Can You Reverse Complications from Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Many people with this disease have asked if it is possible to reverse the effects of diabetes. The answer is usually yes, and even if it can't be completely reversed, it certainly can be controlled.

What Is Diabetes?

• In a healthy body, the sugar consumed is digested and broken down into glucose. The glucose then circulates in the blood until it enters body cells, where it is used for energy. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which helps move the glucose into the cells. However, in individuals with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin properly and blood sugar levels become too high.

Effects

• If left untreated for a long period of time, diabetes can cause damage to the body organs such as the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels. Damage to these organs can cause blindness, kidney disease, and heart disease.

Exercise

• Physicians recommend exercise to help reduce some side effects of diabetes such as heart disease. Studies have shown that moderate exercise can counteract the effects of overeating, increase fat burning and improve insulin sensitivity, all of which will help with diabetes-related heart disease.

Diet

• Changing the diet is considered one of the best ways to reverse the effects of diabetes. Individuals must change what and when they eat. It is recommended to eat every four hours during the day, and to stop eating a few hours before bedtime. It is also very important to consume food high in protein.

Simple steps

• Blood sugar levels have been shown to increase with stress, so many physicians will recommend stress management to help keep diabetes manageable. Simple techniques such as deep breathing and yoga can reduce stress.