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Biological age blood test·
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Aging-Associated Diseases

Examples of agingassociated diseases are atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, cataracts, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease. The incidence of all of these diseases increases exponentially with age.

Human longevity is a complex phenotype influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. It is also known to be associated with various types of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The central dogma of molecular biology demonstrates the conversion of DNA to RNA to the encoded protein. These proteins interact to form complex cell signaling pathways, which perform various biological functions. With prolonged exposure to the environment, the in vivo homeostasis adapts to the changes, and finally, humans adopt the phenotype of longevity or aging-related diseases. In this review, we focus on two different states: longevity and aging-related diseases, including CVD and AD, to discuss the relationship between genetic characteristics, including gene variation, the level of gene expression, regulation of gene expression, the level of protein expression, both genetic and environmental influences and homeostasis based on these phenotypes shown in organisms.

Biologische leeftijd berekenen

Biological Age Blood Test

Biological Age Blood Test Read More »

Did you know that you can determine your biological age through a simple blood test? While your chronological age is based on your date of birth, a biological age blood test measures various biomarkers to determine how well your body is aging. By taking this test, you can gain valuable insights into your overall health and identify areas where you may need to make lifestyle changes to improve your biological age. So, why should you care about your biological age? Well, research has shown that people with a higher biological age than their chronological age are at a greater risk for age-related diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. However, the good news is that you can take steps to reduce your biological age and lower your risk of these diseases. Package of lab tests to calculate biological age: IN THIS ARTICLE 1 For whom is this product intended? 2 Discover Your True Biological Age with a Blood Test: Why Should You Get Tested? 3 Why should you trust Healsens to calculate your biological age? RELATED ARTICLES For whom is this product intended? Biological age is a measure of an individual’s health and physical condition that goes beyond their chronological age. While we all age, the rate and manner of aging can differ significantly between individuals, based on lifestyle habits, genetics, and other factors. Measuring biological age can help individuals understand how their bodies are aging and identify areas for improvement in their health habits. One tool for measuring biological age is Levine’s Phenotypic Age calculator, which uses a combination of biological markers to estimate an individual’s age at the cellular level. So, for whom is this product? In short, anyone who is interested in their health and wants to take a proactive approach to aging. Individuals who want to optimize their health and longevity may benefit from using Levine’s Phenotypic Age calculator. This tool can be particularly useful for individuals who are at higher risk for age-related diseases, such as heart disease or cancer, or who have a family history of such conditions. Furthermore, individuals who have experienced significant changes in their lifestyle or health status may also benefit from measuring their biological age. For example, if someone has recently quit smoking, started exercising regularly, or made significant changes to their diet, measuring their biological age can