Diabetes, like so many diseases, is a complex disorder. When it comes to what we usually call type 1, or insulin dependent diabetes, we really aren’t sure how it begins. Some researchers believe it is genetic, others believe it begins with an infection that attacks the pancreas, thus causing insulin-producing cells to cease to function.

Whatever the cause, the disease results in high levels of blood glucose, unable to be moved into cells by insulin, which (over time) causes progressive damage to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, kidneys and eyes as the small molecules clog small arteries and kill the tissues they supply.