Diabetes, cancer and heart disease

Diabetes is the disease in which the blood glucose level rises above its normal range. Normally the hormone insulin turns excess glucose into glycogen and stores it in the liver. But if the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, which secrete insulin, are destroyed or were never present, insulin secretion fails. If diabetes is not properly controlled, the kidneys slowly weaken and blindness follows.

Because of heavy workloads, eating food made from fully polished rice and wheat flour — starch that is digested quickly — lack of the exercise that would use up the energy taken in, and mental stress all cause diabetes.

Abnormal cell division and growth in part of the body without control is called cancer. With industrialisation, harmful radiation, chemicals and heavy metals have spread widely in the environment. Constant exposure to radiation and taking in too many chemicals and heavy metals have raised the risk of cancer.

Heart disease arises when the vessels supplying blood to the heart narrow or are completely blocked, or when the heart muscles, valves or rhythm do not work properly. Chest pain, heart attack and thrombosis are examples. The main cause is the change in how people live: mechanisation has made activity easy, and lack of exercise, poor judgement and mental stress lead many to this disease.