The metabolic disorder that does not allow processed food to be converted into energy or growth properly is called diabetes. Glucose is the body's natural fuel source provided by the food we eat. Diabetes causes problems with the distribution of glucose in the bloodstream. If this glucose remains in the blood and is not absorbed in to the body as it needs to, abnormally high levels of blood glucose or high blood sugar levels as it is also known as, occur.

This subject has comprehensive information available on other sites and the information about the condition in this article has been made short to enable easy and quick understanding. Mainly affecting children and young adults, type 1 or juvenile onset diabetes occurs when insulin production stops completely; this can occur at any age but diabetics must take daily insulin injections in order to survive. Insulin is used by the body to regulate the amount of glucose the blood contains. The second form of diabetes usually affects people when they are of mature years; this type happens when not enough insulin is being produced or it isn't being used properly, but it can normally be treated through diet.

Our body needs energy which it obtains from food that it converts into sugar like bread, potatoes, rice and pasta etc. Prolonged periods of high blood glucose levels can lead to problems like heart disease, kidney complaints, blindness and even limb amputations.

By sticking to a diabetes health care regime, most of these conditions can be helped; then many of the conditions associated with this condition can be slowed down considerably if not stopped altogether. Managing your condition means you must take control of certain areas of your life by ensuring you take your medication regularly; it is very important that you don't smoke and maintain your blood glucose levels, cholesterol and other blood fats within your target range.

In addition, weight and blood pressure will need to be routinely monitored and kept stable. Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you will have it for life; there are currently over five and half million Americans who have been diagnosed with this, and the numbers are rising. Studies suggest that it is not the whole story as experts believe there are as many people again that have the disease that have not yet been diagnosed; each year there are over six hundred thousand new cases. It is a worrying fact that while 34,000 American citizens die each year as a direct result of diabetes, another 320,000 die that have the condition where it may be an underlying condition.