Survival Of The Sickest Chapter 1 Summary

Another illness that is mentioned in the book is diabetes. As Dr. Moalem describes it, “In diabetics, the process through which insulin helps the body use glucose is broken, and the sugar in the blood builds up to dangerously high levels.” The body either fails to produce enough insulin, or the body tissues become resistant to insulin, leading to high levels of glucose in the blood. The elevated levels of glucose build up in certain organs and the high glucose concentration in these organs can lead to serious complications, such as blindness, heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, nerve damage, and kidney damage. Some of the symptoms include fatigue, thirst, hunger, blurry vision, and the frequent need to urinate. Sugary urine has historically been known as a symptom of diabetes. The author writes, “In the past Chinese physicians actually diagnosed and monitored diabetes by looking to see whether ants were attracted to someone’s urine.” Therefore, sugary urine was a key factor for detecting and treating of the disease in the past. Today’s treatment typically consists of medication, exercise, and a balanced diet. Unfortunately, diabetes has had a huge impact on humanity, as it currently affects about 171 million people

Dr. Moalem’s unique view on disease and humanity’s complex relationship with it inspired many questions in the mind of the reader. He theorizes that diseases passed on genetically remained in the gene pool because they may have provided advantages to our ancestors, and this theory casts a new light and creates a new perspective on such diseases. The diseases discussed in the book, such as hemochromatosis, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, would ordinarily be considered harmful. However, the author explains that under different circumstance, these illnesses might have been viewed as beneficial instead, and that these benefits are worth