provide an objective measure of the impact of these changes on their health. Discover Your True Biological Age with a Blood Test: Why Should You Get Tested? But why should you purchase lab tests to calculate your biological age? The main reason is that it provides valuable information about your overall health status and can help identify areas for improvement. By knowing your biological age, you can make informed decisions about your health and lifestyle, such as increasing physical activity, improving diet, or reducing stress levels. Moreover, measuring biological age can help you detect potential health issues early on when they are more manageable. For example, if someone’s biological age is significantly higher than their chronological age, it may indicate that they are at higher risk for age-related diseases, such as heart disease or cognitive decline. Armed with this knowledge, you can take proactive steps to reduce the risk and improve your overall health and well-being. In conclusion, measuring biological age using Levine’s Phenotypic Age calculator can provide individuals with valuable insights into their health and aging process. By understanding your biological age, you can take a proactive approach to your health and make informed decisions about your lifestyle habits. With this information, you can optimize their health and well-being and potentially increase their lifespan. » Explore everything about the significance of High Platelet Count results mean. How to Order Biological Age Blood Test? If you are interested in checking your biological age, you can easily purchase a blood test kit from Healsens. 1 Download the Healsens App from Google Play or the App Store, depending on your device. 2 Complete the registration process in the app. 3 Go to the “Risks” page via the bottom menu of the application. 4 Tap on the test you need — ”Levine’s Phenotypic Biological Age” 5 Tap on the “Add to Cart” button inside the test page and proceed with the ordering process. Process of taking blood tests in: Labplusarts ↗ Bloedwaardentest ↗ » Unlock Optimal Health: Discover How a Personalized Healsens General Check-up Plan Can Transform Your Well-being. Note If you want to assess your biological age but are not residing in the Netherlands or have opted for a different laboratory, Healsens cannot upload your blood test results for you. Nevertheless, you have the option to undergo the required tests at any laboratory in your country and manually input the obtained results into the application. Healsens will open more opportunities for you to naturally normalize your blood test results. Furthermore, you gain full access to investigate your health risk assessment based on the provided data. Why should you trust Healsens to calculate your biological age? Healsens is committed to providing you with accurate and reliable results that you can trust. We partner with Medical Laboratories Dr. Stein & Collegae, a highly respected and accredited laboratory in the Netherlands, to ensure that your blood samples are processed with the utmost care and accuracy. Lab Stein has an excellent reputation within the Dutch healthcare sector. With more than 20 medical specialists (laboratory doctors), chemists, biologists, doctors-microbiology etc. and 600 employees, the laboratory is one of the three largest medical laboratories in Europe. They carry out more than 5 million tests per year. Furthermore, we use Levine’s Phenotypic Age calculator to estimate your biological age. This algorithm has been proven with high accuracy in multiple studies and is widely accepted as a reliable method for calculating biological age. At Healsens, we understand that not everyone is comfortable with preventive medical examinations without a referral from their general practitioner. That’s why we work with our partners to ensure that our tests are conducted with the highest standards

