Diabetes is a condition in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Also described as a metabolism disorder, diabetes affects the way our bodies process and use certain foods. Carbohydrate use is particularly affected by this change of process.

In a normal human body,carbohydrates are converted to glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar and provides the main source of energy for cells. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps glucose to enter cells and provide energy. Although the pancreas is supposed to automatically produce the correct amounts of insulin, in diabetics, the pancreas produces either too much or too little insulin. This causes the body to have trouble producing glucose. Due to this, the body is deprived of its main energy source when it is passed through the blood and into the urine before being used by the cells.

There are three types of diabetes:

Type I (Insulin Dependent): occurs when the pancreas no longer produces any or very little insulin. The body needs insulin to use sugar as an energy source. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood or adolescence and affects 10% of people with diabetes.

Type II (Non Insulin Dependent): occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to meet the body's needs or the insulin is not metabolized effectively. Type 2 usually occurs later in life and affects 90% of people with diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes: develops during pregnancy due to a deficiency of insulin during pregnancy that disappears following delivery. Women who have had gestational diabetes are at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.