Type 2 diabetes is a condition that is very misunderstood. And when trying to figure out what causes diabetes type 2, one must understand several key factors. And once you understand these factors, in my opinion, you have the answer on how to control or even conquer type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes refers to two main defects:
- Insulin resistance in your muscle fat and liver tissues (which means your cells can’t get insulin, which is the key that unlocks the door of the cell to let sugar in)
- The pancreas isn’t secreting insulin from the pancreas properly
Now what causes these two defects you might ask?
Most doctors that I work with feel that the cause of type 2 diabetes stems from being a certain ethnic background. Well, in clinical terms there are several factors that increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
These are as follows:
Age – the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increase with age. About one in every four people over 65 years old have diabetes. Although, in recent years the prevalence is increasing in younger people.
Ethnicity – being African American, Hispanic, or Native American puts you at higher risk.
Metabolic Syndrome – this refers to a group of conditions such as high blood sugar, lipid abnormalities (dyslipidemia) hypertension, inflammation, and other non-lipid abnormalities which increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. And metabolic syndrome is the presence of 3 or more of the following risk factors: abdominal obesity – men >40 inches, women >35 inches; triglycerides >150 mg/dL; HDL – men <40 mg/dL, women <50 mg/dL; blood pressure >130/>85 mm Hg; fasting blood glucose >110 mg/dL.
What Causes Diabetes Type 2 Explained
Insulin resistance is usually the first thing to happen before a person becomes type 2 diabetic. And although the above are more so risk factors, the real cause of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance.
The major causes of insulin resistance are obesity and physical inactivity. These promote the development of insulin resistance and usually go hand-in-hand with metabolic syndrome defined above.
Obesity on the other hand is a big one right along with insulin resistance. People who are insulin resistant usually have a “pear” body shape with fat around the midsection. This fat around the midsection is a predictor of insulin resistance, which is the first thing to take off before type 2 diabetes occurs.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels rise abnormally high and the body can no longer efficiently clear blood sugar from the bloodstream.
Although the risk factors such as age and ethnicity do play a role in developing type 2 diabetes, they aren’t the cause. When a person is inactive, has a poor diet, and as a result becomes insulin resistant, eventually their blood sugar may rise to diabetic levels, which is dangerous and toxic to your organs.
One key point that must be understood when trying to get to the heart of the matter with type 2 diabetes is this. To conquer type 2 diabetes you must reverse insulin resistance.
Some of the best ways to reverse insulin resistance and reverse or prevent type 2 diabetes are:
- Increased physical activity
- Lose weight, specifically around the gut/midsection surrounding your organs which increases insulin resistance
- Make dietary changes such as reducing refined carbohydrates and saturated fats, which contribute to weight gain
Prior to using any of this material, please consult with your physician.