Ayurveda, the Microbiome, and Diabetes

 

Ayurveda, the Microbiome, and Diabetes

Over the past month or so I have had the opportunity to research, reflect, and write about a number of different topics in my Biology Capstone course. These topics range from whole-body wellness concepts like Ayurveda to the different types of Diabetes. This has been a very eye-opening experience to me because it allowed me to view a number of different topics in a different light. It also allowed me to reflect on this new information and how it can apply to me. Last but not least, it allowed me to see how connected this world is. I had no idea that one could connect so many different concepts together. In the following paragraphs, I will explain the main different concepts that we have discussed thus far in the course, mainly Ayurveda and Diabetes/Metabolism, along with how these seemingly different topics actually fit together and their application to my life. 

The first concept that we talked about and researched in this course is called Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a traditional Indian approach to medicine and is considered an “all-encompassing” approach. This approach has been around for thousands of years and is a very common approach to lifestyle in India and the neighboring countries. The main point of the approach is that the mind, body, and soul are all different parts of someone, but are also all interconnected. In other words, they are all important and build off of each other. This concept is crucial in understanding Ayurveda because it affirms the idea that in order for someone to be truly healthy, that person needs to be healthy in all the different aspects, the mind, the body, and the soul. This was intriguing to me from the start because before the class, I always assumed that health was just the body, and that the mind and the soul didn’t have anything to do with health. But after researching the concept a lot on my own, I realized that this traditional approach to medicine had a lot of truth in it. In the following paragraphs, I will explain a few of the really interesting things that I found about Ayurveda. 

During my research on Ayurveda,  I found several intriguing aspects. One of those facets of Ayurveda involves its belief in the strong connection between the mind and body. Although this connection may not be physically visible like in an anatomy book, its impact is still very real. According to Ayurveda, a healthy mind translates into a healthy body. A great example of this was the correlation between depression or other debilitating mental illnesses and various physical health factors. Studies have shown a strong association between these mental health conditions and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. While the link between depression and obesity made sense to me, given the potential lack of motivation for going out and exercising, I was shocked by the connection to cancer. Before this research, I thought of getting cancer as more of a random occurrence, kind of like a game of “Russian Roulette”. While I knew certain factors like smoking increased the risk, I had never considered a tie to mental health disorders. This finding definitely demonstrates the interconnectedness between the mind and the body. This findings was just one among many interesting aspects I came upon in my Ayurveda research.

Another interesting aspect of Ayurveda that captured my interest was its emphasis on self-care and relaxation. As a busy college student, my schedule is typically filled with studying, homework, group study sessions, and work to allow me to continue studying and eating. However, diving into Ayurveda research revealed the importance of taking time for yourself to practice self-care and allow both the body and mind to unwind. It became evident that, in many cases, taking a little time for relaxation is just as important as the other things I mentioned earlier. Intrigued by this idea, I decided to put it to the test in my own life. Instead of studying non-stop for my summer classes, I made a conscious effort to set aside a small portion of each day to practice self-care. Surprisingly, this simple practice had a significant impact on my mental health and overall well-being. It allowed me to study for longer periods with increased efficiency. This finding was awesome since I had always been someone who believed in tirelessly pushing through tasks and keeping “my head to the grindstone”. However, using the Ayurveda approach allowed me to work effectively for extended durations without experiencing the usual crashes. This was another great thing that I found about the Ayurveda approach to life after researching it more thoroughly. 

On the other hand, I was also able to learn a lot about metabolism in the human body. I learned that metabolism is just a big word used to describe all the important cellular pathways that the body goes through in order to create energy through digesting food as well as other important mechanisms. One particular piece of metabolism that I found extremely interesting was that of the gut microbiome. Through my independent research, I've learned that the gut microbiome refers to the diverse community of microorganisms that lives in our GI tract. It's amazing to think that our body is home to trillions of bacteria that play a crucial role in our overall health. These tiny organisms not only help us in digesting our food, but also have significant effects on our immune system and weight regulation. The gut microbiome acts like a tiny little ecosystem, constantly talking with our body and influencing a number of different aspects of our health. I'm amazed by how this microbial community can be influenced by factors such as diet, stress, and medication. In addition, my research suggests that a balanced diet rich in fiber and fermented foods can have a strong impact on our gut microbiome and can make sure that it is running at top-efficiency. Learning about this interesting world of the gut microbiome has opened my eyes to the complex role these microorganisms play in shaping our health. 

Another interesting aspect of metabolism that I learned through this course was how metabolism relates to the onset of diabetes. Through my research I learned that diabetes is a complex condition that impairs the regulation of blood sugar levels in the body. What's really caught my eye is how metabolism intertwines with diabetes. I learned that individuals with a sedentary lifestyle can develop insulin resistance. This is where the body's cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin because of overstimulation. This, in turn, disrupts the efficient processing of glucose, leading to an increase of blood sugar. The complex relationship between metabolism and diabetes illustrates the interesting role that lifestyle factors play in diseases. However, the cool fact that captured my attention is that healthy habits, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet, can help manage and even prevent the onset of diabetes. Understanding the impact of metabolism on diabetes has pushed me to dig deeper into this fascinating subject.

Overall, the connection between the gut microbiome, Ayurveda, diabetes, and metabolism has been really interesting to study and has captivated my attention. All of the aforementioned topics build off of and break down from each other. It was really interesting learning about these connections as well as seeing the real-life examples that I discussed earlier like with depression and cancer. This really made me appreciate the complexity of the human body and how important it is to be healthy in all aspects of life. I definitely have made some changes to my life to accommodate this more and so far, have seen great results. I feel more energized, happier, and more excited about my future. All in all, this has been a great few sections in the course and I am excited to see what we will learn about next. 

