Many of us have heard horror stories, seen the effects, and maybe even know several close ones who had their lives impacted by diabetes.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that impacts your body’s ability to turn the food you consume into energy. An organ called the pancreas either loses the ability to create insulin or has difficulties utilizing the insulin it produces.

The role of insulin in the body

Insulin is a special hormone that allows glucose from the foods we eat to pass from your blood into your cells. Without this hormone, our blood sugar levels can rise, leading to a variety of health complications. The rise in sugar levels in the blood leads to a condition called hyperglycemia. Increased levels of sugars in the blood over a prolonged period of time have been associated with organ failure and damage to the body.

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes is usually thought to be either type 1 or type 2; however, there are many other different types, such as gestational diabetes (the type of diabetes a person can get while pregnant). By far, the most common types of diabetes are the three listed above, but other types of diabetes can be the result of genetic predispositions, steroid use, gene mutation, and preexisting health conditions.

Type 1
This is caused when your body cannot produce insulin; as such, when your body breaks down carbohydrates, they enter the bloodstream, but due to the lack of insulin cannot pass into the cells leading to a rise in blood sugar levels.

Type 2
This is when our body cannot utilize the insulin produced by the body effectively. As such, the levels of sugar in the blood rise; when this happens, it can cause damage to to body, including the eyes, heart, and feet.

Gestational
This type of diabetes develops during pregnancy and can even impact people who have never had diabetes before. The risks can be reduced by paying special attention to diet and exercise during pregnancy.

Neonatal
This type of diabetes impacts those under six months of age. It’s a scary type of diabetes that is more common than type 1 diabetes and happens when the body does not produce enough insulin. It’s typically caused by genetics and is, thankfully, quite rare.

Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY)
This rare form of diabetes that runs quite strongly in the family and is caused by either malnutrition or a change in a certain gene. If a parent has it, their offspring has a 50% chance of inheriting it. Unlike type 1 and type 2, a person who has inherited it will typically develop it before they reach the age of 25, regardless of weight, lifestyle, ethnicity, and other such factors.

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA)
There is a reason why some people call this “diabetes 1.5,” and that’s because this type seems to have some symptoms that closely resemble type 1 and other symptoms that more closely resemble type 2 (though LADA is not technically classified s a separate type of diabetes). LADA is similar to type 1 as they are the result of an autoimmune malfunction that stops the body from producing adequate insulin.

Type 3c
This type of diabetes happens when another disease causes damage to the pancreas resulting in the onset of diabetes. Type 3c diabetes is typically the result of an individual having one of the following conditions: pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, or if you have part or all of your pancreas removed or injured.

Steroid-induced diabetes
There are cases where people who take steroids develop diabetes. What you may not know is that steroids can make you less sensitive to insulin; because of this, the liver continues to releases glucose, even if the pancreas is producing sufficient insulin. The steroid can inhibit glucose from being absorbed by the muscles and fat in the body; to compensate for this, more insulin is needed to transport glucose to the cells.

Cystic Fibrosis diabetes
This is the most common type of diabetes. Mucus resulting from cystic fibrosis can result in inflammation and scarring of the pancreas. This affects insulin production resulting in diabetes.

Control your blood sugar

Taking control of your blood glucose levels is crucial if you are diabetic, and one of the most effective ways you can control your blood sugar levels is to drink plenty of water. This is because, in the case of sugar spikes, you can dilute the sugar in your blood via increased water intake. Taking special care of your diet and sugar consumption will be beneficial as well.

Black Seed Oil (BSO) Infused Honey and diabetes

One of the main constituents of Black Seed Oil (BSO) Infused Honey is, of course, honey. As honey is a sugar (albeit a naturally occurring one), it can increase your blood glucose levels. Though the amount the honey in Black Seed Oil Infused Honey will raise your blood sugar levels might not be a whole lot, it’s still important to monitor your body.

In moderation, honey can be used as a sugar replacement (though you should still be careful). Remember, raw honey is very different from pasteurized honey, which can contain syrups, additional sugar, and have little to no nutritional value. Raw honey is full of incredible body-healthy benefits, such as aiding in the body’s ability to heal. But, as with all sweeteners, don’t overdo it. Frequent and uncontrolled spikes in blood sugar can advance diabetes more quickly. If your blood sugar is too high, take the necessary steps to control it, and drink plenty of water to help flush your system.

Apple cider vinegar and black seed oil
Several studies show that apple cider vinegar can help reduce high blood sugar. Additionally, Black Seed Oil can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Black seed oil can also help control insulin levels after meals and while fasting. As always, consult your doctor or primary care physician to see what is best for your unique situation.

Diabetes doesn’t have to mean that you can’t live a full, normal, perfectly happy life, Just take it from Charlie Kimball, who said, ” The typical response from people when I tell them I’m diabetic is, ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.’ You know, I’m not. I’m a better athlete because of diabetes rather than despite it. I’m more aware of my training, my fitness, and more aware of nutrition. I’m more proactive about my health.”

Discover some more of the incredible benefits of how Black Seed Oil (BSO) Infused Honey can help improve your health by checking out our other blogs.

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