Diabetes

Glycaemia corresponds with the blood sugar rate. Standard fasting blood sugar is 0.70 to 1 g/litre. When this rate decreases, the body is in hypoglycaemia characterised by familiar signs: hunger, dizziness, stomach cramps or, for some, aggressiveness and anger. Blood sugar naturally increases after eating. It is regulated by insulin secretion by the pancreas.
There are 2 types of diabetes:

• Insulin-dependent diabetes or type 1 diabetes, generally detected in childhood. It is linked to a failure to secrete insulin.
• Non-insulin-dependent diabetes or type 2 diabetes, characterised by insulin resistance, in which case blood sugar remains abnormally high. Diabetes exists beyond a fasting blood sugar level of 1.40 g/litre. Type 2 diabetes is a disease which tends to manifest itself in adulthood even if figures show that it appears ever earlier. This disease is directly linked to eating habits (overly fat and sweet food), the increase in obesity, a lack of exercise and the ageing of the population which increases the risk of degenerative diseases. Many factors support a sustainable increase in blood sugar and therefore type 2 diabetes.

There are 2 possible types of action for preventing diabetes:

• Maintaining regular physical activity 3 times a week.
• Reducing (saturated) fat and sugar consumption (simple carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates).

Diabetes has many consequences on the body's normal functioning, notably glycation. Diabetics suffer from excess sugar in the blood. This excess leads to of glycation phenomena: sugars bind to proteins, accelerate cell ageing, especially of skin ageing. Glycation in general leads to accelerated ageing of the body. All cells are affected and all mechanism slow down.
In the case of diabetes, a low-sugar diet has to be followed in order to reduce glycation, alongside an increased intake of vitamins C and E, magnesium, vitamins B1, B2, B2, B8, chromium, zinc and selenium.
Benfotiamine, a derivative of vitamin B1 (thiamine), reduces the effects of glycation in diabetics. It contributes to delaying the appearance of signs of ageing (brown spots, skin elasticity).

Associated products
carbohydrate metabolism course