 Ayurveda and Diabetes

Prior to this class I had never heard of the word ayurveda but was familiar with the concept of the connection between the body and mind. I definitely agree with the idea that a negative environment and/or mindset contributes to one’s health. The word ayurveda means the science or knowledge of life. Originating over 3,000 years ago in India, it is the idea that disease is linked to the mind/consciousness. Yoga, meditation and herbs are some of the therapies used to tackle disease by focusing the mind, body and spirit. An imbalance of one is what leads to a sickness of the others. While considered a pseudoscience, I believe that there is some truth to it. I think that ayurveda helps improve quality of life but I do not think that it can cure cancer, as is my belief when it comes to all holistic medicine. Herbs and tea will help soothe a cold but I don’t think they have the ability to cure serious illness. On the other hand, I imagine it is difficult to treat a disease of the body if the mind is not all there. The main example I think of in my life is how around finals/midterms everyone seems to get some sort of sickness and because their mind is elsewhere they cannot get better quite as fast. I do agree that there is a connection between our bodies and the environment that we inhabit. Our bodies seem to reflect the environment that we are in, which the finals example also applies to. The environment of finals is the furthest thing from balanced and harmonious, everyone around you is worried and stressed which creates a far from ideal environment. This reflects in our health and how we feel in general. Whether that’s fake it til you make it or balancing the connection between mind, body and spirit, when you feel good mentally you do good physically. Our physical health is a reflection of our mind and environment. 

Learning the metabolic pathways is in my opinion one of the most complicated things to learn as a student pursuing a degree in biology. I have relearned and forgotten them several times throughout college. They are the interactions between metabolites which connect together to keep us alive. The diagram you showed makes a good case of why that is, it's a huge confusing maze with a million reactants and products. Yet somehow our bodies manage to make sense of the maze and keep us functioning. However for some people this may not be the case. An example of a hiccup in a metabolic pathway is seen with diabetes and how detrimental it is to the body when the metabolic pathways aren’t strictly followed. 

Diabetes is a condition which results from the body’s improper production/usage of insulin. As a result, the bloodstream contains too much blood sugar which is damaging to one's health. Complications include heart and kidney disease as well as loss of vision. Diabetes does not have a cure but can be managed through lifestyle changes and monitoring blood sugar. There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 1 is the result of reaction which causes the body to stop producing insulin, 5-10% of people who have diabetes have this type. Causes include viruses/infections, autoimmune disease, damage/removal of pancreas, environmental factors, drugs/chemical toxins, endocrine diseases and hereditary predisposition. It has a sudden onset and is usually diagnosed early in life. Type 2 is the most common type and is more commonly diagnosed later in adulthood. This can be caused by obesity, genetics, insulin resistance, etc. Risk factors which you can control are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high body fat/weight and physical inactivity. However there are risk factors that you cannot change such as family history, race/ethnicity, age and having had gestational diabetes in the past. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women and is a result of increased hormones in the body. 

The health issues that result from diabetes are caused by its change to the metabolic pathways. One of insulin's functions is to signal glucose uptake in cells. When the body doesn’t have sufficient insulin, glucose isn’t uptaken and metabolized which starves the cells.  Looking at the harmful effects of hyperglycemia slide looks neverending. Looking at the 2011 map its interesting to see that the states which seem to have the most hiking attractions have the lower obesity rates. Montana, Utah and Colorado are known for their hiking, not sure if this has any correlation. I wonder what happened in those 7 years that led to such an increase in obesity. The most common complication that I think most people know of with diabetes is damage to the extremities such as gangrene. I had no idea how detrimental diabetes was to the body and goes to show just how connected the metabolic pathways are. Deteriorating kidney function, increased risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and gangrene just to name a few. Of course diabetes course of destruction doesn’t just stop at the body. 

Describing diabetes as a pandemic puts its cost in perspective considering how damaging the covid pandemic was which affected everyone’s life. I have seriously underestimated how serious diabetes is seeing it at the seventh place for leading causes of death in the U.S.. I honestly never knew before reading this that diabetes can cause death, always thought of it as more of an inconvenience. Granted that is the attitude that any diabetic person I have met looks at it with, an annoyance rather than a ticket to premature death. Physical inactivity is linked to a third of the causes on that list. I have always known that it was important to be active but no idea that it was a life or death sort of thing. It would be interesting to see if the numbers are different for people who have pet dogs. There have been times where the only physical activity I get for the day is walking my dog.

I looked up the US budget for 2007 and the cost of diabetes is almost triple the cost of education and over half of Medicare. I would have never guessed that having diabetes would be so expensive with complications ranging in cost from ~$3-72 thousand. Seeing as so much of the management of this disease is focused around lifestyle changes, it's no wonder that there is a connection between people who struggle financially and diabetes. 

Interesting to read that “Participants who had lower glucose levels stuck more pins into the voodoo doll and blasted their spouse with louder and longer noise blasts” (Low glucose relates to greater aggression in married couples). I was surprised to learn that one act of self control results in less self control in the future, I would have thought that it would increase. In my mind an act of self control should set you up for success rather than reducing future self control.  The increased aggression is due to a lack of energy to self control as a result of low glucose levels. I will have to keep in mind to stay away from people with low glucose levels. 

According to GoodRX, those who have insurance still pay over $4,800 per year to manage the disease. These figures are from 2020, I couldn’t find any from this year. Costs include doctors visits, medications and ER visits. Testing blood glucose levels seems to take up the majority of these costs. With additional chronic complications, these costs continue to rise to almost $700 a year. https://assets.ctfassets.net/4f3rgqwzdznj/6Q5qUjkrhppOzC9nM23vhW/867883e7208f529a8f24f1e7da67993e/Diabetes-Cost-White-Paper.pdf

Fortunately, I do not have diabetes but I have known people throughout my life who have the disease. 2 of those people experienced stunted growth as a result of type 1 diabetes. Of these few people I can say that I agree with the studies which discuss the link between diabetes and a lack of self control. I also think that this works as an example of ayurveda, a person with diabetes experiences a deficiency in their physical health and the same may be said about their mental health. The additional financial complications that arise from diabetes certainly contribute to a poor mental state, somewhat setting diabetics up for failure. The never ending side effects and complications of diabetes make me wonder why it is not talked about more and what sort of resources are out there for them. These studies you listed paint somewhat of a love triangle between depression, diabetes and physical inactivity. This really shows how everything in the body and environment is connected and why it's important to solve any imbalances. I can think of several people in my life who had poor health whether that’s mental, physical or their environment and it led to all three of those being affected. Ayurveda is such a simple concept with never ending examples of the importance of harmony. 

