• Genetics. If you have a family member who suffers from diabetes, then you are at greater risk for developing diabetes. In addition, Hispanics, Blacks, and Native Americans are more likely to suffer from diabetes than the white population.
• Chronic Inflammation. There is some very interesting research that now suggests that type 2 diabetes may be the result of chronic systemic inflammation. Eighty to ninety percent of diabetics are obese, which strongly suggests the link between obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Interestingly, "Fat cells don't just store fat; they secrete various components into the blood stream, including cytokines, which cause inflammation," says Richard P. Donahue, professor of social and preventive medicine in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "We think cytokines interfere with insulin receptors, which would account for insulin resistance and point to the inflammatory process as an important underlying cause of type 2 diabetes."⁸
• Diet. The high-carb, bad-fat, low-fiber, sugary diet of many Americans has led to epidemics of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is now occurring at a much younger age, putting children at serious risk for future health problems as young adults. In the case of Hispanics and Native Americans, diabetes may be partially due to a switch from a whole-food native diet to the American high-carb, sugary, processed diet. Other factors may include the limited access to adequate nutrition education and healthcare among lower-income populations.
• Artificial sweeteners. Studies are now showing that artificial sweeteners actually trick the body to associate sweetness with no calories. As a result, the mechanism that creates a sense of fullness after eating sugary foods no longer works correctly, causing many people to overindulge in the “real thing”: refined sugar.
• Medications that cause type 2 diabetes as a side effect. Those who suffer from schizophrenia are two to four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, due to the fact that antipsychotic medications can trigger type 2 diabetes as a side effect. Baseline testing and ongoing monitoring should be a standard practice for any person taking antipsychotic medications.⁹
• Medications that cause obesity as a side effect. Mood stabilizers such as Lithium^® and Depakote^®, and other antidepressants may cause rapid weight gain, thereby increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Careful weight monitoring should be a standard practice for any person taking psychotropic medications.
• Low-dose birth control pills. Research is now suggesting that women who suffer from Polycystic Ovary Disease—and who are also insulin resistant, suffer from Syndrome X, or type 2 diabetes—have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke when on a low-dose birth control pill.¹⁰

Additional Information about Diabetes

1. Diabetes Overview
2. Common symptoms of diabetes
3. Help me choose a natural and alternative treatment for diabetes
4. Dietary and lifestyle recommendations that may help in the treatment of diabetes
5. Conventional or prescription medications used in the treatment of diabetes
6. Cited Sources and Additional Reading for diabetes