What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where there
is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood.
Glucose is the main source of energy
for the body and comes from carbohydrate foods we eat. Carbohydrate
foods include bread, rice, starchy vegetables like sweet potato, yams
and taro, fruits, cereals, and milk. The body breaks carbohydrates down
to glucose which then enters the blood stream. For glucose to enter the
cells and be used for energy, a hormone called insulin must be
available.
Diabetes occurs when the body does
not make insulin or when the insulin that is made is not working
properly. This leads to increased blood glucose levels and diabetes.
Types of diabetes are:
type 2 diabetes (commonest
in PNG), type 1 diabetes,
and
gestational diabetes (diabetes in pregnancy).