serotonin, tryptamine, melatonin and indolamine) are manufactured. Tryptophan and its neurotransmitters are responsible for the regulation of the salt balance of the extracellular fluid, it is the natural brain regulator for salt absorption in the body.
Severe reduction of the level of tryptophan is thought to accompany dehydration. This may be the root cause of diabetes in the first place. Low levels of tryptophan have been found in the brains of some diabetic animals. Let me emphasise that in dehydration, the amino acid tryptophan is diminished and so is the salt reserve of the extracellular fluid. Another system, the Renin – Angiotensin system becomes engaged to retain more water and salt.
To go on further, it has been found out that the level of tryptophan increases during exercises. Some amino acids normally compete with tryptophan for the same pathway into the brain. These same amino acids are used for energy generation during exercise and tryptophan alone monopolises the pathway into the brain making it available in increased amounts.
The conclusion from all of these is that to treat insulin – independent diabetes to prevent it, you should pay particular attention to adequate water consumption, adequate protein diet, sufficient salt intake and exercise. In practice, I recommend that your protein source should be from plant seeds and grains like lentils and beans, especially the green beans. Some eggs would also do. Seeds and eggs contain amino acids for the procreation of a perfect replica of the plants and chicks in that order.
For a very long time the notion that diabetes is caused by too much sugar in the body, which eventually wears off the insulin – producing cells in the pancreas has held sway. Let me state quickly that there are two types of diabetes: Insulin–Dependent Diabetes otherwise known as Juvenile–Onset Diabetes starts in childhood and can only be treated by daily injections of insulin. In this group the pancreas no longer produce insulin.
The second type of diabetes is the Insulin–Independent Diabetes where the pancreas is still capable of secreting insulin. The pancreas is an organ located between the stomach and the beginning of the duodenum.
Physiologically speaking, insulin is produced by the beta cells of the Islets of Langarhans in the pancreas. The well-known function of insulin is to drive glucose from the circulatory system into the cells for storage.
In other words, insulin regulates the blood glucose level. In diabetes it is thought that this function of insulin fails for one reason or the other, which we would not be treating here. There is therefore a buildup of excessive glucose in the blood. In this type of diabetes the cells of the pancreas are still capable of production of insulin when stimulated by certain chemical drugs.
Be that as it may, I would like to state that diabetes, like the rest of the chronic degenerative diseases, is a disease caused by lack of water in the body. Apart from the production and secretion of insulin by the pancreas in response to increase in the level of glucose in the blood stream after a meal, there is another very important function of the pancreas.
The pancreas is the seat of production of a copious bicarbonate buffer solution. This solution released into the upper part of the duodenum to neutralise the acidic contents of the stomach as they are released when the stomach gate is open (Pyloric sphincter). This function of the pancreas is regulated by the amount of water in the body.
In a state of dehydration, the amount of the bicarbonate solution is reduced and this can get to a critical level that there is not enough of it to neutralise the stomach content. If this is the situation, the opening of the Pyloric sphincter will not be effected and there will therefore be a “backing up” of the stomach contents as happens in stomach dyspepsia, ulcer and eventually Hiatus hernia (read Thursday, October 6, 2011 edition of The Guardian).
Histamine, like most of us now know, is the main water regulatory neurotransmitter in a state of dehydration. There are some other subordinate hormones that are released by the action of histamine. Amongst these are the Prostaglandins and Prostaglandin E (Pg E) is one we are interested in for the purpose of this write up. Pg E when released has two functions. It redirects water to the pancreas in times of dehydration to ensure that the buffer solution is being produced and secreted so that neutralizing of the stomach contents and digestion of food continue to take place.
Secondly Pg E inhibits the secretion of insulin. What is the reason for this? Simply put, when insulin is secreted, it not only drives glucose into the cells, but along with it are potassium, amino acids and water. The water that goes into the cells at such times when there is dehydration will further deplete the amount of free water for purposes such as the manufacture of the bicarbonate solution needed for neutralising the stomach contents and for digestion.
As the secretion of insulin gets blocked by Pg E, glucose accumulates in the blood stream and eventually appears in the urine which is the finding in diabetes. The cells of the body other than those of the brain depend on insulin for glucose, amino acids, salts and water for their functions. This is why these cells become severely affected in chronic unintended dehydration.
Let us now look at the role of salt in diabetes. Under normal circumstances, the osmotic forces that maintain the extracellular fluid volume are primarily from its salt, sugar and occasionally, its uric acid content. More often than not, in states of dehydration there is depletion of the level of salt. In a bid to maintain the osmotic forces, the brain increases the level of sugar to compensate for the low salt reserves; this increases the blood glucose level more. It has been discovered that this function of the brain is carried out by an amino acid known as tryptophan.
Tryptophan is the primary ingredient from which the four main neurotransmitters (serotonin, tryptamine, melatonin and indolamine) are manufactured. Tryptophan and its neurotransmitters are responsible for the regulation of the salt balance of the extracellular fluid, it is the natural brain regulator for salt absorption in the body.
Severe reduction of the level of tryptophan is thought to accompany dehydration. This may be the root cause of diabetes in the first place. Low levels of tryptophan have been found in the brains of some diabetic animals. Let me emphasise that in dehydration, the amino acid tryptophan is diminished and so is the salt reserve of the extracellular fluid. Another system, the Renin – Angiotensin system becomes engaged to retain more water and salt.
To go on further, it has been found out that the level of tryptophan increases during exercises. Some amino acids normally compete with tryptophan for the same pathway into the brain. These same amino acids are used for energy generation during exercise and tryptophan alone monopolises the pathway into the brain making it available in increased amounts.
The conclusion from all of these is that to treat insulin – independent diabetes to prevent it, you should pay particular attention to adequate water consumption, adequate protein diet, sufficient salt intake and exercise. In practice, I recommend that your protein source should be from plant seeds and grains like lentils and beans, especially the green beans. Some eggs would also do. Seeds and eggs contain amino acids for the procreation of a perfect replica of the plants and chicks in that order.
No comments:
Post a Comment