Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus
Hi Friends,
Diseases are of two types viz. Infectious and Constitutional.
Infectious diseases are caused by the bacteria while the constitutional diseases are caused by untoward changes occurring within the body.
Diabetes Mellitus is also such a constitutional disease. It is an outcome of a leading sedentary life and eating processed foods. The incidence of diabetes varies directly with the consumption of processed foods like biscuits, cakes, chocolates, biscuits, pudding, ice-cream etc.
We know that Diabetes Mellitus is extremely rampant today, but it is not a new disease. If we look upon the history of Ayurveda then well known Ayurvedic physicians Maharshi Charka (600 B.C.) and Sushruta (400 B.C.) correctly desribed about all the symptoms of Diabetes. They called it as disease Madhu-Meha (a shower of honey). Ancient Ayurvedic text ‘Sushruta-Samhita’ clearly states that diabetes is a familiar disease. Charaka and Sushruta have displayed a remarkable understanding of the disease in Ayurveda.
In 1869 A.D., Paul Langerhans discovered the islet cells responsible for the metabolism of sugar inside the body. That’s why these islets were later named after their discoverer, as islets of Langerhans.
In 1889 A.D., Won Mering and Oscar Minkowski succeeded in artificially producing diabetes in a dog by removing its pancreas gland and that experiment brought a great laurel to those two scientists sine they revealed the relation between diabetes and pancreas.
In 1909 A.D., D’ Mayer named the extract of pancreas as insulin. In 1920 A.D., Fredrick Banting and Charles Best managed to isolate pure insulin from the pancreatic extract. They also showed that when insulin is injected into the bodies of diabetic then the concentration of sugar in their blood rapidly falls. These important finding fetched the two scientists, the coveted Noble Prize.
After the discovery of insulin, people had started believing that diabetes will soon be banished from the earth but this belief proved to be fallacious. The various reasons were there for it.
We can say that insulin has robbed diabetes of its fatality. If we talk about few years back then the treatment of diabetes was totally satisfactory. More complications were raised due to Diabetes. The revolution in Medical sciences and invention of number of antidiabetic drugs, a diabetic patient can today look forward to leading an almost normal and creative life.
With proper knowledge and treatment, the concentration of glucose in the blood can be maintained within the normal range, or glucose can be prevented from escaping in the urine, the long-term complications of diabetes can’t be fully checked.
What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder arising either due to
1.) relative or absolute deficiency of a digestive hormone call insulin of
2.) inability or resistance of body-cells to use the available insulin. The disorder completely throws the metabolism of dietary carbohydrates, fats and proteins into disarray.
It will be better to gain basic knowledge about the pancreas gland and the function of its secretion insulin in the body. Pancreas is a digestive gland which lies deep in the upper part of the abdomen between the lower border of stomach and the upper border of duodenum. On either side it is flanked by kidneys. The human pancres weighs about 100 gms and is made up of small units called lobules. Each lobule consists of two groups of cells viz exocrine and endocrine. Each endocrine group of cells is also called an islet of Langerhans. The beta cells of the islets produce insulin wheras the alpha cells of the islets produce a hormone glucogon whose action is opposite to that of insulin.
Thanks,
Team- Knowledge is Healing
Diseases are of two types viz. Infectious and Constitutional.
Infectious diseases are caused by the bacteria while the constitutional diseases are caused by untoward changes occurring within the body.
Diabetes Mellitus is also such a constitutional disease. It is an outcome of a leading sedentary life and eating processed foods. The incidence of diabetes varies directly with the consumption of processed foods like biscuits, cakes, chocolates, biscuits, pudding, ice-cream etc.
We know that Diabetes Mellitus is extremely rampant today, but it is not a new disease. If we look upon the history of Ayurveda then well known Ayurvedic physicians Maharshi Charka (600 B.C.) and Sushruta (400 B.C.) correctly desribed about all the symptoms of Diabetes. They called it as disease Madhu-Meha (a shower of honey). Ancient Ayurvedic text ‘Sushruta-Samhita’ clearly states that diabetes is a familiar disease. Charaka and Sushruta have displayed a remarkable understanding of the disease in Ayurveda.
In 1869 A.D., Paul Langerhans discovered the islet cells responsible for the metabolism of sugar inside the body. That’s why these islets were later named after their discoverer, as islets of Langerhans.
In 1889 A.D., Won Mering and Oscar Minkowski succeeded in artificially producing diabetes in a dog by removing its pancreas gland and that experiment brought a great laurel to those two scientists sine they revealed the relation between diabetes and pancreas.
In 1909 A.D., D’ Mayer named the extract of pancreas as insulin. In 1920 A.D., Fredrick Banting and Charles Best managed to isolate pure insulin from the pancreatic extract. They also showed that when insulin is injected into the bodies of diabetic then the concentration of sugar in their blood rapidly falls. These important finding fetched the two scientists, the coveted Noble Prize.
After the discovery of insulin, people had started believing that diabetes will soon be banished from the earth but this belief proved to be fallacious. The various reasons were there for it.
We can say that insulin has robbed diabetes of its fatality. If we talk about few years back then the treatment of diabetes was totally satisfactory. More complications were raised due to Diabetes. The revolution in Medical sciences and invention of number of antidiabetic drugs, a diabetic patient can today look forward to leading an almost normal and creative life.
With proper knowledge and treatment, the concentration of glucose in the blood can be maintained within the normal range, or glucose can be prevented from escaping in the urine, the long-term complications of diabetes can’t be fully checked.
What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder arising either due to
1.) relative or absolute deficiency of a digestive hormone call insulin of
2.) inability or resistance of body-cells to use the available insulin. The disorder completely throws the metabolism of dietary carbohydrates, fats and proteins into disarray.
It will be better to gain basic knowledge about the pancreas gland and the function of its secretion insulin in the body. Pancreas is a digestive gland which lies deep in the upper part of the abdomen between the lower border of stomach and the upper border of duodenum. On either side it is flanked by kidneys. The human pancres weighs about 100 gms and is made up of small units called lobules. Each lobule consists of two groups of cells viz exocrine and endocrine. Each endocrine group of cells is also called an islet of Langerhans. The beta cells of the islets produce insulin wheras the alpha cells of the islets produce a hormone glucogon whose action is opposite to that of insulin.
Thanks,
Team- Knowledge is Healing
posted by KIH @ 12:50 AM
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