After blood pressure, diabetes is emerging as the most widely contracted disease. It is also called the Silent Killer, simply because most diabetics don't even know they have the disease.

The number of Americans with diabetes has been increasing at an alarming rate over the past years. Studies put the number of diabetic Americans at about 20 million. This number includes both children as well as adults, and constitutes almost 7% of the total population of America. Of these 20 millions diabetics, about 5.2 million people (roughly 30%) do not even know that they have the disease.

Diabetes reduces control of blood sugar levels

Diabetes is a disorder related to the absorption of blood sugar in our bodies at the cellular level. In order to understand what diabetes does, we must first know how the body converts the food we eat into energy. The food that we eat is converted to glucose through a chemical process within our body. This glucose enters the blood stream and is transported to all body cells in our body. Inside the cells the glucose is broken down and in the process energy is released.

This is how it works - inside our body are several ductless glands, also called endocrine glands, which release hormones to help the body function properly. One such endocrine gland is the pancreas. On detecting a certain sugar level in the blood, the beta cells of the pancreas release the hormone insulin. Insulin acts as a trigger and makes the body cells receptive to the sugar. This sugar is broken down inside the cells, resulting in the release of energy.

It is this energy that enables us to perform our daily tasks effectively. Lack of insulin or its inadequate usage by the body leads to diabetes. That is the reason why diabetics invariably feel hungry and thirsty even after a meal.

Diabetes can harm vital organs

Diabetes can cause extensive damage if not left untreated. The uncontrolled levels of blood sugar, over a period of time, may cause damage to the vital organs of the body, such as the heart, kidneys, eyes and brain.

While doctors and researchers have found effective ways of controlling diabetes, conventional medicine has not been able to come up with a permanent cure for diabetes yet. However, alternative medicine gives some hope. The practice of Yoga has shown remarkable results in helping battle diabetes.

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