Connection Between Balance and Disease

 

Connection Between Balance and Disease

            Our bodies are intricate organisms that have a delicate balance of physical, mental, and spiritual health. This balance is known as Ayurveda, where our overall health is a composite of these different areas. When one or more of these aspects are thrown out of balance, we call our condition “diseased.” This idea is rooted in Indian beliefs and is translated to “the science of life.” Our life is not just determined by our physical health, although Western medicine has seemed to put a heavy focus on this aspect, but rather our life is determined by several different categories in our overall health. The goal of medicine is to help diagnose, treat, and prevent disease from occurring. Diagnosis and treatment are both topics that most people are familiar with as they go to doctors for treatment. The one that seems to be overlooked, even by some doctors, is the prevention of disease. Every doctor I know would tell someone to live a healthy lifestyle such as staying active, eating healthy, and staying well rested, but it doesn’t seem to be highly stressed in the treatment or prevention of disease. Could an emphasis on balancing these components lead to an overall reduction in the onset of disease? Should this idea of balance play a more important role in the prevention of disease?

            In a past job, I worked in a computer refurbishing warehouse where I would evaluate computers and see if they were worth fixing for resale. Part of that evaluation was to see if all the tiny parts still worked together and communicated correctly. If they did not, then I would try to fix them to the best of my ability. One thing that amazed me while working with these computers was how delicate they were. One small piece that wasn’t working to its fullest potential would cause the entire system to have problems. Even issues that would seem unrelated to the computer working, such as the fan not spinning fast enough, would make the computer stop working. As if the parts were all out of balance. While this was an inspection of physical hardware and not various intangible states of being, it nonetheless provided me with an experience to which I can compare these concepts.

In a more human and emotional instance, I attended a collegiate track meet where I was competing in the pole vault. It was my first competition of the season, and I was eager to get warmed up and begin my jumping. I had friends, family, and teammates there to support me and I didn’t want to let them down. As I was warming up, I noticed that my hamstring wasn’t performing at its best. I didn’t think I had too much to worry about as I had a previous hamstring injury that would occasionally flare up but not be a hindrance to my performance. This time, I was wrong. As I was taking my practice jumps, I noticed the pain and discomfort increasing. Afraid that my coach would make me sit out of the competition, I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to disappoint the people that traveled to watch me perform. After taking my first attempt, I realized that I needed to take care of myself and not further the issue before it was too late. I pulled myself from the competition before causing a lasting injury. Later that day, I received a text from a family friend that had a son competing at the same track meet. She asked me what had happened, and I explained to her that I did not warm up properly and it affected my performance. She then asked me if I had anything going on in my life externally causing internal stress, anxiety, or guilt. She wanted to know if I had something on my mind that “hamstringed” me. I couldn’t think of anything specific and attributed the issue to my old injury and an improper warm-up. Although in this example I did not think there was a direct tie of the balance of my life to my issue, I don’t discredit the possibility. It’s possible that my mental or emotional health was suffering and throwing my physical health out of balance as an effect.

            We’ve seen through this course that imbalances in a system can cause drastic consequences radiating out in unexpected ways. Diabetes is caused when the body does not produce enough or any insulin. This causes an issue with processing sugars. Insulin plays a wide role in the body’s state of homeostasis. Without it, issues can arise in other places other than the blood sugar content like in the brain, eyes, heart, etc. This is a great example of how a small imbalance can cause larger issues. While type I diabetes is something that occurs unpreventably in the body, type II diabetes is something that we can sometimes have more control over. Looking at the economic costs of diabetes, it is almost impossible to afford the medication required to treat the illness making prevention a much more needed form of “treatment.” Adding an emphasis on public health and changing lifestyle would help prevent diabetes and manage the numerous complications that accompany this disease. How should we be changing these lifestyles and balances, though? How can we know what to prioritize?

Knowing Ayurveda involves a delicate balance of several factors, I wanted to know which factors were most important in the balance. Are all components weighted equally? Should mental health take priority over physical health? Are these weights the same for everyone? Every person is unique, and they all have specific needs. We process stimuli and situations differently mentally, emotionally, and physically. One great example of these differences is the gut microbiome within each of us. No two are the same. This means that each microbiome has a different balance. In a study done with mice, they found that they can make an obese mouse skinny or a skinny mouse obese just by taking a specific microbiota from one and transplanting it into the other. They also found that having a higher or lower concentration of a different microbiota causes irregularities in sleep patterns. At first glance, the gut microbiome does not seem like it should have a profound effect on the rest of one’s health, but, as we’ve seen, it can affect other areas of our health.

            While studying the two topics of Ayurveda and the gut microbiome, I started to think about the connection between the two through Eastern medicine practices. It brought my reading to chakras, specifically the solar plexus chakra. This chakra is responsible for bringing energy, warmth, and light to the body. The qualities brought by this chakra are intellect, ego, willpower, and aggression. When it is in balance, it causes feelings of confidence, self-motivation, and purpose. When it is not in balance, it can cause feelings of fatigue, overeating, excessive weight gain, digestive system disorders, hypoglycemia, and diabetes. Having this chakra out of balance is said to cause a lot of the same problems that the microbiome out of balance can cause. The ways that are used to unblock this chakra are to perform yoga positions, meditate, and use affirmations.

            The main takeaway I have had thus far that Diabetes, the gut microbiome, and other diseases mentioned support the idea that an imbalance in an organism leads to disease. Prevention of disease and imbalance would be an extremely effective way to treat these issues before they occur. It wouldn’t be a cure-all because some things are just not preventable such as type I diabetes mentioned earlier, but living a healthier life and keeping balance in one’s life would greatly help the vast majority of people.

