'The best thing I ever did for my health was coming to Europe', says my Brazilian massage lady on my last appointment. She has my attention because of the circles I run in; we often discuss the regression of health that comes with immigration. The stress of being in a foreign place can poorly impact a person's well-being. I probe her to ask her why she feels this way. She follows up with, 'Brazil is dangerous, so much stress. You are always on edge. And the way Brazilians eat sugar, oh! It's so much more than should be allowed for humans. When I moved to Portugal and England, I was stressed, but my life wasn't in danger. I don't feel the need to be more American, so I don't have so much fast food. In that one sentence, she summarised the current state of diabetes worldwide.
Diabetes was once believed to be a disease of consumption, but today we know it isn't that simple. Greed or gluttony simply doesn't equal diabetes ( or, for the most part). Diabetes is a slowly burning wave of destruction through the body driven by inflammation (you've heard about that before). Consuming lots of sugary carbohydrate-rich foods may make up part of the picture, but stress, poor sleep, lack of connection or loneliness also contribute. Anything that messes with your body's blood sugar regulation is a threat.
It has now been shown that stress plays a HUGE contributing factor. So people or communities that undergo stress. Someone living in Brazil, constantly in fear of being attacked or robbed or the threat of feeding their family, will be at a higher risk than someone living in somewhere like Denmark without much danger to their daily life, and the safety of social welfare is way less likely to experience blood sugar imbalances.
Blood sugar imbalance is the gateway that opens the door to diabetes.
Low mood, fatigue, irritability, hunger crashes, frequent infections, and headaches. These are the signs of blood sugar imbalance. Chances are that you or those that walk amongst you are likely to experience symptoms of blood sugar imbalance. If inflammation is the fire within the immune system, then blood sugar imbalance is a lighter fluid for this fire.
What is blood sugar imbalance, though? You may wonder.
Blood sugar imbalance is a breakdown of the hormone insulin's normal functioning. Insulin regulates the breaking down and storage of carbohydrates within the body.
Minor isolated assaults to this body system are accounted for because the human body is fantastic at repairing and healing itself. It is our body's default mode to restore harmony. But frequent or constant hits mess up the insulin pathway. It results in more sugar floating around than the body can account for.
What's a body to do with excess sugar?
The sugar, which the body cannot store or use up for energy ( there are only so many sugar highs the body can deal with, let's be honest), attaches itself to proteins. This makes a new chemical called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs).
AGEs mess up the immune system and contribute to inflammation. This then leads to damage within the body, including the gum tissues.
The path of destruction
Initially, this pathway disruption is reversible through lifestyle changes - reducing stress, changes to nutrient profile through diet or supplements, exercising, staying hydrated and improving sleep. All the jazz your GP or nurse will talk to you about but not tell you how to bring about these lifestyle changes.
If no intervention is made, the insulin pathway may require extra stimulation to get it going. This is when people are usually prescribed medications. Even at this stage, diabetes may be reversed through lifestyle interventions.
However, should there be no change and the cycle of damage to the pathway continue, the organ which releases insulin, the pancreas, may get damaged. At this stage, the person will require insulin injections. Making lifestyle changes will help in this stage, but it becomes more complex, and there isn't a guarantee of reversal.
Diabetes doesn't just impact the pancreas.
As a person's diabetic condition progresses, the insulin pathway becomes increasingly disordered, ranking to the creation of even more AGEs. This equals even more inflammation which means damage around the body. Showing up in the form of poor vision, reduced wound healing and lower recovery from infections ( like COVI-19 or bacteria causing gum disease), changes to kidney function ( leading to renal failure), altered blood pressure, increased risk of stroke or heart disease, a greater likelihood of damage to circulation in the brain ( leading to mental health issues or Alzheimer's).
You may be appreciating the bigger picture of the impact of blood sugar imbalance.
The 21st Century is a breeding ground for diabetes.
It is important to note that a person's journey from simple changes in blood sugar balance to an insulin-dependent stage of diabetes rarely happens overnight. It takes years or even decades. It is becoming apparent that childhood lifestyle factors and environmental conditions may be at play. As stated a few times earlier, stress plays a huge role. However, it may be one thing to recognise that stress is the underpinning risk factor. It is another thing to address in a way that will lead to healing. For example, a child born in poverty will have an increased likelihood of stress from birth, which may contribute to developing diabetes. Add to this the lack of access to good nutritionally dense food, and the picture becomes even grimmer. More complicated still if this child is born in the global south. There is a culture of idolising Western consumption of junk food and the multimillion-pound funding by western companies to market processed food. This person hasn't got the odds stacked in their favour.
Now let's take an example on the other end of the spectrum. A person in their 40s who has had a favourable start to life in a family with little monetary stress. However, the pressure to perform well at school started young. This turns to stress for a great job after secondary or tertiary education to progress within their career. Then to find a suitable mate, a house, a pet, holidays, the latest gadgets etc... They stay up to reach these targets; they neglect their nutrition, relying on convenience food. Their life is the epitome of success to the on-looker, but they suffer from anxiety. They have an addiction to smoking or maybe shopping as a coping mechanism for the stressors. Their life is also at odds with their health. They, too, are at risk of diabetes.
While there are remarkable stories of humans overcoming their circumstances, it is essential to appreciate that your surrounding environment will play a crucial role. Luckily more and more healthcare professionals recognise the importance of lifestyle. So the future seems brighter.
The Gum Guide aims to improve knowledge and awareness of gum health. We cannot do so without addressing the crucial role blood sugar balance and diabetes play. We now know that diabetes and gum disease share a bidirectional relationship. This means that if one gets worse, the person's risk of developing the other condition increases. In the remaining part of this year ( where is 2022 gone?), in the lead-up to Christmas, we will be covering factors which can improve blood sugar balance. Next week we will cover the exact links between diabetes and gum disease.
Reading Material
As the gum guide evolves to become a resource for optimal gum health, there is an expansion to our newsletter. Welcome to 'Reading Material', a little synopsis from a book, topical stories in the world of health or the latest research. All are linked to improving your health and well-being outcomes. Bringing you closer to personal freedom in some way from the disability of diseases.
Today an essay Kasia Tomasiewicz on the medicinal herbs, identity, community and chronic illnesses within the Polish diaspora. So much to learn from her wonderful words.
“I’ve reversed my diabetes!” I roll my eyes. Like many Poles, his greatest pleasures are high-strength alcohol and herbal infusions. Given that it was Special Brew that gave him diabetes, I quickly work out what “the cure” must have been. Drying nettles are piled high on our dinner table. Typical.
Of course, it wasn’t just the herbs. Changing his diet (and cutting out Special Brew) immeasurably improved his health. But in the six years since this moment, I’ve started to see the practice of drinking herbal tea differently. I’ve gone from cynic to cautious convert, at least with regards to their effects on the mind, if not always on the body.
Excerpt Love, longing and tea from the polski sklep.
If you have any questions or feedback, please email or DM us on Instagram @thegumguide. Please note that we cannot diagnose and give personalised health advice ( kindly see your GP or dentist for that).
This week’s art is by Ruby Wright. Her illustrations capture moments of modern human lifestyle.
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