Author: Zac Ch’ng, Nutritionist

According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, approximately 3.9 million Malaysians have diabetes.  This is equivalent to 1 in 5 adult population in the country, giving Malaysia the title of “Sweetest Nation in Asia”.  But this is definitely not a pride, as diabetes is a chronic disease that causes complications throughout whole body.

How does diabetes affect whole body?

Diabetes is a condition of which glucose is not permitted to enter cells for energy production. As a result, blood sugar is accumulated in blood vessels and cause cellular damage. Most of the organs or nerves surrounded by blood vessels such as eye, kidney, heart and feet will eventually be eroded by excessive blood sugar.

Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to poor blood flow of oxygen and nutrient, increasing vulnerability to wounds and ulcers. If the infection continues to worsen, the toes, feet, legs, and fingers, which are furthest from the heart, are more likely to be amputated. In addition, uncontrolled diabetes also can damage the blood vessels of the retina and the kidneys, which can lead to blindness and kidney failure, respectively.

Can diabetes kill us?

Definitely yes! When diabetes is not properly managed such as severely high or low blood sugar levels, it can cause devastating damage to the body.  Diabetes leads to heart attack, heart failure, and coma, and eventually these complications cause death.

In view of the devastating consequences of Diabetes, the scientists have been continuously finding solutions to help this chronic disease. In recent year, Gymnema Sylvestre has gained much attention in nutritional science, due to its effective result in reducing sugar absorption in gut and promote cells to absorb sugar from blood.

Therefore, Gymnema Sylvestre is now being recommended by experts as one of the alternative treatment regime, coupled with other lifestyle preventive measures.

How to prevent diabetes?

• Diet plays a very important role, so we should follow a healthy meal plan, including more intake of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats, moderate intake of fruits and low sugar. For those who can hardly get enough fibre and nutrition in their daily diet, consider supplementing supplements, especially those rich in fibre, multivitamins and minerals, antioxidant, peptides and stem cells, because these are the most needed by cells.
• Exercise regularly. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes for most of the week. Activities such as walking, swimming, jogging and cycling can be the preferences, as long as we make sure to exercise at least 30 minutes each day, it can be cumulative.
• Being overweight is the main risk factor for diabetes, and we should aim to lose weight. For those who find it is difficult to lose weight, consider supplementing sugar blockers and fat burners to increase weight loss.
• Quit smoking.

Start practising a healthy lifestyle today accordingly the above principles. Don’t do it only when diabetes is being diagnosed, as the old saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. And, prevention save more than cure.