 I was unfamiliar with the concept of Ayurveda, but I believe that I have been exposed to its basic principles throughout my life because all of the conditions I have experienced are related to my environment. Malaria, a cold, and a fever are examples of this. Ayurveda makes the connection between our mind, body, and spirituality in terms of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. I understand the principles of Ayurveda in terms of the body and the environment, but I’m still confused about the link between our spirituality. I agree with Descartes's theory of dualism, which states that the mind can exist without the body and vice versa. That is why I do not believe our physical selves are linked to our spiritual selves. From a religious standpoint, it makes sense to me that there is a separation between the mind and the body that is not required for one another's existence. For a healthy spiritual life, Christians are urged to keep their bodies and souls separate. The Ayurvedic principle, on the other hand, is useful for studying chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Diabetes develops when the body accumulates an abnormally high level of glucose over time. It causes an imbalance in the body, particularly in the blood glucose content. There are two types: type I, which is caused by genetics and manifests itself at a young age, and type II, which manifests itself gradually and is mostly caused by environmental factors. I have noticed that type 2 diabetes fits perfectly with the Ayurvedic hypothesis because it is caused by a body imbalance and is influenced by the environment. 

From the metabolic pathways of diabetes 2, we can see that it affects multiple organs, such as the digestive organs, the muscles, and the brain. Type 2 diabetes causes an impairment of phagocytosis, which could lead to an incapacity for healing and fighting infection and can cause amputation after injuries. For example, insulin resistance causes positive feedback in the small intestine, increasing glucose absorption, which increases the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.

I was surprised to learn that Diabetes also affects the brain; it increases the sensibility of the hormone ghrelin produced by the brain, which increases appetite. Studies found a correlation between insulin resistance and a high ghrelin level, and they were looking at the inverse reaction to see if a lower effect of ghrelin would decrease insulin resistance. Hyperglycemia, on the other hand, raises the risk of stroke and cerebrovascular disease due to the formation of plaque on the arteries by LDL cholesterol, which rises due to the high level of glucose. Recent research into the effects of diabetes on cognition has shown that it can cause gray matter atrophy. Which is 

Diabetes is a common disease in developed countries. So it can be associated with the eating lifestyle and physical inactivity of populations. I’ve seen the hereditary predisposition to diabetes in my family, from my grandfather to my uncles. Diabetes is a condition that requires long-term treatments that have to be followed throughout life. To live with diabetes, an individual must adjust his glucose intake, exercise regularly, and avoid alcohol consumption. Due to my family history of diabetes, I see how difficult it is to live with diabetes 

We see that most conditions that are deadly involve the environment. For example, cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes are conditions where the risks can be lowered by the environment. Exercise is crucial for maintaining health and can reduce the symptoms of diabetes

Diabetes is also costly. The treatments for diabetes are costly to make, especially because they require synthesized hormones. This cost affects the government budget, which leaves less funds for other health issues such as cancer. Moreover, diabetes decreases the living conditions of patients, especially in underdeveloped countries where treatments are costly for the average population. Diabetes can lead to obesity, which is stigmatized in Western countries. Recent studies have also correlated diabetes with mental health. As mentioned before, high blood glucose increases activity in the brain, which can lead to the release of a higher level of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and create an imbalance of neurotransmitters over time.

Diabetes is a result of an imbalance in blood glucose levels. According to Ayurveda, this imbalance affects both the environment and the body. Therefore, ayurveda could be used as a treatment for ayurveda. Dietetic recommendations such as the Mediterranean diet, herbal prescriptions, and physical activity are all part of Ayurveda practice.

These principles of Ayurveda could help reduce the cost of diabetes for the government and patients. Because diabetes is a chronic disease, the symptoms can only be managed with regular treatments; thus, I believe Ayurveda is a good long-term treatment. Herbal treatments and a healthy diet have been shown in studies to lower the glycemic index of type 2 diabetes patients. 

Nonetheless, ayurvedic treatment for diabetes has limitations. In severe cases, such as type 1 diabetes, the patient requires insulin treatment; Ayeruuda can help, but medications are required. Furthermore, in my opinion, the aspect of the soul known as Purusha has nothing to do with diabetes. Diabetes is caused by environmental factors that affect our bodies' physiological functions. The only link between the mind and diabetes might be the stigma that diabetic patients face, which may affect their mental health and prevent them from treating their condition. This argument deals with emotions due to stigmatization. The soul is more than emotions produced by our brain in response to the environment. It is the innermost aspect of humans.

Curated Paper 1

        The idea of Ayurveda and its association with disease is a new concept to me and before beginning this semester/class I had never heard of Ayurvedic medicine. As I researched more about Ayurvedic medicine I was surprised to learn that it has been around for at least 3,000 years, if not much longer. It originated in India and is often considered one of the oldest holistic healing systems. The term Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words, ayur which means life and veda which can mean science or knowledge. When put together/translated it means knowledge of life. In one article that I found it states, “Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in a person’s consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.” I agree with a lot of the ideas of Ayurveda and how our bodies are connected to our environments. I think that a person is more prone to disease and illnesses when they are in a negative environment. A person who doesn’t eat well, has a job they hate, worries all the time, etc will have a worse mental or physical health when compared to a person who eats healthy, enjoys their job, and generally enjoys life. Our environments help shape who we are and as a result can have an impact on our mental and physical health.

        I think it is really interesting how the main goal of Ayurveda treatments is for the patient to regain a balance between the mind, body, spirit and even the environment. Some of the research that I did suggested that Ayurveda treatments begin with an internal purification process which is then followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and lastly meditation. This treatment is supposed to aid the patient by helping to reduce symptoms, worry, increase resistance to future diseases and provide other possible benefits. In an article that I found it stated, “Those who practice Ayurveda believe every person is made of five basic elements found in the universe: space, air, fire, water and earth.” This is an interesting way to think of what makes up a person. In the same article it states that these elements combine in a human’s body to form three life forces or energies which are called doshas. These doshas control how a person’s body works and functions. If there is an imbalance in one or more of the doshas then a person will get sick or develop health issues. Hippocrates, who lived thousands of years ago, said, “All disease begins in the gut.” This idea is also a foundational principle of ayurveda. Ayurveda teaches that when your digestive fire is burning brightly a person is able to maximize any foods or experiences they consume. By doing this a person feels much better overall. Ayurveda also teaches that when a person’s digestive fire is weak, that person’s body will struggle to obtain nutrients from food as well as eliminate any impurities within their body. Some signs of this weak fire include allergies, acne, bloating and possibly mental health problems. 

