Abstract Diabetes is a disease that affects 18.2 million people in the United States alone.

This disease results when there is a high level of sugar in the blood for an extended period of time. It can be controlled by diet, exercise, pills and insulin injections. There are three main types of diabetes--Type I, which affects primarily the younger population; Type II, which primarily affects the population above 40; and gestational diabetes, which affects women during the third trimester of their pregnancy. While scientists do not know what causes diabetes, they do know that it is caused from a variety of factors that can vary from person to person. Examples of these factors are heredity, being overweight, and problems with beta cells, which are located in the pancreas. Diabetes can result in blurred vision, retinopathy, nerve problems, dry skin, and kidney issues. Diet plays a major role in the prevention of these problems. Sugar concentration in the blood is a major factor for diabetics, so understanding the sugar content of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is essential. The goal from a diet perspective is to control your sugar in your bloodstream in such a way that the insulin in your bloodstream can manage it

efficiently. In addition to diet, medication and exercise play a key role in controlling this disease. Currently, there is no known cure for diabetes. Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes Defined Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease where the blood in the body contains a high sugar level. This disease is caused by the body's inability to use insulin properly, or the inability to manufacture insulin altogether. There are times when it can be caused by both factors. "Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and leg amputations. In fact, it is the third leading cause of death in the United States." (Magee, 1999 p. 2) The Normal Process When you eat a meal, your body begins the digestion process. The food breaks down and enters the bloodstream in the form of sugars. Once the sugars are circulating in your blood, the cells need to be able to admit the sugar. A

hormone called insulin is the factor that makes this possible. Once the insulin lets the sugar into the cells, it is used to produce energy. The Failure Taking insulin out of the equation, the cells in your body cannot use sugar as they would normally. Consequently, they do not get enough... Prediabetes Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "prediabetes" blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Doctors sometimes refer to prediabetes as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), depending on what test was used when it was detected. This condition puts you at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. No Clear Symptoms There are no clear symptoms of prediabetes, so, you may have it and not know it. Some people with prediabetes may have some of the symptoms of diabetes or even problems from diabetes already. You usually find out that you have prediabetes when being tested for diabetes. If you have prediabetes, you should be checked for type 2 diabetes every one to two years.

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes You will not develop type 2 diabetes automatically if you have prediabetes. For some people with prediabetes, early treatment can actually return blood glucose levels to the normal range. Research shows that you can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58% by: Losing 7% of your body weight (or 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds) Exercising moderately (such as brisk walking) 30 minutes a day, five days a week Don't worry if you can't get to your ideal body weight. Losing even 10 to 15 pounds can make a huge difference.

Diabetes is a problem with your body that causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise higher than normal. This is also called hyperglycemia. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes your body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time it isn't able to keep up and can't make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.

ABSTRACT The unifying hypothesis of diabetes maintains that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in the mitochondria of glucose-treated cells promote reactions leading to the development of diabetic complications. Although the unifying hypothesis attributes the generation of oxidants solely to impaired glucose and fatty acid metabolism, diabetes is also

associated with a decline in the levels of the endogenous antioxidant taurine in a number of tissues, raising the possibility that changes in taurine status might also contribute to the severity of oxidant-mediated damage. There is overwhelming evidence that taurine blocks toxicity caused by oxidative stress, but the mechanism underlying the antioxidant activity remains unclear. One established antioxidant action of taurine is the detoxification of hypochlorous acid. However, not all of the antioxidant actions of taurine are related to hypochlorous acid because they are detected in isolated cell systems lacking neutrophils. There are a few studies showing that taurine either modulates the antioxidant defenses or blocks the actions of the oxidants, but other studies oppose this interpretation. Although taurine is incapable of directly scavenging the classic ROS, such as superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide, there are numerous studies suggesting that it is an effective inhibitor of ROS generation. The present review introduces a novel antioxidant hypothesis, which takes into consideration the presence of taurine-conjugated tRNAs in the mitochondria. Because tRNA conjugation is required for normal translation of mitochondrial-encoded proteins, taurine deficiency reduces the expression of these respiratory chain components. As a result, flux through the electron transport chain decreases. The dysfunctional respiratory chain accumulates electron donors, which divert electrons from the respiratory chain to oxygen, forming superoxide anion in the process. Restoration of taurine levels increases the levels of conjugated tRNA, restores respiratory chain activity, and increases the synthesis of ATP at the expense of superoxide anion production. The importance of this and other actions of taurine in diabetes is discussed.

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even young children with type 1 diabetes can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy, happy lives. If you have or know a child who was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you may also be interested in our book, Guide to Raising a Child with Diabetes, 3rd Edition.