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.