I think that the idea of doshas is really interesting but I still think that there are still lots of things that are out of our control. Some things that are out of our control include heritable diseases, unforeseen accidents and accidental exposure to illnesses. I think in certain situations a person should seek medical help from a doctor rather than from a physician that practices Ayurveda treatments. 

I really enjoyed learning more about diabetes  because in my family there are many cases of diabetes, on both sides of my family. My mom has a sister who is diabetic while my grandpa and great-aunt (on my dad’s side) both lost a leg due to diabetes. In these cases, if they would have taken the necessary steps before it became really serious they probably wouldn’t have had to have their legs amputated. I’m sure most people know someone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It is crazy to think about  how common diabetes is in our society and country. While I know a handful of people with diabetes I didn’t really understand the main differences between them. For instance I didn’t realize that Type 1 diabetes can occur suddenly and at any age, while Type 2 is more gradual and mostly occurs in adults. It was also interesting to learn that the majority of people in the U.S. that have diabetes suffer from Type 2 diabetes. Another thing that I thought was interesting was the concordance among identical twins and there is a 50% chance with Type 1 diabetes and a 90% chance with Type 2 diabetes. I also thought it was interesting that non-Caucasian races are more likely to get type 2 diabetes. It makes sense, to me, that a person can inherit Type 1 diabetes but I thought it was interesting how unfavorable environmental factors can cause it. I also didn’t even realize that certain drugs or chemicals can be a cause for Type 1 diabetes. 

I thought it was interesting that there are certain modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes. In some cases you can do a lot to reduce the chances of getting diabetes like frequent exercise and maintaining a low blood pressure and cholesterol. At the same time sometimes there are a lot of things that you can’t control such as age, family history and race/ethnicity. So in some cases the chances of a person getting diabetes is a lot higher than another person’s chances based on factors outside that person’s control.

I was surprised by the top 15 leading causes of death in the U.S. in 2013. There were a few that I might have guessed like heart disease, cancer and accidents but there were also a lot that surprised me like diabetes, septicemia, influenza and pneumonia. On the following slide I liked how it shows the importance of exercise. There are definitely days where I really don’t want to go to the gym and exercise but I almost always force myself to go and as a result I always feel better after going then I would have if I didn’t end up going. I agree with the importance of regular exercise and how it can help a person in many different ways.  When I was younger I remember learning and hearing about how physical inactivity and obesity was becoming an epidemic in the United States. I even remember when Michelle Obama helped institute changes to school lunches. I remember how all my classmates hated the new lunches. At the time I didn’t realize just how much physical inactivity was contributing to the mortality of so many people. Looking at the slide Global Epidemic of Inactivity on Diabetes beyond biology presentation it is easy to see just how many thousands of people died from physical inactivity in 2004. It makes sense now why there was such a push for people to exercise more in the years following 2004. 

I thought it was interesting reading the Economic Costs of Diabetes in 2012. I don’t think most people consider or ever think about how much money is spent on diabetes in the U.S.. In 2012 the total estimated economic cost of diabetes was $245 billion dollars which is just crazy to think about. In just five years there was a 41% increase which I think is insane. According to the paper a person with diagnosed diabetes spends around $13,700 on hospital bills and around $7,900 can be attributed to diabetes. That is $7,900 more that a person with diabetes spends per year than a person without diabetes. I also found it really interesting to learn  more about diabetes and the effects it has on a person’s health as well as on the economy. After doing more research I found an updated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. from 2017. In 2017 the estimated cost was around $327 billion which is a 26% increase from 2012. In this same article it said that people with diagnosed diabetes on average incur $16,752 per year and $9,601 is related to diabetes. One way that we can use this information to help better the lives of many people is by raising awareness around this topic. By raising awareness of diabetes we can help provide support to those that have diabetes while also helping to prevent diabetes.

For the section on Ayurveda I combined a couple of different journal entries as well as the Ayurveda assignment. I also did quite a lot of research to expand on what Ayurveda is and the different aspects of it. For the section of diabetes I mainly just included a couple of different journal entries on diabetes.

Ayurveda/Diabetes/Metabolism Curated Paper

  How does diabetes affect metabolism? The concepts of metabolism and diabetes go hand in hand. Like I expected, the metabolism of people with diabetes is basically the same as those without the disease, but people with diabetes experience differences in how much insulin is in the body, and how effective the insulin is. However, during the absence of insulin replacement, metabolic processes greatly decrease due to the lack of sugar that is able to go into the body’s cells. Therefore, energy and protein stores get depleted, and the body is not able to function properly. This leads to issues such as shakiness, sweating, increased heart rate, headache, fatigue, irritability, and other unpleasant symptoms.

How do diabetics test their blood sugar? I have a teammate who is diabetic. She really must watch what she eats and when she eats. I have had to take her to several doctor appointments in which she had to get her sugar levels checked because she felt unwell. Before every meal, she used to have to prick her finger in order to check her blood glucose levels and to make educated decisions about food, physical activity and dosing insulin. This process works by pricking the finger with a needle, placing the drop of blood onto a strip within the glucose meter, and the meter showing the current sugar level. However, this method of testing is only able to show the level of one’s blood sugar at a single moment in time. So, researchers developed a continuous means of tracking blood sugar. This is done by using a newer type of technology called a continuous glucose monitoring system. Although the CGM system is way more convenient, finger stick testing is still the most reliable way to test blood sugar.

        How are diabetics affected by economic factors? Diabetes is obviously a very expensive disease. It is the most costly chronic disease in the United States (CDC, 2022). Every 1 out of 4 dollars in the US healthcare system goes towards helping people with diabetes. However, from my research, it seems as though American taxpayers pay for the bulk of diabetes related costs, not necessarily the individuals with diabetes. A lot of money also goes towards the prevention of diabetes. 1 in 3 Americans has prediabetes, so it is clearly a problem that must be dealt with. There are numerous programs and policies in place that are aimed to help prevent diabetes. It is all about prevention. This is because it costs less to prevent diabetes than it does to mediate the symptoms.

