Did you know there are actually three different main types of diabetes? They are...

• Type 1,
• Type 2, and
• Gestational diabetes.
  

Each type has different causes and treatments.
Learn more about each type and what you can do to prevent some types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes, as it is frequently diagnosed in children and adolescents.
But adults can also be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The majority of Type 1 cases are triggered by an autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
An autoimmune disease occurs when a person's immune system attacks normal body tissue instead of protecting it.
The damage to the beta cells makes it so they can no longer produce insulin.
Without insulin, the body cannot move glucose, or sugar, from the blood to the cells.
This creates two problems.
When glucose isn't moved to the cells, the body can't use it for energy.
And when it builds up in the blood, it can cause damage to other organs of the body.
So people with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections so they can use glucose and stay healthy.
This form of diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all people with diabetes.
In Type 2 diabetes, the body either stops producing sufficient insulin or stops responding to it.
But people with Type 2 diabetes do have the ability to produce insulin, unlike those with Type 1.
The cause of Type 2 diabetes is a combination of several factors.
The main causes are inactivity and being overweight.
Another culprit is a large abdomen.
Fat in the abdominal area, visceral fat, builds up around the liver and other organs in the abdominal area.
And visceral fat cells manufacture chemicals preventing other cells from responding to insulin as they should.
These chemicals also trigger inflammation which is one of the body's methods of responding to injury.
The third type is Gestational diabetes which occurs during pregnancy in women who did not have diabetes before.
The exact cause of Gestational diabetes is not clear, but it may be caused by hormones from the placenta blocking the action of insulin in the mother's body.
This insulin resistance results in diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes can't be prevented.
Doctors don't know who will get it and who won't, or exactly why this autoimmune disease starts.
But there is much that can be done to lower your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes and Gestational diabetes.
There are several risk factors you can't control, like...

• your family history,
• race, and
• age.
  

But most of the risk factors can be modified.
Eating a healthy diet, having healthy exercise goals, and managing your weight are the most effective ways to prevent the development of Type 2 and Gestational diabetes.