Diabetes mellitus
Metabolic disease
Diabetes is the world’s most widespread lifestyle disease: the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) expects that, by 2030, 35 million people in the United States and over ten million in Germany will suffer from diabetes. Type 2 is the most common diabetes: once known as adult-onset diabetes, it is now increasingly diagnosed in adolescence. The main causes of this chronic metabolic disorder are overeating, eating the wrong foods, chronic hyperacidity, lack of exercise, and our genes.
Even the speed at which we eat is a risk factor. The consequences of diabetes are serious, and can lead to vascular disease as well as an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, nerve damage, poor leg circulation and, in extreme cases, amputation, kidney failure and retinal damage. Around two thirds of dialysis patients are diabetics, and the most pervasive cause of blindness is diabetes. The mortality rate of a poorly managed diabetic is five to ten times higher than that of a non-diabetic. In Austria, for instance, someone dies from the consequences of diabetes every 50 minutes.
The three most common types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes
Things to know about diabetes
With every meal, snack and sip of sugary drink, the body’s internal combustion engine is ignited, and a comprehensive process begins: carbohydrates are broken down in the small intestine to form glucose and fructose. The sugar molecules enter the blood via the intestinal wall to then be distributed to the body’s cells, resulting in a rise of the blood sugar level. Since we typically have breaks between meals, the body needs to store this blood sugar. It is primarily stored in muscle cells and the liver. Insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, ensures that the sugar gets into these temporary stores.
When blood sugar levels rise after eating, insulin is released. It acts as a key, figuratively unlocking the insulin receptors (locks) on the stores’ cell surfaces to give the glucose in the blood access to the cell interiors. Type 2 diabetes arises when the locks are damaged, and the insulin can no longer (properly) open the locks, causing sugar to build up in the blood.
- Overeating and eating the wrong foods, especially too much acidic and insufficient alkaline foods
- Chronic overacidification
- Lack of exercise
- Chronic infections
- Stress
- Medication, nicotine
- Genetic factors
Weight plays a key role in diabetes, particularly abdominal obesity which results in the typical ‘apple’ shape, as opposed to the healthier ‘pear’ shape. This additional fat around the middle, which accumulates around the internal organs, differs significantly from other fat deposits: it can produce both inflammatory and messenger substances that damage the insulin receptors. The top priority, therefore, is to reduce this type of fat.
- A healthy, balanced diet with a high proportion of alkaline foods, especially vegetables,
helps prevent diabetes and other diseases. We should use the traditional Mediterranean diet of beneficial oils, high-quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and phytochemicals as a guide. Small quantities of red wine also protect the vessels from damage (see Chapter 5, page 128). - Avoiding acidifying and alkaline-reducing foods. Acidifying foods include meat, certain dairy products, alcohol and carbonated drinks. Sugar and white flour products are alkaline reducers. Also, fruit should only be consumed in moderation due to its fructose content.
- Weight loss, but especially the reduction of abdominal fat: every pound lost brings metabolic relief and enhances insulin effectiveness.
- Slow eating and proper chewing.
- Regular physical activity that includes both endurance and weight training. Muscle cells are the main sugar consumers, so the higher the body’s proportion of muscle mass, the lower the risk of becoming a diabetic. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder of the muscle cells.
- Smoking and stress should be avoided. Both lead to acidification of the intercellular space, and stress hormones have been shown to suppress insulin production.
All the above are both preventive and therapeutic.
Tip for the prevention of diabetes
Modern Mayr Medicine can make a significant contribution to diabetes prevention. For example, recent studies from Japan and Lithuania confirm that people who eat extremely quickly have a significantly higher risk of developing the disease than those who take time for their meals. Chew training is an essential part of a Mayr therapy, as is reducing calorie intake in order to reduce weight if necessary. Another important factor is a diet rich in bases, which helps to reduce chronic hyperacidity. During a Mayr therapy, bases are also taken in the form of powder or capsules on a doctor’s orders. This allows the insulin receptors to regenerate and the blood sugar level to drop. Targeted exercise, education – especially with regard to healthy nutrition – as well as stress reduction counteract diabetes.