       Even though the local, state, and federal governments pay for the majority of diabetes costs, there are still decent costs for the individuals experiencing the disease. For example, I have heard before that insulin is expensive. But according to my research, the real costs occur when diabetics have no insurance and/or have multiple forms of treatment. Drug companies also do damage to pockets when they partake in “evergreening”. This is when manufacturers make minute alterations to already marketed insulin products in order to extend their patents. The consequence of this is a lack of cheaper, generic insulin. Overall, there are a lot of economic aspects that diabetics as individuals must take on, all of which vary depending on the severity of the disease and economic status of the person.

        How does ayurveda define diabetes? Metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, can be defined by imbalances within the body, based on ayurveda medicine. This can be due to internal or external factors. With diabetes, it is said that there is an aggravation of the Kapha dosha, which controls nourishment and growth (Hindustan Times, 2021). Specifically, there is a subset of the Kapha dosha which affects lipid metabolism. This can be caused by multiple things including excessive consumption of heavy and oily foods, lack of exercise, and oversleeping. The way that ayurveda claims to overcome the disease is by giving patients mixers of herbal supplements.

The diabetes Powerpoint gives insight into how the concepts of ayurveda and economics also have a relationship. When health imbalances lead to disease, there is an effect on what people decide to spend their money on. Some economic classes within the United States are more likely than others to to experience a certain type of health imbalance. For example, middle income individuals are more likely to experience physical inactivity related diseases (which is actually a global pandemic). Therefore, they normally obtain diseases such as heart disease, malignant neoplasms (cancer), cerebrovascular diseases (stroke), diabetes, and essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease. However, this is likely because the middle class consists of the majority of Americans.

        How does ayurveda help relieve diabetic symptoms? One of the best and most well-known ayurvedic remedies is Jamun (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2022). Jamun is a fruit that helps convert carbohydrates into energy. This is useful to diabetics because excess sugar can be used instead of sitting in the bloodstream. The experimental evidence that Jamun works to alleviate symptoms of diabetes is sound. There are also other natural remedies that ayurveda uses for the treatment of diabetes: fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber, spices like cumin and turmeric, and herbs such as Gymnema and Fenugreek have been said to regulate blood sugar.

        20 Things you Didn’t Know About the Human Gut Microbiome Summary: Your microbiome consists of all of the bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea, and eukaryotes within your body. The gut microbiome specifically plays a huge role in important metabolic and immune functions. The processes which occur in the gut are heavily influenced by what we put into our bodies. This is partly why gut microbiota diversity is so important. A diverse gut allows our microbiome to be more capable and resilient to various imbalances.

What is my personal experience with the gut microbiome? I have some previous knowledge about the inner workings of the microbiome (specifically the gut microbiome) that only exists due to personal experience. For example, my mom always tells me about information she stumbles upon on Facebook regarding how a healthy gut leads to a healthy life. She stresses how important it is to take probiotics in order to increase my gut diversity and promote an environment for good bacteria to flourish. However, I never really did any research myself about what it means to have a “healthy” gut. But, I did understand that imbalances within the microbiome could lead to negative consequences.

How does ayurveda play a role in microbiome imbalances? Ayurveda is centered around the idea that without proper health and balance, disease can occur. So, this can be applied to imbalances regarding the microbiome. Without certain beneficial bacteria in the gut, we are prone to illness because harmful bacteria are able to take over. The same can be said for when there is too much harmful bacteria in the gut landscape; the harmful bacteria will overtake the good bacteria, and the host will ultimately experience consequences.

        What is the microbiome-gut-brain axis? Ayurveda can specifically be applied to the microbiome when discussing the link between the gut and the brain. Behavior is influenced by the signals that are sent between these two organs. The amount and type of bacteria within the gut are critical to the prevention of diseases. This is why when factors such as antibiotic use or infections come into play, the gut microbiome alters its signaling, thus impacting the brain in various ways. One such way is a change in stress response sensitivity. The correlation between gut microbiota and stress-related disorders can be seen in various experiments. This suggests that we must exert a certain level of control over our microbiomes in order to lead our healthiest lives.

Curated Paper, Diabetes

I have seen the effects of diabetes in my family and with a friend or two. Both my uncle and grandfather-in-law have/had diabetes. My uncle has currently type 1 diabetes as so far it is uncurable and my grandpa-in-law has had type 2 diabetes and has had better and worse times of it. Something I have thought about is how type 2 diabetes is preventable and people can oftentimes cure it on their own but choose not to do so. It makes me wonder what types of things and factors cause people to choose to not take good care of themselves. Type 2 diabetes is shown to be directly correlated to obesity which in most cases is preventable. We often make mistakes as people and that is not preventable but I think it would be worthwhile to research the various mental/emotional causes of diabetes (I am sure there are some) and teach people how to take care of themselves and why it's so important.

I did some more research about factors causing obesity (which can cause diabetes) and I was surprised at some of the things I learned. I read an article by the Mayo Clinic and it mentions how our diet can affect our microbiome which can then affect obesity in people. It's amazing to see just how complex our bodies are and we need to take care of every part. It also mentioned lack of sleep or too much sleep can affect our hormones and make us more or less hungry and crave more carbohydrates. I think the basic physical health needs are diet, exercise, and rest and I think it's astounding how three simple things change our health so much.

I believe one factor that leads to people not taking care of themselves is outdated information or lack of knowledge. My grandfather-in-law used to be in medical school a long time ago but his health choices and reasoning behind them have seemed to lack knowledge and may attribute to his varying levels of diabetes. I believe many people today do not seek good knowledge and learning and especially when it comes to their health. And many people often hold beliefs about health that they have learned that are wrong or outdated. This may be why some people drink large amounts of soda or other unhealthy food not knowing how bad it is for their body. Or why some people do diets that aren’t effective and may cause more problems with health. I’m sure type 2 diabetes levels would increase with greater health education.

 From learning in my anatomy course type 2 diabetes is caused when there is too much sustained glucose intake that cells can’t produce enough glucose receptors to keep up with the sugar intake. If this is sustained for large periods of time the cells lose the receptors completely because they normally break down over time and need to be constantly produced. This causes the resistance to insulin and then unbalanced glucose levels. Then people start to get the symptoms and negative effects of diabetes. I am amazed how our knowledge and understanding of the body and its metabolism has grown over time allowing for more opportunity to help improve life.

