Facts About Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition wherein the body is unable to regulate

itself, either by producing insufficient amounts of insulin or proving
resistant to insulin. It has a laundry list of horrible side effects, not
limited to amputations and blindness, and numbers are at an alltime high. Although linked to obesity, diabetes affects people of all
body types, many who barely have enough to eat.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, around 382
million people in the world are afflicted, a number they estimate
will rise to 592 million by 2035. While medications and careful
health management can greatly prolong life, in places like subSaharan Africa where such resources are limited, 75 percent of
diabetes deaths occur in people under the age of 60.

Whiskey
Diabetes mellitus literally means sweet urine, as those with the disease
tend to pass a great deal of sugar when they pee. Before modern testing
methods, doctors would actually taste a patients urine if they suspected the
person had diabetes. Luckily, those days have passed, but bizarrely enough,
people continue to drink the urine of diabetics.
James Gilpin of London produces Gilpin Family Whiskey, which takes the
urine of elderly diabetes patients and filters it, then adds it to mash. The
sugar in the urine begins the fermentation process, and within a few weeks,
a perfectly serviceable whiskey is producedthough Gilpin claims it is better
if aged awhile in the bottle. Gilpin Family Whiskey is not sold; rather, it is
freely distributed as a public health statement.

Animals
Humans arent the only animals that can suffer from diabetes. Unfortunately,
our furry friends can get it as well. Male cats and female dogs are more
likely to develop the condition than their counterparts. Diabetes in animals
has many of the same causes as it does in humans namely, genetics, diet,
and lack of exercise. Owners tend to baby their pets, showering them with
treats and table scraps. Likewise, most animals no longer have a job to do;
they lounge around the house and maybe take a jaunt around the block once
in a while.
While chubby cats and dogs might amuse on YouTube, their chances of
diabetes skyrocket with every extra tick of the scale. Like humans, they need
insulin to maintain their health. There are both oral and injectable insulin
medications available for animals, but dogs typically dont respond to oral
insulin. Small dogs usually need around two shots a day, while larger ones
can usually get by on one. And as you can imagine, this can get very, very
expensive.

Another one of the awful symptoms of diabetes is damage to the

capillaries and blood vessels of the eyes. Those affected can
suffer from blurry vision or outright blindness. Conditions like
cataracts and glaucoma are exacerbated by diabetes, but the
most common issue is diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy occurs in
four increasingly destructive stages, wherein the blood vessels
that supply the retina become swollen and blocked.
As it progresses, the walls of the vessels become extremely thin, and can
eventually begin leaking. This will initially manifest itself as something like
floating spots in your field of vision, but can get far worse in the case of a
bad leak. According to the American Diabetes Association, 28.5 percent of
diabetics age 40 and over suffer from some form of retinopathy

hose with severe diabetes must frequently check their blood

sugar levels. Should they become too high (hyperglycemia) or fall

too low (hypoglycemia), you run the risk of falling into a diabetic
coma. Luckily, other symptoms, like increased thirst, fever, and
headache, tend to manifest themselves first and allow the person
to seek help before becoming unconscious.
Prior to the 1970s, when blood glucose meters were invented, this tended to
happen quite frequently. Diabetic comas are particularly dangerous to people
living alone who may go undiscovered. If left untreated, it can cause
permanent brain damage, even death. Tragically enough, diabetic motorists
can also be responsible for more than their fair share of car accidents, as
drops in glucose can bring on sudden disorientation and vision problems.