The overproduction of insulin is one of the main factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes. When you eat foods loaded with sugar, your body produces extra insulin so that it can unlock cells and your body can use it for fuel. This is usually followed by a drop in blood sugar, which reignites the craving for more sugary foods. What’s created is a vicious cycle that wears out your cells -- so much so that they can eventually forget how to respond to insulin. This is what is known as insulin resistance, and once you have this, you’re well on your way to type 2 diabetes.
A Harvard study confirmed the link between consumption of sugars and increased risk of diabetes. Research published in the journals of the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association described how visceral fat can begin to dump fatty acids and hormones directly into the liver, which causes it to produce too much glucose. Again, your body starts producing more insulin to try to manage the glucose. This cycle causes your body to become insulin resistant, which leads to type 2 diabetes. You see, even when your body’s response to insulin is broken, your pancreas will continue to produce it to make sure that your body is getting fuel, and this simply wears your pancreas out. When your pancreas no longer produces enough insulin, or your cells fail to respond to insulin, you’ve reached the diabetic state.
When you have diabetes, you’re at risk for a long list of complications. According to the American Diabetes Association, you’re susceptible to vision loss, kidney
disease, circulation problems, skin problems, depression, nerve damage, gum disease, heart disease and stroke. This means that although fewer people die from diabetes than the other two big killers (cancer and heart disease), life expectancy is cut short in those with type 2 diabetes -- by almost 15 years.
