In explaining the aetiology of this atypical phasic insulin dependence clinical syndrome, an hypothesis has been developed:

Poor nutrition and bush teas predispose to persistence of free radicals which can cause membrane damage.
This damage can result in exposed or induced antigens which can elicit antibodies. This is further aggravated by frequent infections eg viral
These antibodies can cross react with insulin,its receptors and transporters as well as islet cells, inter alia.
This can lead to insulin resistance on the one hand and insufficiency on the other hand, with the latter being further aggravated by direct dmage to islet cells such as in alcoholism.
The state of the equilibrium between the insulin resistance and insufficiency can lead to types 1 & 2 diabetes respectively, with a transitional phasic insulin deficiency syndrome between these two ends of the spectrum.

This is called THE UNITARIAN HYPOTHESIS, which suggests that from a single toxic insult, a cascade of reactions can result in either type of diabetes. Herein the atypical has served to elucidate the typical.