[thedoc (OP)]

Leah asked the Naked Scientists:
   HI,  I'm an expat living in Turkey and have a question regarding diet and nutrition.  Is it possible for someone to become glucose sensitive/intolerant in their mid 20 if most of their life they have been a very picky eater as well as a vegetarian?  When I say "picky", I mean only a small variety of foods from each food group and only fish which is usually out of a package.  My guess would be that this could ultimately cause problems with at least the pancreas which secrets a lot of digestive enzymes, lipase and insulin to name two.
I love your show, I listen to the podcasts and always look forward to the next edition; they very informative as I am a biology (and have been a physical science) teacher.

Looking forward to your reply.

Best regards,
Leah Abbott
What do you think?

[evan_au]

Is it possible for someone to become glucose sensitive/intolerant in their mid 20s?

By "glucose intolerant", do you mean "develop diabetes"? In diabetes, your body can't keep your blood sugar under control, with severe health impacts throughout the body.

I know 2 brothers who developed Type 1 diabetes (commonly called "juvenile diabetes") when in their teens - but several years apart. This is sometimes considered an auto-immune disease, but the precise triggers are unknown, so it could well occur in your 20s.

By "glucose resistant" do you mean "insulin resistant"? Type 2 diabetes is often preceded by a stage where the body fails to respond appropriately to insulin produced by the pancreas, again causing the glucose levels in the blood to get out of control. This is more often seen in people who are overweight, but again, there are a variety of potential causes. This could occur at any age.

In some countries there is a drive to get sugary drinks under control, by limiting the size of serves, or taxing them more heavily. Sugary drinks provide a massive hit of glucose in your bloodstream. So if you consume large amounts of sugary drinks (including fiber-free fruit juices), consider switching to "diet" drinks, water, or eating the fruit itself.

[Colin2B]

Is it possible for someone to become glucose sensitive/intolerant in their mid 20 if most of their life they have been a very picky eater as well as a vegetarian?  When I say "picky", I mean only a small variety of foods from each food group and only fish which is usually out of a package. 

As Evan says, type 1 diabetes can occur into 20s and does not appear to be diet triggered.
Type 2 is becoming more common in youngsters but mainly due to refined carbs eg sugar and being overweight, not the sort of diet you describe.
If you are concerned or have any of following symptoms: feeling thirsty, frequent need to urinate, drowsy or tired, dry mouth, blurred vision, then you can take either a fasting glucose level test, or a glucose tolerance test where your blood glucose will be tested 2hrs after being given a measured amount of glucose.

A vegetarian diet can be beneficial for type 2 diabetes as it can help to control overweight, however it is really important to achieve a balanced diet.

[evan_au]

A vegetarian diet can be beneficial for type 2 diabetes

This is true. Just be careful about the types of vegetables - a 3-course meal of "baked potato, boiled potato, mashed potato with chips" is not a balanced diet.

Starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams and starchy grains like white rice, milled wheat and corn (& their derivatives like chips, bread & tortillas) quickly break down to produce glucose. And they carry relatively few other nutrients. They also lack much of the fiber which is important to feed your microbiome; these microorganisms produce a variety of small molecules which your body absorbs; there are suggestions that these molecules also reduce the risk of diabetes.

So non-starchy vegetables are better for control of glucose levels.

The rate at which glucose spikes after a meal may be measured by the Glycemic Index.

glucose sensitive/intolerant

Bear in mind that glucose is the power source for cells; it is distributed around the body via the bloodstream and it is essential for life.

However, it is dangerous if the glucose level gets too low (hypoglycemic attack) or too high (hyperglycemic condition). What you need is a stable level of glucose in the bloodstream.

If you are concerned, see your doctor, who can organize tests. They may offer advice in mild cases (eat a more controlled diet, and exercise regularly) or refer you to a specialist in more severe cases.

A condition called "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" has become much more common in the past 20 years - a condition characterized by the buildup of fat around the internal organs. This is seen as a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

[Colin2B]

Just be careful about the types of vegetables - a 3-course meal of "baked potato, boiled potato, mashed potato with chips" is not a balanced diet.

Evan makes an important point here.
My brother was diagnosed with type 1 in his teens and we often used to sit down and work out his carbs for the day, particularly if we were going cycling together. Because of that I don't keep potatoes in the mental veg box, they go in starch.
I suspect you are looking at this for someone else and if you want to advise on a balanced diet one of the best is the DASH diet which you can find online. It was originally designed to reduce blood pressure but has been very succesful in tackling cardivascular risk.