Type 1 diabetes ( previously called juvenile diabetes as its observed mostly in children and teens now observed in adults too.......), an autoimmune disorder, has always been attributed mainly to genetic problems . Studies have now confirmed that genes involved in autoimmune disorders including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis are strongly regulated by vitamin D as they are found to contain far more number of vitamin D receptors on them than other genes.
Juvenile diabetes is the fastest growing health disorder in children and teens these days with US and UK topping the list. India is not far behind either with every 5th child in the world diagnosed with juvenile diabetes now an Indian. But juvenile diabetes gets little attention as all concentration is on adult diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is far worse than type-2 and children afflicted with it suffer far more than the adults. There is no cure for any diabetes so far. Prevention is the only way as of now.
Vitamin D deficiency is currently a big health concern in this world with more and more health disorders being linked to the lack of this vitamin in the body. Studies have linked asthma to D-deficiency too . Asthma is a multivitamin deficiency just like diabetes 2 but more predominantly due to D deficiency. But unfortunately vitamins and minerals are still not on the doctors' radars as most simply believe in drugs.
Encourage children to play or take a walk out in the sun for sometime everyday . Most of the homes today are sealed with not a ray of sunlight streaming in . And with busy life schedules children no longer get to play out in the street or sun anymore. Even in schools children no longer get to be out in the sun with many schools now holding assemblies in the classes itself . They are not allowed in the ground even during lunch breaks. School campuses are only for show. Added to that is the growing colour consciousness among teens. With generation 1 extolling the fairness factor and "virtues of a fair skin", generation 2 now avoids sunlight like plague. And generation 3 ? You're blessed if they see anything good about sunlight at all !
Besides the sunlight factor, obesity is yet another factor that is said to contribute to vitamin D loss and diabetes in children (and adults).
Vitamin D being a fat soluble vitamin , is absorbed by the body fat and stored in it. A little fat in the food that you take is good and aids in the absorption of vitamin D. But too much fat in the body (as found in obese ppl) , absorbs too much vitamin D making it less and less available for circulation and body needs. Though researchers are not entirely sure if it is the fat in the body that leads to D-deficiency or if it is the other way round........but the link between Vitamin D deficiency in blood and obesity has already been confirmed. Diabetics--both type 1 and type 2 are found to be severely lacking in this vitamin more than other vitamins in their body .
"Insulin demand" is yet another factor contributing to type-1 diabetes. According to health experts, with children addicted to sweet all the time , it increases the insulin demand in the body leading to stress on the beta cells and the genes to make more and more insulin finally leading to your pancreas becoming exhausted quickly and unable to produce insulin.
On this blog , I have tried to create awareness about the more common problems children suffer.