Every living thing has a natural and balanced metabolism, unless it has a congenital disability. Metabolism is the general name for some chain of events in our body. This chain of events; It begins with the entry of nutrients and air into our body, and continues with many activities such as their breakdown, transportation, burning or use, transformation into other substances, destruction and disposal within the body. This chain of activities continues in a balanced and orderly manner throughout life. All metabolic activities are directly or indirectly related to each other, so any change or disruption in one link of the chain affects other phases and processes. The main factors that affect the metabolic chain the most are wrong and unbalanced nutrition, excessive drug use, poisonings, lack of air, inactivity and stress.
A Natural and Balanced Metabolism
A natural and balanced metabolism means. ; It means that all body functions are fulfilled harmoniously and healthily. Well; Important conditions for life such as body health, spiritual-mental satisfaction, joy of life and awareness are fulfilled, internal signals can be perceived better. This means; A balanced and natural metabolism is a factor for better personal and social development.
Every body can produce the enzymes and hormones it needs on its own, with its own natural balance, and the necessary building materials for this must be provided through nutrition. This provision can be adjusted in a healthy person by his/her own internal or external signals (hunger, satiety, appetite, lack of appetite, exercise, inactivity, etc.).
We get 3 basic nutrients into our body through nutrition. Carbohydrates, fat and protein. Carbohydrates are energy sources, proteins are the building blocks of the body, and fats are both energy sources and substances necessary for the cell structure. Along with these, we also receive minerals, water, electrolytes and vitamins, which are necessary and support services for the body, as food.
The carbohydrates and fats we take are burned in the cell after some digestive stages and turned into energy. If there is no need for energy, fats are stored in fat storage and carbohydrates are stored in glycogen stores. However, since the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver are filled very quickly, the remaining carbohydrates turn into fat and fat. warehouses In other words, there are two sources of fat stored in our body; one is fatty foods and the other is carbohydrates (sugary foods).
With the deterioration of metabolism, a series of various diseases begin in our body. The main ones are diabetes, high blood pressure, excess weight, cardiovascular diseases. diseases, neurological and psychological disorders, etc. If obesity, diabetes and hypertension occur together, it is called metabolic syndrome.
All body cells need glucose for energy, but some of them (brain, red blood cells and reproductive organs) can meet their energy needs only with glucose. For this, the blood sugar level must always be sufficient. Blood sugar level is controlled by hormones secreted from the pancreas called insulin and glucagon. Both rising and falling blood sugar are dangerous for the body.
Normally, when blood sugar rises with food intake, beta cells in the pancreas secrete insulin, which reduces the glucose in the blood. It allows it to be transported to muscle and fat cells and lowers the sugar level to normal. In cases where blood sugar drops below normal, the glucagon hormone is secreted from the alpha cells of the pancreas and this hormone converts the glycogen stored in the liver into glucose and releases it to the blood, therefore the level returns to normal.
Excessive blood sugar. For many reasons, such as constant carbohydrate-based diet, consuming more than 3 meals (eating snacks or snacks), eating fruit or dessert on an empty stomach, excessive consumption of ready-made foods and beverages, the high level of sugar in the blood becomes almost permanent, and accordingly, insulin levels increase. The levels are constantly high because as soon as insulin detects high sugar, it is secreted immediately and its level in the blood rises above normal. Since the function of insulin is to constantly carry sugar into the cell and put it into the cell, due to the constant increase in sugar and insulin, saturation occurs after a while in the cells and the cells begin to resist insulin and not accept the glucose it brings. If such people do not exercise and do sports. (if their muscles are not working) blood sugar begins to rise gradually (in those who do sports, the cells accept some more sugar into the cells, independent of insulin.) Blood sugar This increase in blood pressure triggers the pancreas and it starts to secrete more insulin and the pancreas gets tired over time, and this is how the road to DIABETES opens.
DIABETES is of 2 types.
Type 1 Diabetes: It occurs due to autoimmune pancreatic diseases acquired in childhood. The beta cells of the pancreas either produce little or no insulin. Therefore, since glucose cannot be transported to the cells without insulin, the glucose needs of the cells cannot be met. These patients need to be given external insulin. These patients are also called insulin-dependent diabetics. . Their rate among all diabetics is approximately 6-7%.
Type 2 Diabetes: Excess weight and inactivity, which usually occur as a result of carbohydrate-based wrong nutrition, are the main factors. Due to insulin, which constantly rises and is constantly secreted to balance the high sugar in the blood, the cells are saturated with glucose and they are now resistant to insulin and do not accept glucose. However, in diabetic patients who exercise and do sports, some sugar is accepted into the cells independently of insulin during the functioning of the muscles, and also red blood cells, reproduction. There are other glucose-transporting hormones (independent of insulin) for glucose transported to glucose-fed organs such as organs and brain. Thanks to these, these organs can meet their energy needs even if there is no insulin, but these amounts alone are not enough to lower blood sugar. In order to lower blood sugar, the pancreas continues to secrete excessive insulin and after a while it gets tired and cannot give insulin anymore. This picture shows that diabetes is fully established.
If you do not consume carbohydrates for a long time If chain (polysaccharide) products that are difficult and slowly absorbed (low glycemic load) are preferred, both blood sugar and therefore insulin will not rise suddenly and there will be no feeling of hunger quickly, and then blood sugar will not drop suddenly, that is, there will be no reactive hypoglycemia. By adjusting the diet. Blood sugar levels can be kept balanced for 5 hours, which means a feeling of satiety is maintained during this period. Otherwise, if you consume short-chain (monosaccharide) carbohydrates (high glycemic load), blood sugar and insulin will rise very quickly and steeply, and then the sugar drops suddenly and hunger is felt immediately, and you feel hungry again. If there is labor or snacking, sugar and insulin rise again and after a while this cycle leads to glucose saturation of the cells and INSULIN RESISTANCE. The function of the GLUCAGON hormone, whose function is to balance the sugar level by transferring the spare sugar in the liver to the blood, is also prevented from functioning, in which case the excess sugar is converted to fat and stored.
The imbalance of insulin, which can almost be called the basis of metabolism, and its constant high level, causes protein and fat metabolism. and chain disorders occur. These are hypertension, high cholesterol, coagulation disorders, increased stress, suppression of sexual and growth hormones, increased tendency to infections, etc.
In determining INSULIN RESISTANCE; HOMA INDEX is used, in which the blood sugar level is multiplied by the blood insulin level and divided by 22.5. Numbers above 4.6 indicate insulin resistance. Another indicator of insulin resistance is the measurement of abdominal circumference. 88 cm in women. A height greater than 102 cm in men is a sign of insulin resistance.
As a result, we can easily say that; high insulin levels and INSULIN RESISTANCE are the body's nightmare and collapse on it like a nightmare, disrupting all vital functions.
Read: 0
