A few years ago, Uncle Zhao was diagnosed with diabetes. He originally thought diabetes was just a slightly elevated blood sugar level, but the doctor’s words made him realize the seriousness behind it—if not controlled, diabetes can damage various systems in the body, even posing a threat to life.
From that moment on, a seed was planted in Uncle Zhao’s heart: he wanted to take responsibility for his health, strive to live a few more years, and enjoy the beauty of life.
One day, while enjoying what seemed to be a normal meal, Uncle Zhao picked up a clove of garlic to season his dish. But at that moment, his wife’s words made him pause.
“I saw online that some people say garlic can exacerbate diabetes and may cause a rise in blood sugar levels.” Uncle Zhao was surprised and puzzled by his wife’s words. So, is garlic really a trigger for diabetes?
01
Definition and Classification of Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease caused by insufficient insulin secretion or insulin resistance, characterized mainly by sustained elevation of blood sugar levels. Based on different etiologies, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations, diabetes can be classified into the following types:
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, usually occurs in children and adolescents but can also occur at any age.
In this type of diabetes, the pancreatic beta cells are destroyed, leading to an absolute lack of insulin secretion. Therefore, patients need lifelong insulin injections to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for over 90% of diabetes cases. It usually occurs in adults but the incidence among children and adolescents has been gradually increasing in recent years.
In patients with type 2 diabetes, there is impaired function of pancreatic beta cells, resulting in relative insulin insufficiency or increased insulin resistance. These patients can control blood sugar levels through dietary control, increased physical activity, oral hypoglycemic agents, or insulin injections.
Special Types of Diabetes
Special types of diabetes include a range of diabetes types caused by specific factors, such as maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) and mitochondrial gene mutation diabetes. The causes, clinical manifestations, and treatment methods of these diabetes types vary, requiring individualized diagnosis and treatment.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes refers to diabetes first discovered or developed during pregnancy. These patients usually have no history of diabetes or abnormal glucose metabolism before pregnancy, but the changes in hormone levels and increased insulin resistance during pregnancy can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Gestational diabetes can have some impact on the health of both mother and baby, therefore early diagnosis and treatment are necessary.
02
Symptoms and Consequences of Diabetes
Common Symptoms of Diabetes
Polyuria: Due to high blood sugar levels exceeding the renal sugar threshold, glucose filtered by the glomerulus cannot be fully reabsorbed by the renal tubules, leading to osmotic diuresis and the symptom of polyuria.
Polydipsia: Excessive urination causes excessive loss of body fluid, resulting in the symptoms of thirst and polydipsia.
Polyphagia: Insufficient insulin secretion or impaired function leads to ineffective glucose utilization in the body, causing the body to be in a state of energy deficiency and resulting in the symptom of polyphagia.
Weight Loss: Despite increased food intake, inadequate utilization of glucose leads to insufficient energy supply in the body, leading to the burning of body fat and proteins to supplement energy, resulting in the symptom of weight loss.
Other Symptoms: Such as blurred vision, itching skin, fatigue, dizziness, etc., these symptoms may vary due to individual differences.
Long-Term Consequences of Diabetes
Vascular Lesions: Diabetes can lead to macrovascular and microvascular lesions, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease.
Neuropathy: Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes, affecting both the central and peripheral nervous systems, causing symptoms such as sensory abnormalities, pain, and numbness.
Ocular Changes: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in diabetic patients, manifested by symptoms such as visual impairment and visual field defects.
Renal Changes: Diabetic nephropathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes, and in severe cases can progress to uremia, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation for treatment.
Foot Lesions: Diabetic foot is one of the most severe chronic complications of diabetes, due to the combined effects of neuropathy and vascular lesions, leading to serious consequences such as foot ulcers, infections, and gangrene.
Possible Complications of Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease: Such as coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, etc.
Cerebrovascular Disease: Such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, etc.
Peripheral Vascular Disease: Such as lower limb arteriosclerosis obliterans, diabetic foot, etc.
Infections: Due to weakened immune system, diabetic patients are prone to various infections, such as respiratory infections, urinary system infections, skin infections, etc.
Other Complications: Such as diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar nonketotic diabetic coma and acute complications, as well as chronic complications such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy, etc.
03
Is Garlic a “Trigger” for Diabetes?
Garlic, known as “natural antibiotics,” contains active ingredients such as sulfides and allicin, which not only have powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects but also promote blood circulation, regulate blood lipid levels, demonstrating extraordinary potential in preventing cardiovascular diseases.
For diabetes patients, cardiovascular complications are an invisible killer that must be prevented. Therefore, moderate consumption of garlic can, to some extent, be a proactive management strategy for the risks of diabetes complications.
Of course, everything has two sides, and while garlic is good, it should not be consumed excessively. Its pungent nature may irritate the gastrointestinal tract of some patients, causing discomfort; at the same time, certain components in garlic may also affect the metabolism of drugs, so diabetic patients need to be cautious when taking medication.
04
Doctor: Avoid raised blood sugar, here are 4 foods to eat less of
High-Sugar Foods: Such as candies, chocolates, sweet beverages, pastries, etc. These foods contain a large amount of simple sugars like sucrose, fructose, etc., which are rapidly absorbed by the body and enter the bloodstream, causing a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.
High-Starch Foods: Although starch is a complex carbohydrate, it eventually breaks down into glucose and is absorbed by the body. Therefore, high-starch foods such as white rice, white flour, potatoes, etc., can also lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Diabetes patients should choose whole grains or coarse grains as their main staple to reduce blood sugar fluctuations.
Processed Foods: Many processed foods, such as fast food, snacks, canned foods, etc., often contain high amounts of added sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats.
These components not only increase blood sugar levels but also pose a threat to cardiovascular health. Therefore, it is recommended that diabetic patients avoid processed foods as much as possible and choose fresh, unprocessed foods.
High-Fat Foods: Although high-fat foods do not directly cause a rise in blood sugar, they increase the body’s energy intake and may lead to weight gain and insulin resistance.
Long-term intake of high-fat foods can exacerbate diabetes and increase the risk of complications. Therefore, diabetic patients should control the amount of high-fat foods consumed and choose low-fat, high-fiber foods.
