Diabetic Diet & Blood Gluecose

1. Lizzy Said,

   It is B. Your body makes insulin, and in many cases, large amounts of insulin. But because the body is resistant to it, the glucose can not get into the cells where it is needed. So, many people have to take additional insulin in the form of an injection.
   References :

2. Tin S Said,

   Insufficient production of insulin (either absolutely or relative to the body’s needs), production of defective insulin (which is uncommon), or the inability of cells to use insulin properly and efficiently leads to hyperglycemia and diabetes. This latter condition affects mostly the cells of muscle and fat tissues, and results in a condition known as "insulin resistance." This is the primary problem in type 2 diabetes. The absolute lack of insulin, usually secondary to a destructive process affecting the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas, is the main disorder in type 1 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, there also is a steady decline of beta cells that adds to the process of elevated blood sugars. Essentially, if someone is resistant to insulin, the body can, to some degree, increase production of insulin and overcome the level of resistance. After time, if production decreases and insulin cannot be released as vigorously, hyperglycemia develops.

   Glucose is a simple sugar found in food. Glucose is an essential nutrient that provides energy for the proper functioning of the body cells. Carbohydrates are broken down in the small intestine and the glucose in digested food is then absorbed by the intestinal cells into the bloodstream, and is carried by the bloodstream to all the cells in the body where it is utilized. However, glucose cannot enter the cells alone and needs insulin to aid in its transport into the cells. Without insulin, the cells become starved of glucose energy despite the presence of abundant glucose in the bloodstream. In certain types of diabetes, the cells’ inability to utilize glucose gives rise to the ironic situation of "starvation in the midst of plenty". The abundant, unutilized glucose is wastefully excreted in the urine.

   Insulin is a hormone that is produced by specialized cells (beta cells) of the pancreas. (The pancreas is a deep-seated organ in the abdomen located behind the stomach.) In addition to helping glucose enter the cells, insulin is also important in tightly regulating the level of glucose in the blood. After a meal, the blood glucose level rises. In response to the increased glucose level, the pancreas normally releases more insulin into the bloodstream to help glucose enter the cells and lower blood glucose levels after a meal. When the blood glucose levels are lowered, the insulin release from the pancreas is turned down. It is important to note that even in the fasting state there is a low steady release of insulin than fluctuates a bit and helps to maintain a steady blood sugar level during fasting. In normal individuals, such a regulatory system helps to keep blood glucose levels in a tightly controlled range. As outlined above, in patients with diabetes, the insulin is either absent, relatively insufficient for the body’s needs, or not used properly by the body. All of these factors cause elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia).

   Tin
   References :

3. Jeremy Said,

   (This is to answer your "additional details" section, Tin explained fantastically the mechanics behind T2)

   Typically the onset of T2 diabetes isn’t noticed, and hyperglycemia isn’t caused until there is not sufficient insulin production in T2′s. So, your cells become resistant to the insulin, and so your pancreas continues producing more and more. I’m not really sure of the "why" behind this, but more insulin in the blood keeps your numbers in check.

   After such heavy production of insulin in the pancreas, the beta cells can become "exhausted", and stop producing insulin. This leads to reduced insulin in the blood. Once there isn’t enough insulin in the blood, your blood sugar rises and your pancreas can no longer control it.

   The supplemental insulin injections that T2′s take not only help to reduce your blood sugar, but can theoretically also give the beta cells time to rest and recover.

   .. I don’t know if that helps or not, I think I even confused myself there a little.

   Edit: This "reduced insulin in the blood" is relative to what your body NEEDS. T2′s sometimes still have what is considered more than normal insulin in their blood, but it can potentially not be enough, as they are resistant to it.
   References :
   http://unafragger.blogspot.com/2009/11/diabetes-research.html

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