cardiovascular risk assessment

CARDIOVASCULAR RISK ASSESSMENT

CARDIOVASCULAR RISK ASSESSMENT Read More »

Cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease, thrombosis, arterial hypertension with its complications – myocardial infarction and stroke – constitute a dynamic multistep process that is closely related to inflammation. It is well-known that CVD diseases rank first among all other diseases of mankind. Traditionally for making an accurate diagnosis, the patient must undergo a series of procedures, undergo lab tests so that the doctor can prescribe the necessary treatment. However, there is another way. Doctors can use cardiovascular risk assessment tools aimed at detecting the disease at an early stage. This time, not only will we consider different methods / risk calculators that are now used in clinical practice, but we will also make the corresponding calculations using a real example of a patient’s history. And, of course, let’s talk about why, given the presence of such intelligent systems, the CVD problem is still relevant. This article was last reviewed by Svetlana Baloban, Healsens, on January 24, 2020. This article was last modified on December 15, 2020. Why do you need cardiovascular risk assessments? Before proceeding to describe various calculation methods, let’s find out why they are needed at all. To begin with, we shall that most heart diseases develop completely asymptomatically over many years. In practice, it means that if one doesn’t feel any health problems, he or she simply does not go to the doctor unless a critical condition occurs. So, according to some estimates, 3.7 million Americans remain with undiagnosed heart disease. At the same time, the highest proportion of undiagnosed CVDs, which led to death from cardiovascular diseases, is among people aged 18–59 years. This is especially true when you consider that obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other risk factors are becoming more common at a young age. Second, understanding the risks allows for early diagnosis of CVD and, accordingly, preventive lifestyle interventions or treatment as needed. And thirdly, the assessment of risk factors can clearly demonstrate how the total risk changes if you switch to a healthier lifestyle. That is why, as early as in 1948, the Framingham Heart Study was initiated under the direction of the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It was an ambitious medical research project that changed the medicine we know. As part of this study, the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease were identified. These include the following indicators: IN THIS ARTICLE 1 Why do you need cardiovascular risk assessments? 2 SCORE Risk Chart (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) 3 Framingham Risk Score 4 Reynolds Risk Score 5 ASCVD (Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease) Risk Score 6 PROCAM Score (Prospective Cardiovascular Munster Study) 7 QRISK (QRESEARCH Cardiovascular Risk Algorithm) 8 The 65yo Patient’s CVD Risks 9 Effectiveness of Using CVD Risk Scoring RELATED ARTICLES Valuable information has also been obtained on the role of cholesterol, age, gender, and psychological problems. During this time, the risk assessment has changed and developed significantly. In this article, we will analyze what cardiovascular risk assessment means and what calculators are used now in medical practice. SCORE Risk Chart (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) The European guidelines for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention recommend the use of modified SCORE risk charts. SCORE estimates the 10-year risk of fatal and non-fatal CVDs such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, and congestive heart failure. The first Joint Working Group of European societies on coronary prevention used a simple risk chart. For their calculations, they considered the following categories: Then, the diagram became more complex in order to assess risks more accurately. So, in addition to total cholesterol, the ratio of cholesterol to HDL cholesterol was also taken into account in risk assessments. In addition, given the geographic variability in cardiovascular risk across Europe, two SCORE charts have been developed for countries with high and low CVD risk. Countries with low risk include countries such as Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino , Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Countries at high risk of CVD: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Montenegro, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tunisia and Turkey. And the group of countries with a very high risk (note that the diagrams may underestimate the risk in these countries) included such countries as: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, North Macedonia , Moldova, Russian Federation, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Due to this SCORE scale, the following cardiovascular diseases can be detected: stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, dissecting aortic aneurysm. Framingham Risk Score The Framingham Risk Scale (FRS) determines the presence of diseases such as angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke. Like the SCORE scale, this system opens the door for making a forecast for the next 10 years. This scale was developed in North America. Thus, NCEP 4 recommends the Framingham Risk Score for cardiovascular risk assessment. You can also calculate it by yourself. The total risk on the Framingham scale is defined as: A value over 30% indicates a very high risk of cardiovascular disease. A 10-year risk estimate can be obtained as a percentage, which is then used to make decisions about disease prevention. This assessment is also evolving. For example, in 2009 CCS added additional risks to the Framingham risk scale. It included a family history of coronary heart disease in a first-line relative. It takes into account male first-degree relative younger than 55 years and female first-degree relative younger than 65 years old. For elderly patients, sensitive C-reactive protein results can also help to reclassify risks. Reynolds Risk Score If you are healthy and do not have diabetes, the Reynolds Risk Score is designed for your cardiovascular risk assessment. It may predict your risk of heart attack, stroke, or other serious heart diseases over the next 10 years. The risk calculation is designed for people aged 45 and over. The scale assesses the following risk factors: gender, age, systolic blood pressure, total and

