The Cause of Diabetes

Diabetes is an illness related to elevated blood sugar levels. When you stop releasing and responding to normal amounts of insulin after eating foods with carbohydrates, sugar and fats, you have diabetes. Insulin, a hormone that’s broken down and transported to cells to be used as energy, is released by the pancreas to help with the storage of sugar and fats. But people with diabetes don’t respond to insulin properly, which causes high blood sugar levels and diabetes symptoms.

It’s important to note that there’s a difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here’s an explanation of the two types of diabetes and what causes these conditions:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is commonly called “juvenile diabetes” because it tends to develop at a younger age, typically before a person turns 20 years old. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The damage to the pancreatic cells leads to a reduced ability or complete inability to create insulin. Some of the common causes that trigger this autoimmune response may include a virus, genetically modified organisms, heavy metals, vaccines, or foods like wheat, cow’s milk and soy. (4)

The reason foods like wheat and cow’s milk have been linked to diabetes is because they contain the proteins gluten and A1 casein. These proteins can cause leaky gut, which in turn causes systemic inflammation throughout the body and over time can lead to autoimmune disease.

Type 1 diabetes is rarely reversed, but with the right dietary changes major improvements in blood sugar levels can be seen and a person can often reduce his or her dependence on insulin and medications.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and unlike type 1 diabetes, it usually occurs in people over the age of 40, especially those who are overweight. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which means that the hormone insulin is being released, but a person doesn’t respond to it appropriately. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that’s caused by high blood sugar. The body can keep up for a period of time by producing more insulin, but over time the insulin receptor sites burn out. Eventually, diabetes can affect nearly every system in the body, impacting your energy, digestion, weight, sleep, vision and more. (5)

There are many underlying causes of type 2 diabetes, and the disease usually develops because of a combination of factors, including: (6)

having a poor diet
being overweight
having high levels of inflammation
living a sedentary lifestyle
experiencing high amounts of stress
having a family history of diabetes (especially a parent or sibling)
having high blood pressure or a history of heart disease
having a hormonal condition (like hyperthyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome or Cushing’s syndrome)
being exposed to toxins, viruses or harmful chemicals
taking certain medications (like those that disrupt insulin production)
Thankfully, there are ways to reverse diabetes naturally.