You know the deal. Eat too much cake on a daily basis and you’ll end up with diabetes. It’s a serious condition that affects millions of men worldwide. It can also lead to erectile dysfunction.
But is a sugary diet really the primary culprit?
Let’s delve into the causes.
Carrying extra weight
Obesity is believed to account for 80-85% of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It’s the leading health concern for men. Excess weight around your stomach causes fat cells to release pro-inflammatory chemicals which makes your body less sensitive to insulin. This is called insulin resistance.
Staying sedentary
Your health is decided by you. It’s tempting to sit in front of the newest trend on TV or doomscroll through Twitter all day long, but a sedentary lifestyle is harmful. It increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease. depression, and obesity.
Move just 30 minutes a day to reduce your chances of getting diabetes. Exercise helps to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. There are plenty of ways to add movement to your day including getting outside.
It’s in your genes
Sometimes you can do everything right but your biology lets you down. It’s not the time to start blaming your elders at your family dinners, but it’s frustrating nonetheless. People with a family history of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop the condition.
People with certain ethnicities are also more likely to develop diabetes than others, such as African-Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian. You can’t do anything about your genes, but you can lessen the chances of developing diabetes by making better choices.
Unhealthy eating
Poor diet leads to poor health. If you put the wrong type of fuel into your car, you’ll encounter issues. It’s the same principle with your body.
Having a diet high in sugar, processed foods, or saturated fats can lead to type 2 diabetes, particularly later in life. To bolster your chances of avoiding diabetes, feast on fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. If you’re pre-diabetic, you must be especially careful in monitoring your diet.
Most importantly, you can prevent or delay prediabetes turning into type 2 diabetes with simple lifestyle changes.
How can I prevent type 2 diabetes?
It’s always a good idea to test your blood to see the risk. A simple solution is to use a home blood test kit, like the Fear Nothing Blood Test + which determines your average blood sugar level over the last three months (HbA1c). It’s possible to spot diabetes before it becomes too much of a problem.
Diabetes can trigger erectile dysfunction so it's important to investigate whether you have the condition if you're facing sexual health problems. Getting to the root cause of your erectile dysfunction will help you to regain control of your health.
Dieting and exercise work hand-in-hand to lower the chances of getting diabetes. You’re more likely to make better food choices if you exercise, and more likely to exercise if you eat better. Prevention is better than the cure.
The numan take
Don’t let diabetes weigh you down. Even if it seems unavoidable, it doesn’t mean you’re destined to get it. Alleviate the risk with diet and exercise to give yourself more than a fighting chance of avoiding it. There’s no excuse for inaction.
