Research now confirms that there is a link between diabetes and Celiac Disease. Specifically, Type 1 diabetes is linked with Celiac Disease as having genetic similarities. Previously, it was known that the rate of occurrence for somebody to have Celiac Disease if they already had diabetes was quite high. The number was estimated to be at about 1 of every 20 people with diabetes would also have Celiac Disease. This was compared to 1 out of 250 people otherwise.

It was a goal for some time to determine the link between these two diseases. Now it is confirmed that there is a common susceptibility gene. The gene is HLA-DQB1, and it is the primary susceptibility gene for diabetes and a major one for Celiac Disease.

Both Type 1 diabetes and Celiac Disease are examples of an autoimmune disease, which means that your body mistakenly ends up attacking itself. In the case of Type 1 diabetes, your body attacks certain cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. In the case of Celiac Disease, your body attacks the lining of your small intestine after coming into contact with gluten.

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat and other grains. That means that much of the food that we eat, particularly processed foods and restaurant foods, can be quite damaging to someone with Celiac Disease. Great care has to be taken to either carefully select your own ingredients or to carefully read all of the included ingredients in any particular food item. Even some medicines, vitamins, flavorings and beverages may contain gluten, so it’s important to take a good look at everything before ingesting it.

The good news is that more and more food items and products are being produced as 100% gluten free, so be sure to look for the appropriate labels and peruse the aisles of health food stores and so on. Unlike with lactose intolerance, where many people can still indulge in their favorite foods in smaller or less frequent quantities, Celiac Disease actually causes damage to the small intestines which can be quite severe.

Not everyone with Celiac Disease has severe symptoms, but the problems can become quite intense for those who do, especially because it can go undetected for a long time. The wide range of symptoms, from headaches to stomach pain to depression and a myriad of others make it difficult to diagnose.

Type 1 diabetes, also widely known as juvenile or childhood onset diabetes, requires daily multiple injections of insulin to keep a person functioning and alive. There is no cure besides constant treatment. Someone with diabetes must also be quite wary of their diets due to their specific sugar and other dietary needs. Therefore, the person already suffering from Type 1 diabetes should be well prepared to handle the challenges of even severe Celiac Disease.

Now that the common link between these two diseases has been uncovered there will surely be more effective research into treating one or both of these disorders.

Produced by the pancreas, problems associated with insulin are at the cause of both types of diabetes. It is important to know all about insulin including what it does and it’s relationship to diabetes.

Hormones are used by the body to stimulate or trigger responses and reactions in other areas of the body. Insulin is used by the body to stimulate the absorption and use of sugar in your blood. A high blood sugar level is caused typically from eating a meal, when the food you eat is broken down into different components and is made ready to use for your body. When your blood sugar level is increased, your pancreas begins to release insulin to start the chain reaction of returning that blood sugar level to normal.

Without insulin, the sugar in your blood is unable to be absorbed. Sugar is the primary energy source for all crucial cellular reactions and without insulin the body can’t get the sugar it needs. Specifically it is glucose, sugar broken down to its simplest component, that is used by the body in a multitude of necessary ways. No insulin or inadequate insulin responses can therefore have dire consequences.

In Type 1 diabetes, your body cannot actually produce the insulin that is required. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which means that your body mistakenly attacks itself. In this case, it attacks cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without this production, your body has to acquire insulin from external sources, namely daily injections. There is no known cure for Type 1 diabetes and this treatment is a lifelong struggle to deal with the problem.

In Type 2 diabetes, your body has developed an insulin resistance typically from being extremely overweight. Your body can still produce insulin in normal quantities however your body’s reaction to its release is not as strong. The result is the same although potentially not as severe, with high blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes can be treated, essentially through improvements in lifestyle. Losing weight through exercise and healthier eating habits can make a big difference in your body’s responsiveness to its natural insulin levels. In some cases however, those with Type 2 diabetes will also need insulin injections, at least on a temporary basis.

Insulin is an absolutely crucial component to our health. Without the use of insulin, our body may basically starve itself and shutdown key processes that are vital to our survival and healthy functioning. With both kinds of diabetes, insulin is at the root of the problem, although its relationship is different. Type 1 diabetes has an insulin deficiency while type 2 diabetes has an insulin resistance. And in insulin resistance, insulin is unable to reach the cells properly in order to control glucose levels.

