As if living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes isn’t hard enough, imagine living with both types at the same time. This scary situation is becoming a reality for some diabetics and is being called Type 3, according to an article in the Dallas Women’s Health Examiner.
Type 1 diabetics are insulin deficient, meaning their pancreas no longer produces insulin. They require several insulin injections each day to manage their blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetics are insulin resistant, meaning their pancreas produces insulin, but the body doesn’t respond to it properly. Many Type 2 diabetics manage their blood sugar, in part, through pills.
There are two scenarios that can lead to existing diabetics developing Type 3, according to the article in the Dallas Women’s Health Examiner. The first involves those people who already have Type 2 diabetes. Their body is not producing enough insulin, so their doctor’s put them on medication, forcing their pancreas to work overtime to produce extra insulin. Because Type 2 diabetics are generally insulin resistant, the body ignores the extra insulin and eventually the pancreas burns out and stops producing insulin altogether. Suddenly a Type 2 diabetic now has Type 1 as well, making them a Type 3 diabetic.
The second scenario involves those people who have Type 1 diabetes already. In this scenario, the diabetic continues to eat food that is bad for them because they believe they can counteract the high sugars and carbs with insulin. Over time, they have to increase their doses of insulin to get the same level of control. Eventually, their body stops responding to the insulin altogether and they become Type 2 in addition to Type 1. They are insulin deficient and insulin resistant, making them Type 3.
The article says diabetics can lower their risk of developing Type 3 by following many of the same rules they are supposed to follow to maintain healthy blood sugar levels now. Eat right, exercise and avoid the trouble foods, such as sugar-filled desserts, pastas and breads.
An earlier guest column on the same site by Dr. Ron Rosedale, an expert on leptin physiology and author of The Rosedale Diet, blames the development of Type 3 on the medical community for failing to properly treat diabetics.
He calls it DIE, or Doctor Induced Exacerbation. He says that many doctors tell diabetics that they can eat many meals each day filled with items that turn into sugar as long as they take the “proper” doses of insulin to manage their blood sugar levels.
He contends that many diabetics take two, three, or as much as ten times the amount of insulin they should take. And, overexposure to insulin can be just as damaging as too much sugar.