Lower your cholesterol

LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL

LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL Read More »

Even with these new ideas that inflammation is the cause of heart disease, cholesterol, and its constituents still account for heart problems in most cases. So this time, we’ll discuss what you can do if your lipid level test results exceed optimal levels. We’ll start by looking at how to lower your cholesterol without pills. This article was last reviewed by Svetlana Baloban, Healsens, on January 24, 2020. This article was last modified on July 24, 2021. However, before getting down to this fascinating topic, let’s remember what problem we are solving. ☝️ Heart disease is the main cause of death. ☝️ 3.9 million people die from heart attacks in Europe every year. And the cause of heart disease is the inflammatory process. This inflammatory process begins with an excessive amount of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) particles appearing on the walls of the coronary arteries and causing subsequent oxidation. In turn, HDL particles (“good” cholesterol) reduce the risk of heart disease. So, they move excess LDL back to the liver and thus prevent inflammation and oxidation. We already discussed this topic in our article about the lipid profile. There is yet another independent risk factor for heart disease: triglyceride (unbound fat) levels. Excessive amounts of high glycemic carbohydrates in the diet, as well as alcohol abuse, are common causes of elevated triglyceride levels. How then can you lower your cholesterol? The first step to normalizing your cholesterol and triglyceride levels is following a healthy diet. IN THIS ARTICLE 1 How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally 2 Quit smoking 3 Normalize weight 4 Exploring Food Supplements to Help Lower Your Cholesterol Levels RELATED ARTICLES How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally Removing trans fats There are two main types of trans fats in food: naturally-occurring and artificial trans fats. Let’s figure it out. Naturally-occurring trans fats are produced in the guts of some animals. Artificial trans fats (or trans fatty acids), on the other hand, are created in an industrial process. And for this, hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. It’s worth knowing that trans fats make us fatter than any other food with the same amount of calories. But that’s not all. Researchers at Wake Forest University have found that trans fats increase the amount of fat around the belly. That happens not only because new fat is added, but also because fat from other areas moves to the abdominal area. Of course, trans fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol. So it is obvious that it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is why the American Heart Association recommends reducing foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. And in November 2013, the FDA tentatively determined that partially hydrogenated oils were no longer considered safe. Therefore, it is recommended to choose foods where the trans fat content is 0. Let’s find out which foods can contain trans fats! Unfortunately, trans fats can be found in many foods, such as donuts and pastries, cakes and pie crusts, cookies and frozen pizzas, margarine and other spreads. You can determine the amount of trans fat by looking at the Product Facts label. However, if “0 grams of trans fat” is indicated, it doesn’t mean that there are no trans fats there. According to the rules, they can still contain between 0 and less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. You can also identify trans fats by reading the ingredient list and looking for ingredients called “partially hydrogenated oils.” Reducing saturated fat There is nothing more important to a healthy heart than reducing your intake of trans and saturated fats. They are critical to the effectiveness of the diet. And none of the other nutrients in the diet raises LDL levels like saturated fat. Foods high in saturated fats include: In addition, many baked goods and fried foods can contain high levels of saturated fats. Health advocates have repeatedly suggested the use of policy instruments to influence consumer behavior. For example, in 2011, Denmark even introduced a tax on saturated fat in food. But a year later, this tax was canceled, although studies have shown its effectiveness in changing consumer behavior. It should be said that a healthy body is able to maintain normal lipid levels, regardless of cholesterol intake. In other words, our liver does an excellent job of regulating blood cholesterol levels. However, if you passed the test and saw that you need to lower your cholesterol, then, probably, these mechanisms of cholesterol metabolism have begun to work incorrectly. To prevent this problem, it is recommended to choose foods with less than 10% D.V* saturated fat per serving. The question naturally arises, what are the alternatives to saturated fats? *For a 1,500-calorie diet, your daily DRI would be: Total fat: 33 to 58 grams. Saturated fat: No more than 15 grams. Cholesterol: No more than 200 to 300 grams. What then to eat? To get the nutrients you need, eat a diet that emphasizes: You should replace foods high in saturated fat with foods high in monounsaturated and / or polyunsaturated fats. This means eating foods made with liquid vegetable oil, but not with tropical oils. It also means eating fish and nuts. You can also try replacing some of the meat you eat with beans or legumes. Fruits and vegetables aren’t just good for reducing your intake of trans and saturated fats. Soluble fiber, most of which is found in fruits and vegetables, also inhibits fat absorption. And this helps to lower the level of bad cholesterol (LDL). It is useful enrich your menu with legumes, oats (oat bread, porridge, oat bran in smoothies, and bread crumbs), and ground flax seeds, which can be sprinkled on almost anything. Quit smoking Smokers are two to four times more likely to develop a heart attack than non-smokers. There are 4,000 toxic substances in tobacco and tobacco smoke, many of which accelerate the processes leading to heart attacks. Cigarette smoking significantly increases the overall level of inflammation in the body and dramatically

osteoporosis

What Is Osteoporosis?

What Is Osteoporosis? Read More »

