Diabetes Myths?

[imoldernu]

Posting this because the referenced article points up a number of things that I had never heard about diabetes.
Since "everything that's on the internet MUST be true"... I wonder if anyone here might believe differently.
In any case, maybe the article is worth a read.
Sugar's Role in Diabetes - Better Medicine

A small excerpt here, but more interesting stuff in the article:

Assuming an elevated blood sugar level is the cause of diabetes is like assuming that coughing is the cause of pneumonia. And not only does sugar itself not cause diabetes, there is no convincing evidence that sugar causes other problems that it has been blamed for, such as hyperactivity. Many medical myths develop along these lines.
Dispelling this myth regarding sugar may correct the assumption many people have about the development of diabetes — that people with this illness have brought it on themselves by eating the wrong kinds of foods. Although it is true that avoiding obesity may reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, the specific types of foods you eat may play little or no known role. And not all persons with diabetes are overweight — that's another myth. For these patients, heredity and perhaps other undiscovered factors are more important.

 

[Ready]

It appears to be accurate information, based on my knowledge of diabetes. There has been a lot of focus on eating low carb diets lately because it is believed that eating foods with a high glycemic index will spike your blood sugar level, which then causes your body to secrete insulin to mange the blood sugar. It is the secretion of excess insulin that eventually causes weight gain. This is what Dr. Robert Atkins, and many who have followed in the high protein low carb diets, have advocated.

In the case of diabetes, your body may not be able to properly generate enough insulin to manage your blood sugar level. This is why diabetics are often treated with insulin, and lately have also been encouraged to eat low glycemic foods. The foods themselves are not causing diabetes, but they are making their bodies work overtime to produce enough insulin to manage the spikes in blood sugar levels.

If you don't have diabetes, it would seem unlikely that eating sugary foods would cause you to develop diabetes. However, if you are borderline diabetic, it is possible that eating these foods could put you over the edge.

 

[Corporateburnout]

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 but I was never a big sugar and sweets consumer and I am moderately overweight but not obese. None of my parents or siblings have had the disease. Another cause omitted from the article that some doctors like Mark Hyman in his book "the sugar solution" believe that high level of stress can cause diabetes in people with genetic disposition due to increased production of the hormone " cortisol".

Fortunately I will be retiring at the end of March which will relieve the cause of stress in my life and will allow me time to focus on my health.

 

[Mr. Paul]

That's a short article on a big, complicated problem. I don't why the article concentrates on sugar so much:

"A person with diabetes is generally advised to avoid foods with a high sugar content and to maintain a diet and medication schedule that maintains as normal a blood sugar level as possible"

When it comes to diabetes, sugar is just another carb. Much more harmful than sugar is our society's ingestion of carbohydrates. A hamburger bun can easily have more carbs than a candy bar. If a doctor is recommending avoiding high sugar content without talking about carbs he is doing the patient no favors.

 

[braumeister]

Skeptic here.
The OP article sounds to me like it was sponsored by the sugar industry.

On a "normal" diet, my blood glucose level had been gradually rising for many years.
A few years ago, it got up to the "pre-diabetic" range (it reached 106 at its high point), which worried me a lot.
At that point, I went on a low carbohydrate diet and my blood glucose immediately went back down to the normal range.
Today it's still happily down there (86 at last lab test).
I love my LCHF diet!

There is plenty of good source material discussing metabolic syndrome, but the first one I found that helped me enormously was Gary Taubes' book:
Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It: Gary Taubes: 9780307474254: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Mr. Paul]

+ 1 on the Taubes book.

 

[haha]

Skeptic here.
The OP article sounds to me like it was sponsored by the sugar industry.

For sure this writer is shilling for the sugar industry, who have lately taken some justified flak - but of course no real political or legislative action, which will not eve happen when half of us are diabetic

And what of the fact that not all diabetics or pre- diabetics are fat? The lean ones likely come to it by a different, less common mechanism-as 80% of diabetics are said to be fat, although I have never seen any careful data

Ha

 

[jerome len]

My Dad died of diabetes........my brother is very sick with type 2 diabetes.

Both my Dad and my brother were heavy sugar eaters until the Doc told them to cut way.....way back on sugar.

No way is sugar good for you.....no way......everyone will get some natural sugars in fruits and yogurts BUT.......no one with a family history of diabetes should eat cookies, candy, donuts etc.

ten years ago I was told I was a pre diabetic......10 years ago I started excercising, gave up "sweets", doubled my intake of fruits and vegitables, elminated butter for olive oil, and lost some weight. Today, I'm healthy, and my brother is not. So, no one can convince me that a very healthy lifestyle with an absolute minimum of sugar won't extend your life. I believe it will.....and I have a life worth living!

 

[RAE]

Skeptic here.
The OP article sounds to me like it was sponsored by the sugar industry.

Yep, that's what I was thinking also. Diabetes is clearly influenced by dietary consumption of sugars, cereal grains, and industrial seed oils. If you doubt that, do your own research - there are a lot of good books and well-researched articles out there on this subject. Here is one good article to start with, by Chris Kresser:

How to eat your way to diabesity

 

[Elbata]

Eating the Western diet leads to diabetes. Here's an interview of a doctor who in Uganda didn't see one case of diabetes in that country for 10 years.

 

[LinCella]

I'm not a sugar or sweets eater but I love carbs. Bread, chips, etc. I have diabetes. All carbs convert to glucose. I can have a teaspoon of sugar or some other item of equal carb value - pretty much the same thing.

 

[braumeister]

I'm not a sugar or sweets eater but I love carbs. Bread, chips, etc. I have diabetes. All carbs convert to glucose. I can have a teaspoon of sugar or some other item of equal carb value - pretty much the same thing.

