Today an estimated 30 million (~10%) of Americans are diagnosed diabetics. This doesn’t count for the nearly 80 million (25%) who are undiagnosed pre-diabetics. Diabetes, and its complications, is now the 5th leading cause of death in the US, just behind Alzheimers, Accidents, Heart Disease and Cancer (now the leading cause of death). This is why it’s so important to know not only your numbers, but to also automatically consider yourself an emerging diabetic so you can stop it in its tracks, reverse it and even prevent it from affecting you or your family.
There are three types of diabetes, each with unique presentations and causes.
Type I Diabetes:
Sometimes referred to as Juvenile Diabetes, this form affects mostly children or young adults (20 or younger). It is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas is being attacked, either via viral infection or through a number of autoimmune triggers, resulting in antibodies against the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type I diabetics lose the ability to create insulin, which results in abnormally high sugars, even despite a clean lifestyle or diet. This condition requires precise monitoring and dosing of insulin to manage sugars daily. Until recently, Type I was considered incurable – however with the discovery of the human microbiome’s connection to autoimmunity, significant improvements can be made by focusing on it as an autoimmune condition. Often, Type I diabetics will be able to lower their unit dosage of insulin or completely manage sugars via diet. Eliminating all gluten (grains) and A1 Casein (Diary) has been shown to help significantly.
Type II Diabetes:
This is considered the most common and dangerous form of diabetes, equal to that of heart disease and cancer, simply because its often the condition that precursors the latter. Poorly managed diabetes can even lead to kidney disease, blindness, leg/foot or hand/finger amputations, nerve damage and even death. What is unique about Type II is that its 100% reversible through lifestyle and dietary changes. It can also be termed “insulin resistance” simply because the pancreas works for Type II diabetics. Insulin is produced in normal quantities but doesn’t engage a response via the insulin receptor on the cell membrane, which results in elevated sugar in the blood. Excessive sugars impact energy, digestion, weight, sleep, vision etc.
Type III Diabetes:
New research is emerging suggesting a 3rd type of diabetes – uncontrolled longstanding Type II that now requires the necessity for insulin injection to control sugars (similar to Type I). This is the hallmark sign for Alzheimers, as the brain is now becoming starved of sugar through “brain insulin resistance.” Sugars are needed for the proper function of every cell, particularly in the brain – which can only function with sugar or ketones as a fuel source. Sadly, most Type II diabetics produce little or no ketone bodies (which are made during the production of energy from fat, not sugar) and thus are susceptible to this progression if not properly managed or reversed.
This also hints to an underlying cause of diabetes that is not being addressed. Medicine wants you to believe that elevated blood sugars is the cause diabetes, thus the medications to lower the sugar numbers (A1C is also a sugar number, just a slightly fancier one – i.e. the percentage of sugar-coated blood.) The challenge here is that elevated blood sugar and/or A1C is simply the symptom of diabetes. The cause is its on unique entity – which if addressed would result in a resolution of the symptoms – and thus the diagnosis itself (Type II and III).
Whats The Big Deal With Insulin?
Insulin does a lot more than just lower your blood sugar–in fact it’s considered a MASTER hormone in the body.
Insulin STOPS the following metabolic activities:
- Sugar Creation
- Fat Burning for Energy
- Ketone Creation
- Protein Burning for Energy
Insulin STARTS the following metabolic activities:
- Sugar Burn for Energy
- Fat Storage
- Enzyme Deactivation
- Protein Storage
- mTor (a destructive pre-cancerous pathway)
- Cell metabolism, turn over and aging
Too much insulin over time (a normal response to rising blood sugars) leads to damage and or burnout of the insulin receptor at the cellular level. Longstanding insulin resistance has been connected to everything from enlargement of the heart to hypertension, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, sleep apnea and even fatty cirrhosis of the liver (non alcoholic fatty liver).
Is There An Underlying Cause?
Even with what you read above, those are still symptoms. Elevated blood sugar is a symptom. Elevated Insulin is a symptom. Insulin Resistance is a symptom. So whats causing all of this in the first place? Why can one person have “the perfect lifestyle/diet” and end up with diabetes while another person can have “a horrible lifestyle/diet” and never express the symptoms of diabetes?
It all comes back to the three pillars of health – interference in any or all of these is the underlying cause of diabetes (or any condition for that matter).
Pillar One: Microbiome and Diabetes
A recent article published in Gut Microbes (2015;6(2):85-92), along with other studies have reported significant differences in the profile of bacteria in the intestines of people with diabetes compared to those without. A common theme of metabolites from the intestinal bacteria are detected in diabetics which have been shown to weaken the gut barrier (i.e., leaky gut) and create inflammatory reactions into the blood and lymph system – which is known to cause insulin resistance (see pillar two). Most published articles agree that a new hypothesis of the cause of diabetes needs to be explored, one where the altering of gut bacteria and their metabolite creates a functional gut barrier inflammation and affect on sugars and insulin. Correcting the microbiome balance and gut barrier would be step #1 in reversing diabetes – again by going after cause.
Pillar Two: Toxicity / Inflammation and Diabetes
One of the most common and most studies toxicities associated with diabetes is heavy metal toxicity. Mercury, and other heavy metals, have the tendency to stick to hormone receptors thereby blocking the ability for the hormone to land and enact its effect. Think of a key inserted into a lock but instead of turning to unlock the lock, it was instead broken off inside the lock – blocking the ability for any other key to work. In the same way insulin must “insert” itself into the insulin receptor, any heavy metal “stuck inside” the receptor would create a negative effect. Mercury, lead and thallium are the three most common heavy metals associated with diabetes. Inflammation, specifically at the cellular membrane, can also interfere with the receptor in a similar way. Inflammation is a “swelling or enlarging” of the membrane which can engulf or envelop the insulin receptors thereby blocking their actions in a similar way to heavy metals. The solution is easy – test for the presence of both, chelate if a metal and begin an anti-inflammatory program if inflammatory markers are high (CRP, Homocysteine, ESR, RDW, etc.).
Pillar Three: Nerve System Interference (Subluxation) and Diabetes
Like all organs, the pancreas is controlled via the longest cranial nerve – the vagus. The vagus nerve exits the brain just below your skull and travels down the front part of the neck entering the thoracic cavity, then branching off to nearly every major organ in your body. The vagus nerve is responsible for “slowing” down organ function – in this case, decreasing the production of insulin from the pancreas. Thoracic nerves 6-9 (middle of your back, just between and below your shoulder blades) supply the sympathetic portion of the pancreas nerve control. These areas send “work faster” signals. In this case, increasing the output of insulin from the pancreas. These two systems work in delicate balance to maintain the proper function of the pancreas at all times.
Interference or irritation from a spinal misalignment can disrupt the normal flow or tone of the brain messages to and from the pancreas. This is one of the MOST OVERLOOKED causes of diabetes and is often what I see has the greatest impact on correcting the condition – especially when someone says “I have done everything to control my diabetes, Ive even eliminated sugar 100% and my numbers wont get better.”
Correcting subluxation requires more than just traditional chiropractic care – which is typically used for painful complaints. As you can imagine, diabetes is mostly asymptomatic – and a lot of doctors, and chiropractors, overlook the connection of the spine as a result.
Ultimately, properly addressing these three pillars of health might reverse diabetes in as little as 90 days. However, specifically how YOU would approach these three pillars requires testing to determine your specific situation. Please request a consultation to see what that means for you.