By now, you probably know a lot about Diabetes if you suspect you are showing symptoms. You’ve read up on how you’re going to have to constantly test your blood, take insulin shots, and even having to change your diet to accommodate your new friend. People with Type 1 diabetes are insulin-dependent, which means that the body no longer makes the insulin it needs to break down the sugar in the blood, and they have to take at least one shot of insulin per day just to not die.

Type 2 Diabetes is a little different. The body is capable of producing the actual insulin, but their bodies are resistant to its use. Both types are considered autoimmune because its just like the body shooting itself in the foot - which isn’t too far from the truth because after a while your body will start to break down like a car without oil.

It can be quite scary to be diagnosed with diabetes, and if you HAVE been you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s important to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can, because knowledge is not only king, but is also liberating as well.

Should you be suspecting that you have diabetes, here are the top 5 warning signs:

1.) Unquenchable thirst:

Ever feel like no matter how much water you drink, you just CAN’T get enough? This is a telltale sign, because your body is pulling extra water from your blood and it physically feels impossible to replenish the depleted water. And if you are urinating more frequently as a result of drinking more water, but yet you still can’t seem to hydrate, see a doctor. Which leads me to the next symptom.

2.) Frequent Urination:

Theres nothing worse than not being able to properly hydrate. Well maybe theres a few things, but lets pretend for a moment that there isn’t. It can be ironic to put yourself into the position of constantly drinking water without having the benefits of hydration, and having it all go to waste by spending most of your time in the bathroom.

Having to to always “take a leak” becomes more frequent when there is an excess of glucose in the blood. And we all know what happens when you are resistant to insulin, right? The kidneys cannot filter the glucose to the blood and becomes overwhelmed, thus they draw water out of the blood to dilute the glucose which keeps you always heading for the bathroom.

3.) Weakness/Fatigue:

Remember our good old friend, glucose? Well in todays action packed episode when insulin does not aid the glucose into turning the foods we eat into energy, or the cells don’t react to it anymore, the glucose stays in the bloodstream and the cells become energy starved. Thus the endless cycle of weakness and fatigue.

4.) Sudden Weight Loss:

This would strike anyone as strange given the level of fatigue they would be experiencing. However, this symptom seems to be more noticeable in people with Type 1 diabetes. Because the pancreas decided it was time to quit and move on to other things, the body looks for new energy sources as the cells aren’t getting any glucose.

What happens when the body looks for alternative energy? Well I’m glad you asked! The body starts to break down muscle and fat tissue for energy, essentially cannibalizing itself. It is important to note, however, that people with Type 2 Diabetes wont notice sudden weight loss as quickly as people with Type 1, because they are only gradually becoming increasingly resistant to insulin.

5.) Tingling/Numbness of your extremities:

Although it sounds fun, it is generally a sign that your body is starting to become the “engine with no oil” and is showing signs of breaking down in the nervous system. Also known as neuropathy, it occurs over time as high glucose levels becomes more and more frequent. People with Type 2 Diabetes often aren’t aware that they have it because it occurs over time, much like the “frog in the boiling pot” story.

Other Symptoms

There are also numerous other signs that can send up a red flag such as itchy/dry skin, blurred vision, cuts/bruises that take forever and a day to heal, and frequent infections. Although these can be attributed to high glucose levels in the body, they can be a result of something completely different; so it’s best to check with your doctor and get a diagnosis written in black and white.

Diabetes can be very bleak to live with, but it’s not the end of the world. There is a reason that a cure for diabetes hasn’t yet been discovered by “medical science.” And the cure in which “they” are talking about is yet another drug/prescription for you to purchase. Pharmaceutical companies make BILLIONS of dollars every year by keeping you dependent on their drugs and they spend MILLIONS in advertising costs, because there just simply is NO MONEY in providing the knowledge necessary finally CURE diabetes.

However, what the pharmaceutical companies DON’T want you to know is that there IS a way to completely reverse your diabetes. All it takes is a major change in your dietary lifestyle and daily habits by eating the foods God intended for your body, and exercising more often. Our bodies are the only machines on the face of this earth that “break down” as a result of inactivity, and I have personally seen dramatic reversal in diabetes because of these changes.