Yes, quite right.
The definition of "diabetes" is subject to interpretation, as is the definition of "cure".

But there is an impressive body of research that shows at least the possibility (for many people) of eliminating the use of drugs and achieving complete control over their blood glucose/insulin metabolism through a LCHF diet.

 

[haha]

Yes, quite right.
The definition of "diabetes" is subject to interpretation, as is the definition of "cure".

But there is an impressive body of research that shows at least the possibility (for many people) of eliminating the use of drugs and achieving complete control over their blood glucose/insulin metabolism through a LCHF diet.

You are a brewer. Did you have no swear off your output to achieve the good results you have gained?

Ha

 

[braumeister]

You are a brewer. Did you have no swear off your output to achieve the good results you have gained?

Ha

Not me!
My beer consumption has not varied in 20 years -- an average of about two pints a day. Sure, sometimes it's as much as five pints, but other times it's none, but on average right around two.

What counts is that I only drink very good beer. Some of my friends occasionally get a laugh when we go to a good restaurant in a group. I'll ask what beer they have available, and when I hear the lineup I ask for a glass of water.

 

[haha]

Not me!
My beer consumption has not varied in 20 years -- an average of about two pints a day. Sure, sometimes it's as much as five pints, but other times it's none, but on average right around two.

What counts is that I only drink very good beer. Some of my friends occasionally get a laugh when we go to a good restaurant in a group. I'll ask what beer they have available, and when I hear the lineup I ask for a glass of water.

Wow, I am very impressed! I know classy beers taste better, but did not know that they have less effect on blood sugar.

Ha

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Wow, I am very impressed! I know classy beers taste better, but did not know that they have less effect on blood sugar.

Ha

It's all in the head.

 

[braumeister]

Wow, I am very impressed! I know classy beers taste better, but did not know that they have less effect on blood sugar. Ha

Not what I meant!
The carbs in one beer are the same as in another.
I just meant that my total carb intake is low enough that a couple of beers can be part of my regular diet.

 

[donheff]

The article was absolutely useless. It asserted that sugar isn't a problem but did not discuss any of the evidence either way.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I find it interesting that the prevention recommendations from the International Diabetes Federation focus on exercise and weight control (particularly belly fat) rather than diet. I could not find any recommendation for a low carb diet on their information dense site.
In this summation of various recent studies, only the Finnish study emphasizes a low fat/high fiber diet - Studies | International Diabetes Federation

Under the diabetes atlas section they state that -

80% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries

I was under the impression that rich countries had the highest rate of diabetes - implying better access to calorie dense diets.

 

[braumeister]

I was under the impression that rich countries had the highest rate of diabetes - implying better access to calorie dense diets.

According to the WHO,

More than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries

which is not exactly the same thing. Better treatment would be available in rich countries.

 

[Amethyst]

Makes sense to me. If you are burning the calories at a fast clip, it should not matter as much to your body what kind of calories they are. It just grabs 'em and burns 'em. (naturally you still need to get your other nutrients).

Amethyst

I find it interesting that the prevention recommendations from the International Diabetes Federation focus on exercise and weight control (particularly belly fat) rather than diet. I could not find any recommendation for a low carb diet on their information dense site.
In this summation of various recent studies, only the Finnish study emphasizes a low fat/high fiber diet - Studies | International Diabetes Federation

Under the diabetes atlas section they state that -
I was under the impression that rich countries had the highest rate of diabetes - implying better access to calorie dense diets.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

According to the WHO, which is not exactly the same thing. Better treatment would be available in rich countries.

From page 54 of the free 160 page PDF book -
A global perspective

"The majority of people with diabetes live in the economically less-devoped regions of the world. Even in Africa, the Region with the lowest prevalence, it is estimated that around 522,600 people died due to diabetes in 2013. the disparities in the worlds responce to the epidemic are huge: although 80% of people with diabetes live in low and middle-income countries, only 20% of global health expenditure on the disease was made in those countries"

Could they both be right?
link to the book -

EN_6E_Atlas_Full.pdf

 

[Mr. Paul]

I find it interesting that the prevention recommendations from the International Diabetes Federation focus on exercise and weight control (particularly belly fat) rather than diet. I could not find any recommendation for a low carb diet on their information dense site.

As of 5 years ago (when I decided to quit wasting my time) there was no recommendation on the American Diabetes Association web site for a low carb diet. Not enough money in it perhaps. I found personal experience freely shared on forums like this one to be much more instructive.

 

[Chuckanut]

My blood sugar levels after fasting were going up a bit every year, though I was never in the pre-diabetic range. I adoped a lower-carb, higher fat diet of my own design to lose some extra pounds I was putting on. One side effect was my fasting blood sugar level is now just a bit above the low point of the average range, rather than in the higher end of the average range. Another side effect is that my acid reflux is gone, no more need for the meds.

Note: LCHF is just not high protein. It is higher fat. Preferably natural fats, not trans fats. And as the Harvard School for Public Health has recently admitted, the belief that eating fat makes you fat was 'misguided'.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

My blood sugar levels after fasting were going up a bit every year, though I was never in the pre-diabetic range. I adoped a lower-carb, higher fat diet of my own design to lose some extra pounds I was putting on. One side effect was my fasting blood sugar level is now just a bit above the low point of the average range, rather than in the higher end of the average range. Another side effect is that my acid reflux is gone, no more need for the meds.

If you could allow a generous dose of carbohydrate back into your diet without weight gain, no GERD, and still keep your lipids and fasting glucose well within the green zone would you do so? That is my situation.