 It is amazing to see how the body checks itself and is all intertwined. Learning more about sugar metabolism and the various steps and countermeasures of the body to maintain balanced levels of blood sugar shows how incredible it is and astounds me. Especially as this is a fairly simple example of how interconnected our body is. A more complex example could be when the eye sees something that signals the brain to then send hormones to create various effects in our body from stopping digestion or increasing blood flow. I remember learning in physiology about various body systems like RAAS and how it can affect every part of our body and is stimulated by various things like hydration, blood pressure, ion concentrations, and others. I would love to learn more about our bodies and I am sure there are many things that we have not yet discovered that influence insulin, glucose uptake, and diabetes in general.

 I am currently a pre-optometry student and I love to learn about the eye. I currently work in an optometrist’s office as an optician and mainly take eye scans, schedule appointments, and dispense and sell glasses/contacts. In my training, I was told to always schedule a longer 30-minute appointment for anyone with diabetes. I knew diabetes had various effects on the body but was not sure what the purpose of the longer appointment was until reading through the diabetes power point. It's cool to know now that diabetes can cause cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy and that these are given special attention to be treated and prevented as much as possible. Its interesting to see how a problem with one part of the body can cause problems in so many others. I wonder what other effects other diseases have and how they effect the various systems in our body. For example, does skin cancer have an effect on blood pressure and then other things? Or does Lyme disease have effects on our gaining weight for some reason? These would be interesting to research and learn more about.

 I have a dear friend as well who is a type 1 diabetic and has many impacts/costs to his life. We were roommates for a while in Argentina while on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. Even with his disease, he had become a bodybuilder which helped with symptoms because he was in great physical condition. He told us at home he would work out for many hours a day and with us he would exercise for a time longer than most missionaries to stay in good shape. I am impressed at how a disease can affect a person beyond metabolism and shape even who they become/are and their behaviors.

 I have seen in my life how diabetes can affect/cost the people around a diabetic and how it changes their lives as well. I remember how much we all needed to be aware of my friend’s condition and his assigned companion received special instruction/training to be able to help our friend when he needed it. There were a few times when his blood sugar would drop too low and he would go a little crazy and because he was so physically fit it would take all of us and be even slightly dangerous to help him get Metabolism Journaling back to normal and get medication/sugar. I wonder what it was like for his family growing up when it wasn’t something he could be aware of and help manage.

 I really learned a lot from the paper “Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012. In the paper, researchers studied the direct and indirect costs of diabetes in people's lives and in society. They estimated the total cost to society to be “$245 billion”. That is a very large number and a crazy amount of money. The researchers studied the direct costs to both individuals and society from many surveys and databases and determined that on average a diabetic person spends 2.3 times as much in medical expenses as someone without diabetes or an extra 7,000$ a year. They also found the indirect cost on society to be 68.6 billion due to reduced productivity. The researchers seem to have been very thorough and there are many more important facts and statistics in the report.

I found the costs of diabetes to be crazy. Diabetes is pretty common compared to most diseases and is currently the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. What I found very surprising was the jump in cost from 2012 to now. In 2012 the cost of diabetes was estimated as 245 billion and currently, the CDC estimates the cost to be 327 billion. In the 2012 study, the researchers stated that they underestimated by a fair amount their estimate due to lack of data and other reasons. They mentioned they didn’t include dental/optometry expenses and working in an optometrist's office I know there is quite a bit of those. This means likely both the 2012 and current estimates are likely far below true values. I wonder how much of this is preventable and how better management and teaching would reduce these costs which can then be put to use elsewhere.

 We have a very good country and government which I believe is why we are able to afford these large costs in healthcare related to diabetes. I mentioned living with my friend in Argentina who had diabetes and it was interesting to see how in a less developed country where this is not possible, how different life can be with diabetes. Financially I remember insulin was very expensive and hard to come by. Even in large cities insulin was hard to find and this made things difficult for my friend. Luckily where we lived there was a diabetic family that was able to help him in case of any emergency or if he ever ran out of insulin. This creates not only a large financial cost for diabetics in underdeveloped countries but also a large cost to quality or ease of life and a large worry/burden.

 Reading through the initial slides of the Diabetes beyond biology powerpoint show and make me think about how important it is to take care of oneself. And how many healthcare problems could be prevented with good health/diet habits like consistent exercise and eating good food. In the chart of 2009 top risk factors for death the 3rd, 4th, and 5th risk factors (physically inactive, high blood glucose, and obesity) are all preventable with good exercise and diet. Even the top 1, high blood pressure, would be significantly decreased with good health habits. There are sometimes these things are beyond our control but these are few and far between when compared to preventable cases.

 I read some of the article Chronic Illness and Mental Health: Recognizing and Treating Depression. By the NIH. The article talks about how chronic illnesses often lead to or are associated with depression either directly or indirectly. The article mentions that people can be negatively affected when they are diagnosed with chronic illness or as a side effect of medications. I think it is important to understand how mental health ties into disease and how both can cause the other and often come together. A depressed person is more likely to resort to poor eating or someone who eats poorly may become depressed and then obese which goes to show the interconnectedness of our bodies and minds. My wife and I have listened to videos by a neurologist who talks about brain health and by exercise and good diet our brains can be healthier and this fights depression or other mental diseases. I think our behaviors/stress play a large role in our physical health. And it would be interesting to see how much the practice of good mental health habits would effect someone’s physical health.

 I read the abstract of “Sweetened blood cools hot tempers: physiological self-control and aggression” because the rest of the article was not free. But in the abstract the paper reviews 4 studies where aggression and violence were linked to low blood sugar or diabetes. In one study people who drank a glucose drink behaved less aggressively than those who didn’t. In 2 of the other studies diabetes was linked to violent crime and aggressiveness with low self control. I wonder how much diet, which can cause type 2 diabetes and low blood sugar, is related to violent crime and aggression. It would stand to reason that eating poorly would cause unbalanced blood glucose levels and then in this study it says that self control uses a lot of glucose in the brain. I have seen firsthand how low blood sugar in a type 1 diabetic can make the person go crazy and that could definitely cause violent crime. I wonder if lower than normal blood sugar can have small effects that are generally unnoticeable or unchecked that cause people to execute less judgment before committing crimes or being aggressive.

