Umshanguzo i-Insulin yatholakala ukusebenza kwayo ngo-1922 ezwenikazi iCanada. Ngo-1916 kwakunodokotela u-Elliot Joslin owayedume kakhulu ngokwelapha isifo sikashukela esebenzisa indlela yokunciphisa ukudla.
Inhloso yanamhlanje ukubuka ukuze sazi ngobubi balo mshanguzo oyi-Insulin. Lo mshanguzo singashwankathela imisebenzi yawo ngokuthi iyisikhwishikhwishi esiqinisekisa ubunqolobane bomzimba uphinde ube yihomoni eyakhayo.
Yile misebenzi emibili i-Insulin ekwazi ukukhombisa ubuhle nobubi bayo, kuthi njalo uma ushukela iGlucose inyuka egazini umzimba ubusukhiqiza le homoni i-Insulin yona ekwazi ukuqoqa bonke labo shukela bafakwe emalolini ansondo bese edilizelwa ngaphakathi ezakhini(cells).
Njalo uma kune Glucose eyinsalela okanye ezofika sekugcwele ezakhini, ibe isiqoqwa iyofakwa ekwenziweni kwamafutha. Lapha sibona ubuhle ngoba umzimba ubusukwazi ngokushesha ukubuyisela inani leGlucose egazini libe ngelemukelekile. Siphinde sibone ububana bayo bokugqugquzela ukwakhiwa kwamafutha. Lo mshanguzo umqoka kakhulu ngale nkathi ingane ikhula, iphinde Ibaluleke ngesikhathi sokushintsha komzimba ususuka ebunganeni uya ebuntombini noma ebunsizweni.
Kungasali ngaphandle ukubaluleka kakhulu ngalesi sikhathi umuntu wesifazane ekhulelwe, phela kudingeka kondliwe kukhuliswe isibusiso esingaphakathi esikhulayo, yingakho sidinga i-Insulin eningi egazini.
Okwamanje sisathe le homoni okanye umshanguzo i-Insulin iqoqa iGlucose iphinde ishanele labo Glucose abasele ngenxa yokugcwala ezakhini bathathwe kuyokwakhiwa amafutha.
Ngaphezu kwalokhu i-Insulin iyaphindaphindisa, kwakhiwe izingxenyana ezintsha emzimbeni, isibonelo ukwakheka komdlavuza.
Lo mshanguzo, i-Insulin, udala isifo somdlavuza ngaphakathi emzimbeni.
Kanjani? Angithi siyazi ukuthi emzimbeni kuhlale kwakhiwa,
izakhi(ama cells) ziyaziphindaphinda ukuze leyo ngxenye yomzimba ikhule. Kulokhu kuphindaphinda maningi amaphutha enzekayo.
Ngokwemvelo kuthi uma sekwenzeke isakhi saba yiphutha, lesi sakhi siyathathwa izinqola zomzimba siyotshingwa ndawo ndawo.
Lo msebenzi ubaluleke kakhulu ngoba uma ungenziwanga ngendlela lesiya sakhi ebesilimele siyakwazi kuphindaphindeka sesenziwa yi Insulin, sikhule sande lesi sakhi ngaleyo nkathi sekukhandeka umdlavuza. Sesiyabona ukuthi kulula kanjani ukuphembeka komdlavuza?
Okudingekayo yinqwaba ye insulin ehlezi egazini lokhu okwenziwa ukudla izinto ezigazingiwe (processed) noshukela uqobo. Lapha ngikhuluma nge rice, izinkwa, imayonezi, amarolls, olamthuthu, uju, ipizza, amabhega, izitambu, uphuthu, izidlo zasekuseni ezifana nepapa, cereals, ijuzi, ngingabala ngifikephi bafowethu?
Indlela yesibili i-Insulin edala isabalalise umdlavuza ngayo icishe ifane nalena kodwa ihluka ngoba sisuke sesibuka sithi wenzani lo mshanguzo uma sesimile ukukhula? Lesi yisikhathi lapho abaningi bengenwa khona umdlavuza, ngoba ngesikhathi ungasakhuli kuphinde kuqhubeke kwenyuke i-Insulin egazini, okubiza ukuthi le insulin eningi yenze okubili.
Okukuqala umshanguzo i-Insulin izokwenza amafutha, ukhuluphale ube nesisu esikhulu. Okwesibili yile insulin ezodala, ikhulise, ichamsele umdlavuza. Phela asikhumbule sithe ekuphindaphindaneni kukhona ama cells agcina engenzekanga kahle, angagcwali, yilawo agcina esephenduke umdlavuza ekhuliswa asabalale enziwa yile insulin.
Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi wena osebenzisa umshanguzo oyi Insulin ukulawula isifo sikashukela, usuvele wawandisa amathuba okuthi isifo somdlavuza sikunamathele.
Ngokusho njalo angichazi ukuthi hlukana nomjovo i-Insulin, kodwa ngiyakugqugquzela, woza kithina sizokulapha isifo sikashukela ukuze uzohlukana nalo mjovo emuva kokulashwa.
Ngicabanga kuyantwela ezansi ngokuthi kungani umdlavuza ulokhu usematheni, esinye sezizathu sizenza thina ngokudla njalo sigcine ushukela iGlucose iphezulu egazini ngaleyo ndlela iInsulin ibe phezulu; okulandelayo lapho ukuphembeka komdlavuza.
Isifundo lapha sithi: Gcina i-Insulin yakho iphansi egazini, ngokudla ukudla okungenashukela kanye ngosuku uma kukuphoqa kabili.
Asifunde ukungadli ekuseni, size siqale ukudla okungenani selishayile ihora lokuqala emini njalo nje. Isayensi engashayi khona eyayithi ukudla kwasekuseni yikhona okubalulekile, cha lutho akunjalo.
Uma uphoqeleka ukudla isidlo esinoshukela, okungenani yendulisa ngokudla okunamaprotheyini amaningi. Nalapho usuphoqekile ukudla lokho okunoshukela asifunde ukungakujahi ukudla kodwa sithathe isikhathi ekukulandeliseni.
Asikhumbule njalo ukudla okuwuswidi akusiniki lutho emzimbeni ngaphandle kokukhuluphala, isifo somfutho wegazi ophezulu, ukugula ngomqondo, ubuhlungu emzimbeni, induku engavuki, ukungafiki kuvuthondaba kwabesimame, iGlaucoma nokuvaleka kwamehlo, istroke, ukushintsha kwesikhumba sibe nezisihli, izingane zibe ne Autism okanye idlubulundele iye phambili, amadolo namanyonga abuhlungu, ukungabatholi abantwana kwabesilisa nabesimame nokuphuphumelwa izisu.
Inkinga ekhona isizwe asifuni ukuhlukana nalo shukela, bayala abantu bakithi bancamela ukufa kunokuyeka iziphuzo ezihlohlozayo. Noma ngabe usetsheliwe ukuthi unomdlavuza, uthi kungcono ukufa kunokuyeka ushukel. Sizoze sithini, sikhulume kanjani kanti?
Dkt Bongani Nxumalo