| Special areas in the pancreas gland, the islets of | | | | urine production |
| Langerhans, produce a hormone called insulin. This | | | | -Dryness in the mouth |
| hormone is a protein of small size. Insulin stimulates | | | | -An abnormal high appetite |
| muscle cells and other body cells to take up glucose | | | | -Feeling extremely tired and weak |
| from the blood and convert the glucose to glycogen, | | | | -Weight loss, even when one eats well |
| a kind of starch, and then store the glycogen. By | | | | -Impaired vision |
| need the body cells convert the glycogen to glucose | | | | If the blood sugar level is not stabilized to a normal |
| and use it as fuel. In this way insulin keeps the | | | | value, there will be an accumulation of chemicals in |
| glucose level in the blood at a normal size. | | | | the body called ketones, and this condition is called |
| By diabetes type I the cells producing insulin are | | | | diabetic ketoacidosis. This serious condition can lead |
| destroyed. Then less glucose is taken up from the | | | | to coma and death. The signs of ketoacidosis are: |
| blood into the body cells and utilized there, and | | | | -Vomiting, |
| glucose accumulates in the blood. | | | | -Pain in the stomach |
| | | | -Rapid breathing, |
| THE CAUSES AND MECHANISMS OF DIABETES | | | | -High pulse rate |
| TYPE I | | | | -Somnolence (abnormal tendency to sleep) |
| The cause of the disease is not well known. An | | | | In the long term, diabetes type 1 can severely hurt |
| auto-immune response attacking the insulin producing | | | | the blood vessels in vital organs. This can further |
| cells in the langerhansian islets may be a cause. Virus | | | | cause damage to the heart, eyes, kidneys or other |
| infection may be another cause. The disease also is | | | | body organs. |
| to some extend inherited. | | | | |
| When the glucose uptake into the body cells is | | | | TREATMENTS OF DIABETES TYPE 1 |
| reduced, but glucose instead accumulates in the | | | | Diabetes type 1 is treated with insulin injections. |
| blood, the following physiological effects occur: | | | | Implanting insuline cells in the pancreas is an |
| -The body cells do not get enough fuel for the work | | | | experimental treatment. Another experimental |
| they shall do. | | | | treatment is to implant stem cells in the pancreas |
| -The molecular thickness (osmality) of the blood | | | | that can develop into new insulin producing cells. |
| increases. This causes water to be pulled out from | | | | Another important module of the treatment is |
| the body tissues and into the blood. The tissues thus | | | | regulation of the amount of sugar and fat consumed |
| get dried out and the urine production increases. | | | | through the diet so that it fits together with the |
| -The tissues begin to break down protein and fat to | | | | insulin-amount injected. Also regular monitoring of the |
| get energy, causing weight loss and muscular | | | | blood sugar level to regulate the insulin amount is an |
| reduction. | | | | important part of the treatment. |
| The symptoms of diabetes type 1 are a | | | | There are also natural products in the market that |
| consequence of these mechanisms. | | | | can help to normalize the blood sugar level by |
| | | | diabetes type 1. Those products cannot heal the |
| SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES TYPE 1 | | | | disease or replace insulin injections, but they can help |
| The disease often starts suddenly. Often children or | | | | the body to regulate the blood sugar level. These |
| young people are attacked by the disease. The lack | | | | products contain minerals that are working |
| of insulin causes an increased amount of blood sugar. | | | | components of enzymes that stimulate the glucose |
| Early symptoms of the disease are: | | | | metabolism in the body. They also contain herbs that |
| -Increased urine production | | | | have been used for a long time in traditional medicine |
| -Dehydration (lack of water in the body) | | | | to regulate the glucose level and that have proven |
| -Abnormally high thirst as a consequence of increased | | | | their effects in scientific studies. |