Osteoporosis literally means porous bone. As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture increases significantly. Surprisingly, while osteoporosis is much more common than other chronic diseases, it tends to receive less public attention, although the effects of certain fractures can lead to disability and death. The situation is aggravated by the fact that bone loss occurs silently and progressively. Often there are no symptoms until the first fracture occurs. Therefore, it is important to understand the reasons for the development and progression of this disease, as well as ways to prevent it. This article was last reviewed by Svetlana Baloban, Healsens, on June 20, 2020. This article was last modified on 10 June 2020. What causes osteoporosis Our bones are living tissue, and they are constantly changing. From the moment of birth to adulthood, they develop and strengthen. As we age, some of our bone cells begin to dissolve the bone matrix (resorption), while new bone cells deposit the osteoid, thus forming new bone tissue. This process is known as remodeling. So when we are young, this crumbling-building process remains in balance and the bones remain strong. However, around the age of 30, bone mass stops growing. And if the body doesn’t get enough calcium, it will take calcium from the bones. And as a rule, already at the age of 40-50, more bone may be lost than formed, which leads to fractures. Until recently, it was believed that osteoporosis affects mainly postmenopausal women and elderly men. The results of recent research, however, indicate that osteoporosis may occur in people older than 40 as well as in youths. IN THIS ARTICLE 1 What causes osteoporosis 2 Osteoporosis risk factors 3 What can you do to prevent osteoporosis? 4 Exercises to prevent osteoporosis RELATED ARTICLES Around the world, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men aged fifty years and over are at risk of an osteoporotic fracture. In fact, an osteoporotic fracture is estimated to occur every 3 seconds. That’s a lot, isn’t it? The most common fractures associated with osteoporosis occur in one’s hip, spine, and wrist. So, hip fracture is associated with serious disability and excess mortality. Women who have sustained a hip fracture have a 10-20% higher mortality than would be expected for their age. The worldwide annual incidence of hip fracture is approximately 1.7 million. On the other hand, hip fractures are difficult to overlook, whereas spinal fractures may remain undiagnosed. This is because they might be painless. But even if the pain is present, the person may not know that it is caused by a fracture. And if untreated, the risk of a second fracture is extremely high. So, without treatment as many as one in five women with a spinal fracture will sustain a second fracture within twelve months. Osteoporosis risk factors Understanding the risks of developing osteoporosis is very important since there are no external signs of the development of this disease. That is why doctors often recommend an examination, even though you may not have any complaints. It’s also important to understand that when we talk about risk factors, we mean everything that increases your chance of getting sick. In addition, it is worth remembering that the presence of such risks, even several of them, does not mean that you will definitely have osteoporosis. Only laboratory test results can indicate the development of this disease. Speaking of risk factors, we are talking about unchanging events (age, gender) and those that you can influence. Let’s take a closer look at each group individually. Fixed risk factors Although fixed risk factors cannot be changed, it is better to know about them so that measures can be taken to reduce the loss of minerals in bones. Fixed risk factors also include so called “secondary risk factors” – these are disorders and medications that weaken the bones. These risks include: If you find yourself having one or more risks, then you should not think that nothing can be done about it. There are currently strategies that can reduce their impact. Modifiable risks Most variable risk factors directly affect bone biology and lead to a decrease in bone mineral density. However, there are also risks that increase the risk of fracture, regardless of their effect on the bone itself. So, we will consider all these risks: So, in relation to variable risks, appropriate actions can be taken. Do you know your personal risk factors for osteoporosis? Take the IOF Osteoporosis Risk Awareness Test in a minute. This risk test is not a diagnostic tool: only a doctor can diagnose osteoporosis. What can you do to prevent osteoporosis? There are many ways that can help maintain healthy bones and avoid premature bone loss. Making simple changes to the diet, enough exercise and giving up bad habits will not only help prevent osteoporosis, but also improve overall well-being. Let’s look at these factors to better understand how they affect the development of the disease. Diet A lot of studies showed that the typical diet does not cover the demand for nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Firstly, especially important is the deficiency of calcium and vitamin D because it can promote a reduction in bone mineral density. Also talking about a healthy diet, you need to intake a sufficient amount of protein. So, calcium and protein are two key nutrients for bone health. The amount of calcium you need every day depends on your age and sex. In order to determine whether its consumption complies with the norm, you can use the calcium calculator from the International Osteoporosis Foundation. The calculator takes into account calcium intake from food and supplements. The result is compared with a reference, taking into account your gender and age. In addition, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is important for bone health. The presence of phosphates in food products (stabilizers, anticaking agents, emulsifiers and pH stabilizers) increases phosphorus concentrations in the diet. This leads to the acidification of bodily tissues and intensified parathyroid activity. Parathyroid glands produce parathormone which

type 2 diabetes

TYPE 2 DIABETES: CAUSES, DIET, TREATMENTS

TYPE 2 DIABETES: CAUSES, DIET, TREATMENTS Read More »

