The Challenge of Metabolic Imbalance: Unveiling the "Sweet Toxin" of Sugar, Energy Intake Guidelines, and the Genetic Mystery of Diabetes [i]

Losing functional balance happens faster than losing weight. The human body ingests essential nutrients through daily food intake, ensuring the proper functioning of the metabolic system. Regardless of what we eat, our bodies obtain energy from three energy-rich sources: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Sugar is a "sweet poison." Health experts are sounding the alarm: we obtain 65% more energy from food than we actually need. Approximately 30% to 40% of adults are overweight. This excessive intake of nutrients raises cholesterol, causing arteriosclerosis, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, being overweight and lack of exercise contribute to diabetes in millions of people. The high protein content in meat-rich foods burdens the kidneys and creates an opportunity for gout. To reduce the burden on the metabolic system, we must not only control the amount of food we eat but also pay attention to the combination of different foods. Energy intake should meet the body's needs: 19-24 years old (2600 kcal/day); 25-50 years old (2400 kcal/day); 51-64 years old (2200 kcal/day); over 64 years old (1900 kcal/day). The body's energy expenditure is related to physical and mental workload, as well as the ambient temperature. Diabetes mellitus (also known as polysaccharidosis) is one of the most common chronic diseases in welfare states. According to the World Health Organization, 135 million people suffer from this condition. Diabetes mellitus patients are mostly older. In the Stone Age, when people relied on hunting and gathering for food, diabetes was completely unknown; today, it has become a "hostage" of welfare societies. Scientists believe that the same genes that enabled our ancestors to survive with hunting clubs are now the cause of diabetes. Genes enabled them to endure hunger during food shortages. However, if food is in surplus for a prolonged period, serious consequences will occur. The most obvious example is the Pima people, an Indian subgroup living in southern Arizona. At the beginning of the 20th century, almost none of them were overweight, but today 50% of those over 35 have diabetes. This shows that external environmental factors can determine whether the genes that cause diabetes play a positive or negative role. Sugars, responsible for energy supply, must be transported into the body's cells, requiring the pancreas to secrete insulin. If there is a lack of insulin due to physiological reasons, or if cells are sluggish in responding to insulin, polysaccharidosis occurs. If this sugar cannot be absorbed, excess blood sugar is produced, leading to serious consequences: high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, increased risk of arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke, slow wound healing, and damage to vital organs such as the liver, eyes, and nerves. The brain is the organ that requires the most glucose. If brain function is particularly active, it absorbs glucose from the blood like a sponge. If blood glucose levels are too low, brain function declines, causing shock or loss of consciousness. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases if you have any of the following conditions: a family history of diabetes, are overweight, have high blood pressure, have high cholesterol and triglycerides, or have pancreatic disease. To fight diabetes, it's essential to understand the underlying genetic and metabolic mechanisms. [i]