Triglycerides and Diabetes

Together, triglycerides and diabetes present a formidable obstacle in one's goal of living a healthy life. High levels of both (or either) can put one at the risk of a stroke and many heart diseases. It is a condition that one must try to avoid at all costs.

Diabetes
Diabetes is a health condition that is characterized by abnormally high glucose levels in the blood. Carbohydrates in our diet are converted into glucose (blood sugar) and is used by our cells as energy to carry out activities. Normally, body uses insulin produced by the pancreas to help the body to use glucose. Due to some problem if the body cannot produce or use insulin to do so, diabetes develops. As you know, one can suffer from type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Ugly Fats
Triglycerides, sometimes also referred to as 'ugly fats', are fats that we derive from the diet and from carbohydrates in the body to fulfill our energy requirements. After a meal, when the body has fulfilled its present needs of energy, the excess triglycerides are stored in adipose tissues for later use. In addition, they are present in the blood. The excess amount of these can get deposited on the inner walls of the blood vessels and can lead to various kinds of heart diseases and stroke. For this reason, 150 mg/dl or more of triglyceride in the blood is considered risky and is termed as hypertriglyceridemia.

Relation between Diabetes and Triglycerides
Exact relationship and the interaction between them hasn't yet been established. Some researchers believe that excess triglycerides increases the chances of insulin resistance leading to high blood sugar or glucose levels in diabetes and when the body is unable to use glucose effectively, it leads to diabetes.

On the other hand, diabetes can also affect triglyceride levels. In our body, carbohydrates in our diet are converted to glucose and excess of glucose in the blood is converted to triglycerides (fats). It is found that levels above triglycerides normal range may be a consequence of an untreated diabetes mellitus (Type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes). In this case there is loss of the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas due to autoimmune destruction. These are the cells which produce insulin for us. Zero or low availability of insulin in the body results in high glucose levels in the blood which body converts to triglycerides.

The other form of diabetes i.e. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder. In this condition, the body is unable to use insulin to convert the blood glucose. The reason for this disability may be the resistance to insulin due to changes in the liver, muscle or fat cells. In this situation fat cells start releasing free fatty acid into the blood complicating the response to insulin. The muscle cell, the consumers of blood glucose, due to changes, cannot consume it properly. Liver keeps on producing the glucose which causes the blood glucose to rise which the body converts to triglycerides, increasing their levels. Alcoholism may be the cause of these changes in the liver cells, which establishes a relation between triglycerides and alcohol. These were a few facts about triglyceride and diabetes interaction which clearly shows that it is bad news for you, if you find out that your triglycerides too high when you are suffering from any type of diabetes.

It is very important to maintain the proper levels of triglycerides to avoid diabetes. You must also maintain your diabetes in check in order to stop the triglyceride levels from rising. When one experiences diabetes symptoms such as increased urination, thirst, weight loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, etc. one should consult a doctor to get to the bottom of these symptoms. The doctor may suggest you to go for an insulin resistance test and depending on its result, may offer treatment for diabetes and may put you on exercise for diabetes. He may also suggest diets such as type 1 diabetes diet, type 2 diabetes diet or a low carb diet to get a hold on the situation. You may also consult a nutritionist who can advice you on how to reduce triglycerides. High levels of triglycerides and diabetes existing at a time in a person is a condition that has to be taken seriously.