Diabetic Recipes

For the disease characterized by excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine, see diabetes insipidus. For diabetes mellitus in pets, see diabetes in cats and dogs.

Diabetes mellitus is a medical disorder characterized by varying or persistent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) resulting from the defective secretion or action of the hormone insulin. There are several kinds of diabetes mellitus, but most are rare. The most common types are:

diabetes mellitus type 1 (previously called juvenile onset diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus -- IDDM) is characterized by decreased or absent production of insulin

diabetes type 2 (previously called adult onset diabetes, obesity related diabetes, or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus -- NIDDM), which is characterized by body tissue resistance to insulin action, though decreased secretion of insulin can also occur concomitantly

Type 2 is by far the most common form, especially in developed countries, and is characterized by a decrease in the ability to respond to insulin, though often in the presence of normal insulin amounts. Its causes are obscure in detail but are connected with heredity and with lifestyle (eg, Western diet and obesity).