 All of this study about diabetes and how it affects all of a diabetic person’s body and then all of their life has been eye-opening. As well as learning about the effects outside of the body on a person’s individual life, then friends and family relationships, then social dynamics and macroscale costs. I want to be able to help people with diabetes in my work as an optometrist as well as helping people live better lives in general. It has amazed me how much cost both to wallets and mental/emotional banks of diseases and type 2 diabetes can be prevented with good health and exercise and that makes me want to be better as well. 

Curated Paper (Ayurveda and Metabolism)

As I understand it, Ayurveda is an approach to maintaining health that is largely theoretical. This differs from modern medicine in that there is limited focus on the biochemical interactions between drugs and bodies, but rather they focus more on lifestyle and mindset to treat illness. This is not to say that Ayurveda does not involve intervention, Ayurvedic methods do involve change in diet and even surgical practice at times. The idea that what we think affects our well being is not a foreign idea to me. I remember reading a book a few years ago called “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen. In that book, he referred to the idea that the content with which you fill your mind can make you physically sick. He emphasizes the importance of thinking thoughts that are pure and uplifting. He does, however, clarify the point by stating that not all disease is the result of unworthy thoughts. I feel this relates to the idea of Ayurvedic treatment as well. Yoga is included in this and has most definitely been found to improve one’s mental and physical health. I believe that our minds are powerful. While we may not be able to simply overcome a bacterial or viral infection with our minds alone, I certainly find it believable that we could improve the function of our bodies with mind power. In what I have read about Ayurveda, they treat what we call “organ systems” as communication centers. Ayurveda emphasizes the balance between Vatta, Kapha, and Pita. The balance of these three aspects brings about ideal health. Vatta emphasizes the movement in body and in mind. This is where thoughts play a role. Kapha represents the digestive and metabolic functions of the body. And Pita refers to the physical movement of the body using muscles and bones. The idea of Ayurveda is fascinating to me and I look forward to learning more about its application in the future.

The idea that our bodies have the capability of mainting balance or ayurveda is implicit when we begin to mention how diabetes can disrupt the balance. Something as simple as chronically overeating can cause our cells to become overwhelmed and eventually immune to insulin. This marks the beginning of an understanding that our bodies really do need healthy maintenance in order to function properly. This involves physical and mental maintenance, as is emphasized with ayurveda. 

I found an article published by the American Diabetes Association that showed a study that examined different methods for promoting weight loss in patients with Type II Diabetes. The study indicated that any type of diet showed success in reducing the weight of participants. The study also indicates that behavior therapy significantly reduced the weight of participants as well. I wonder if cognitive based therapy would do the same. This would support the idea that our mentality has a significant effect on our bodies metabolism.

I read another article that actually frowned upon dieting. It was written by a nutrition professor in Australia. She claimed that diets might help acutely with weight, but often in the long run they actually increase weight gain. This is due to our minds feeling starved during diets. The diet mentality actually induces stress and fear which drives the body to store more fat in case it ever passes through that stage again. I am finding that the balance between mind and body is very complex. If we look at treating diabetes from different perspectives of science, we realize that we have not found the ideal treatment for this disease. Considering the previous article that I found about how diets can be helpful and then the next article that actually counters that assumption; there is no perfect way to maintain this necessary balance within our bodies. Or at least, we don’t fully understand it. If I do what is right for the physical part of my being, how is the emotional part of my being affected?

It is mindboggling to think about the costs of diabetes. I wonder if everyone knew that diabetes cost billions of dollars every year, would we do anything different? Would people more widely recognize it as a pandemic? It is interesting to note that many people do feel ashamed of their  diabetes diagnosis. But I believe that there are also a number of people who see nothing wrong with their diabetes problem. After all, it's a perfectly treatable disease and there are millions of patients with the same problem. Perhaps the mindset of conformity can be just as bad as a mindset of fear and anxiety. 

In the economics of diabetes study that was provided to us, I found it interesting to note that a large contributor to indirect costs was “presenteesm”. People who’s performance is hindered by disease, but they attend anyway. This supports my suspicion that many people likely see their diabetes issue as something that is perfectly reasonable. However, in the slides we find many examples of the fact that diabetes does take a toll on the person. This can tip the balance of thoughts and emotions for people with diabetes and eventually problems begin to compound. This could be why we see so many comorbidities of people with diabetes. Their bodies are weaker because of their physical state and because of their mindset. 

One of the important factors that leads to diabetes is the lack of self control. One person’s inability to control their eating impulses can lead to diabetes and eventually cardiovascular disease and even some types of cancer. “Low glucose relates to greater aggression in married couples'' was an interesting study. The use of voodoo dolls to measure the level of aggression felt towards a spouse was unconventional but efficient. I found that they employed a fairly causative relationship between blood glucose levels and intimate partner aggresssion, which I don’t believe to be a correct approach. I want to understand why low blood glucose would lead to greater aggression, because I thought I understood that elevated blood glucose is a result of diabetes and not low sugar levels. However, I like the mentality of the study in showing that the biology of the body and the psychology of the mind could be deeply intertwined.

Along with my last entry, I have found that diabetes can affect the psychology of an individual both internally and externally. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are some of the most unfortunate ones out there. As it has been discussed, diabetes throws the metabolic pathways and balance of the body out of control. Oftentimes mental illnesses can be the cause of a lack or abundance of certain hormones. Hormones that are produced through the metabolic pathways of cells and organs in the body. Externally, diabetes and obesity can cause a person to feel shameful and outcast. This throws their thoughts out of balance and can compound by producing stress responses in their bodies that will only make matters worse.

This strengthens the argument that  a holistic approach is necessary when approaching a treatment for someone with diabetes. It is not simply a matter of controlling blood sugar levels. It is necessary to take into account the many factors that affect someone's well being in order for them to maintain balance within all of their systems.