After posting the publication about lipid profile assessment, we received many comments and questions. Among all the questions, type 2 diabetes and the ineffectiveness of drug treatment were mentioned most often. Therefore, today we will pay attention to this particular topic, dwelling on the following points: This article was last reviewed by Svetlana Baloban, Healsens, on March 04, 2020. This article was last modified on 15 February 2020. So, diabetes is a condition that affects blood sugar levels and causes many serious health problems if left untreated or uncontrolled. There is no cure for diabetes so that is why it’s easier to head off disease before it occurs than to treat it, and regular medical check up will help with its early disease detection. In case you’ve already got this disease, treatment modalities include lifestyle modifications, treatment of obesity, oral hypoglycemic agents, and insulin sensitizers like metformin, a biguanide that reduces insulin resistance and is still the recommended first-line medication, especially for obese patients. Other effective medications include non-Sulfonylurea secretagogues, thiazolidinediones, alpha glucosidase inhibitors, and insulin. Causes of Diabetes Type 2 Genetics and Lifestyle Choices Play a Role Type 2 diabetes has several causes: genetics and lifestyle are the most important ones. A combination of these factors can cause insulin resistance, when your body doesn’t use insulin as well as it should. Insulin resistance is the most common cause of type 2 diabetes. IN THIS ARTICLE 1 Causes of Diabetes Type 2 2 What happens when you consume too much sugar? 3 Dietary habits and diabetes 4 Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load 5 Measuring Blood Sugar Levels throughout the Day 6 Continuous Glucose Monitor 7 Psychosomatic Aspects Of Diabetes 8 How to Cope with Stress 9 Comprehensive approach to the management of diabetes RELATED ARTICLES Genetics and Type 2 Diabetes Type 2 diabetes can be hereditary. That doesn’t mean that if your mother or father has (or had) type 2 diabetes, you’re guaranteed to develop it; instead, it means that you have a greater chance of developing type 2 meaning early diabetes predictions must be part of your screening plan for diagnosing diseases. As for the genetic tests,, despite the fact that researchers know that you can inherit a risk for type 2 diabetes, they haven’t found out which genes carry the risk. The medical community is hard at work trying to figure out the certain genetic mutations that lead to a risk of type 2 Lifestyle Is Very Important Genes do play a role in type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle choices are also important. You can, for example, have a genetic mutation that may make you susceptible to type 2, but if you take good care of your body, you may not develop diabetes. Moreover,  simple laboratory tests will help you determine the state of your body’s carbohydrate metabolism long before the disease occurs. If you already suffer from this disease, you have probably heard a lot from the doctor or in the press about the dangers of products containing refined carbohydrates and “white” carbohydrates with the high glycemic index, such as white bread, ground rice, pasta made from premium flour and features potatoes. We will also dwell on this issue in detail and below it will be clear why this issue is so important. When people eat food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. As cells absorb blood sugar, levels in the bloodstream begin to fall. When this happens, the pancreas starts making glucagon, a hormone that signals the liver to start releasing stored sugar. This interplay of insulin and glucagon ensure that cells throughout the body, and especially in the brain, have a steady supply of blood sugar. What happens when you consume too much sugar? A high sugar diet consumption provokes an instant increase in insulin levels, which sometimes leads to a sharp drop in blood sugar after a few hours. Hypoglycemia caused in this way (low blood sugar) provokes the desire to eat more food rich in refined sugars and starches, which leads to a new jump in insulin. Over time, these constant “ups and downs” cause cells to lose their sensitivity to insulin, and more and more of this hormone is required for glucose transfer. This is called insulin resistance. And it becomes the root cause of the development of the metabolic syndrome leading to high blood pressure. Likewise, insulin resistance increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. It’s also accelerating the aging process and can also lead to type II diabetes. With this type of diabetes, the pancreas can become so depleted that it completely stops producing insulin to lower blood sugar. In addition, insulin resistance is a cause of impaired fat metabolism, leading to an excess of triglycerides. That’s why having high triglycerides — a type of fat in the blood — may be a sign that you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Dietary habits and diabetes The issue of diet is very acute! However, everyone who tried to give up refined sugar and starches knows how difficult it is and there is a completely rational explanation for this. In 2001, a study was published in the journal Nutrition Review showing that refined sugars and starches are addictive. And if you want to exclude them from the diet, it can cause withdrawal symptoms. But getting rid of simple carbohydrates in the diet is the only and most important step that should be taken to reduce the risk of getting sick with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, as well as to reduce body weight if necessary. Only rejection of these products will make this unhealthy habit disappear. Therefore, if you want to just reduce sugar consumption, it will not bring about the elimination of this addiction. As diet is a crucial tool for managing diabetes, you can also choose some special diabetes diet capable

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