Diabetic adults are within the age of 20 and 79 years, and International Diabetics Federation estimated that diabetes population would double by over the next 25 years in Africa. The root cause of this ill-health is lack of good eating habit, excessive sugar intakes and inability to manage ones health properly. Unfortunately, people don’t know as they supposed to. Awareness is poor, and people don’t usually bother about the state of their health until it is almost late.
MarketForces research team discovered through survey that less than 25% of Nigerians living in the city visit their hospital for checkup. Also, one out of every 100 working class ever asked to test their sugar level per month, 5 out of 100 asked every 3-months and 6 said they do sugar check up every six months. About 9 people out of every 100 said that they do sugar test per annum.
The level of sugar intake among people is alarming. But wait a minute, there are people that never love taking Coke, Pepsi and they say they don’t like taking their tea with sugar too but they have diabetes.
World Health Organisation says that diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels 3.
The level of carbohydrate intake among people, unknown to some that these are often converted to some kind of sugar, is heavy. According to data gathered from John Hopkins, in the United States, nearly 26 million people have diabetes, and 7 million don’t even know it. People with diabetes can feel terrible—tired, thirsty, urinating all the time, and even have blurred vision.
Note from the hospital research centre reveals that these are the immediate complications of high blood sugar levels, and can be treated immediately. But the long-term complications are even more frightening, possibly affecting the eyes, nerves, kidneys, and large blood vessels.
The important news is that both the immediate and the long term complications of diabetes can be completely avoided, or managed successfully. People with diabetes can live long, healthy lives. But they have to know how.
Information on John Hopkins also note that learning as much as possible about diabetes and its treatments can help people keep their blood glucose levels under control and avoid the complications.
Managing diabetes starts with education. Patient has to know the importance of making the right food choices, staying physically active and fully aware about what blood glucose numbers mean. Also of importance is the need to know those strategies to manage blood glucose levels and medications to help manage Type 2 diabetes
You can prevent diabetes by living right. WHO says simple lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Keep fit. That is, you have to maintain healthy body weight at all time. Control your weight and avoid tobacco usage as smoking increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
Meanwhile, some trado-medical practitioners have said that there are local ways to treat diabetes. These traditional ways may not have been verified scientifically but some patients say they have gotten results. Specifically, there are roots and herbs that have proven to be useful in dealing with diabetes apart from other trado-medical specifics.
People say that, Aloe Vera has antioxidants that can wage war against diabetes just like Cinnamon, a fragment spice that comes from back of a tree. It is believed that Cinnamon can improve level of insulin and related sensitivity in the body and aid digestion.
Ginger is good for treating diabetes, and milk thistle could support in managing this health challenge people are facing with.
Good body exercise, water intake, low carbohydrate intake to be replace with fiber consumption etc. would normally suppress the risk.
Okra is a plant crop that contains anti-hyperglycemic properties. Several studies have supported the efficacy of fresh okra, soaked okra juice and powdered okra in tackling diabetes.
Garcinia Kola, or what Yoruba call “Orogbo”, “Akilu” in Igbo is also good. Garcinia possesses hypoglycaemic properties thus its aqueous extracts can be used for lowering blood sugar level. Some experts have said that its hypoglycaemic effect is dependent on the dosage taken. Since there is no suggestion that taking the kola would have side effect, it should be handy for diabetes patients.
