5 risk factors for diabetes

Alarmingly, more and more Germans are developing type 2 diabetes, including an increasing number of younger people over 40, with an estimated 1,000 new cases every day. The risk factors for diabetes are well known: Lack of exercise, obesity, an unhealthy diet and smoking. You can protect yourself against it with just a few lifestyle changes. But there are also a few less well-known factors that can increase the risk of diabetes. You should also be aware of them:

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via Sabrina
06/20/2019, 12:39
Wer sein Diabetes-Risiko verringern möchte, sollte auf ballaststoffreiche Nahrungsmittel setzen und ausreichend schlafen.© istock
If you want to reduce your risk of diabetes, you should eat fiber-rich foods and get enough sleep.

1. depression promotes an unhealthy lifestyle

Takepersistent low moods seriously! Interactions between depression and diabetes have been known for some time. The latter not only triggers low moods, but depression can also accelerate the onset of the disease. It is thought that this is due to the fact that mentally stressed people lack the drive to exercise or cook healthy meals. They also generally have little energy to take good care of themselves.

2. gluten-free diet leads to deficiencies

Don't remove gluten from your diet without good reason! This is because the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases as gluten intake decreases. Scientists suspect that this is related to the reduced intake of fiber. However, this is needed to absorb insulin and keep blood sugar levels constant. If you still want to avoid gluten, you should focus more on high-fiber vegetables such as peas, Brussels sprouts or celeriac.

3. sleep deficits increase insulin resistance

Get enough sleep! For every half hour you miss out on during the working day, the risk of insulin resistance increases by a whopping 32 percent, according to studies by Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha (Qatar). Conversely, diabetes can also lead to sleep problems. If blood sugar levels are too high, the body excretes more glucose, which leads to the urge to urinate at night.

4. mouthwash also kills healthy bacteria

Do not use mouthwash twice a day! Otherwise, the risk of diabetes could increase, as discovered at the University of Alabama. The reason: a number of anti-bacterial solutions also kill bacteria that help regulate insulin levels.

5. stress drives up blood sugar levels

Reduce stress in the workplace! Double stress and constant power not only affect the heart, but can also increase the risk of diabetes - especially in women, as a recent study has shown. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute identified a protein that can trigger diabetes. In addition, stress pushes the release of the hormone cortisol, which drives up blood sugar levels.

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