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Warning signs of diabetes

What are the two types of diabetes? Type I or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a severe form of the disease which usually affects children and young adults, and requires daily injections of insulin.

Although doctors aren't sure what causes IDDM, they believe it is an autoimmune disease. Instead of protecting the body from disease, the immune system goes awry and attacks the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. This may be triggered by a viral infection such as the flu or chickenpox.

Early warning signs of Type I diabetes include frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, rapid weight loss, fatigue, irritability, nausea and vomiting.

The most common form is Type II or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) which has become a major health problem in both developing and developed countries.

In NIDDM, which is common in women, the pancreas fails to function properly or the body is unable to use insulin efficiently. This is usually associated with obesity and often appears in adults over 40 - the reason why it's called adult-onset diabetes.

Symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, blurred vision, tingling or numbness in the legs, feet or fingers, slow healing of wounds, drowsiness, impotence in men, and vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina) in women.

"An estimated 80.percent of those with Type II diabetes is obese when diagnosed with the disease. Added weight can both accelerate diabetes and bring on its complications, especially cardiovascular disease and stroke, " said the editors of Consumer Guide in "The Home Remedies Handbook."

Aside from obesity, researchers say both Type I and Type II diabetes may have a genetic component. Dr. Edward Hillhouse, director of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Walscrave Hospital NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, said patients can either have a genetic disease, meaning one gene is responsible for the defect, or other problems.

"NIDDM used to affect predominantly the middle-aged and the elderly but now we're seeing it in people in their early 20s. Most of these people are overweight but some aren't suggesting a genetic defect, " he explained.

''Other factors are lack of physical exercise. In a population that doesn't exercise, you'll find a high incidence of Type II diabetes. That's why we're encouraging young people to get into sports instead of sitting all day long playing computer games.

"The type of food is also important. The American diet which consists of hamburgers, hotdogs, and high-sugar foods is bad because it tends to put on the wrong kind of fat. These foods make the abdomen fat and intra-abdominal fat or a big belly will put you at risk for NIDDM, " added Hillhouse. (Next: Is sugar bad for diabetes?)

Since obesity is a factor in diabetes, it pays to lose weight. To help you shed those unwanted pounds, take Zyroxin, a safe and natural supplement that will maximize your weight loss through its unique fat-burning ingredients. For details, visit http://www.zyroxin.com.