No surprise here. But some researchers got a paper out of it.
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Lumps of Death
In the 1950s, John Yudkin wrote a book, Pure, White, and Deadly (amazingly still available at Amazon), blaming sugar as the primary cause of heart disease (coronary heart disease). The idea didn’t gain sufficient traction and the dietary fat theory of heart disease became the reigning dogma. Now that the latter theory has been discredited, researchers are looking at sugar again.
The British Medical Journal has a pertinent article you’ll undoubtedly enjoy, if you’re the sort of person who enjoys these things. I quote:
“In recent years, and slowly, the sugar hypothesis has been making a comeback, driven in part by the emerging perception of heart disease as a consequence of what’s now described as the metabolic syndrome: obesity, dyslipidaemia, raised blood pressure, and insulin resistance. Although there is still no consensus about the causes of the syndrome, an excess of fat in the liver—a response to dietary sugar—is one of the acknowledged possibilities. Fructose, found in large quantities in nearly all added sugars, is known to increase lipogenesis in the liver and the synthesis of hepatic triglyceride.”
Filed under Heart Disease
Maybe his method works only for him, but I doubt it. David has diabetes, by the way. See his 2012 article at HealthCentral for details. Here’s a bit:
One cornerstone of this new way to lose weight and maintain weight loss is a twist on a standard dieting recommendation. But instead of weighing myself once a week, I weigh myself every morning.
Supposedly people get discouraged from daily weigh-ins because our weight seems to fluctuate up or down a couple of pounds every day for no good reason, or for at least for no reason that we can figure out. The fluctuations are certainly true in my experience. But, of course, the same fluctuations happen when we make our weigh-ins once a week, and that would be even more misleading.
Then, when the scales tell me that my weight is up that morning from the previous morning, I make an immediate course correction, which we know is easier in the long run than to wait until things get totally out of hand. My immediate course correction is simple. I skip dinner that day.
Note well, however, that skipping dinner could lead to major hypoglycemia if you’re taking certain diabetes drugs. Work with your personal healthcare provider on drug dose adjustments.
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…of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. A quote:
For newly diagnosed patients, the algorithm lays out treatment decisions based on starting A1C levels. Medication management is recommended for all patients in addition to lifestyle modification. Metformin, incretins, DPP4-inhibitors and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are the drugs of choice, in the order listed, for initial therapy.
Sulfonylureas and thiazoladinediones are not first-line drugs.
A New York Times opinion piece by a doctor injects a note of caution. Were the guidelines unduly influenced by Big Pharma?
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“I really avoid grains and starches, so meats and vegetables and fruits are my diet,” he tweeted. “I make them all different ways to keep it interesting. What’s worked for me is no sugar, no grains, no dairy except goat cheese, no white starches, portion control, and high intensity workouts.”
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Filed under Weight Loss
First Nation people traditionally ate salmon, a great source of marine omega-3 fatty acids
DietDoctor Andreas Eenfeldt recently interviewed Jay Wortman, M.D., and posted it at his blog. Dr. Wortman apparently cured his type 2 diabetes with a low carb diet. The interview doesn’t reveal how many carbohydrate grams Dr. Wortman eats daily, but I’m guessing under 60 g, perhaps as low as 30. He avoids sugars and starches.
Dr. Wortman also did research on application of the ancestral diet (low-carb) among aborigines on the west coast of Canada. I think they call them First Nation people. The low-carb diet helped them get off diabetes and high blood pressure drugs while losing excess weight. Dr. Wortman mentioned the diet improved heartburn, too. Folks who go low-carb frequently report an improvement in heartburn. That’s even been studied scientifically.
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Filed under Inspiration
The biggest risk is hypoglycemia.
A decade ago some early studies convinced us that tight blood sugar control (e.g., glucose under 120 mg/dl or 6.7 mmol/l) lead to better outcomes in ICU patients, particularly in coronary bypass surgical cases. The American College of Physicians says 140 to 200 mg/dl is good enough (7.8 to 11.1 mmol/l). The article at MedPageToday didn’t mention open heart surgery specifically, however.
Science marches forward!
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Nurse Jean Jeffers writes about one person’s cure for prediabetes. Much of it makes sense to me and is consistent with the scientific literature. Ms. Jeffers is a bit too alarmist about prediabetes complications, so don’t let that scare you. But this is scary: half of Americans over 65 have prediabetes. An edited quote:
Some of Dot’s very doable ways to help with prediabetes include:
1. Experiment with a variety of new fruits in your diet.
2. Experiment with new vegetables. Try one new one every week or so.
6. Make the five-percent resolution: Resolve to lose five percent of your body weight. You’ll be surprised at the benefits. Then lose another five percent.
8. Walk for fun, with friends, or in solitude. Some individuals meditate while walking.
10. Go light on carbohydrates in your meals. Eat dessert maybe only one time per week.
The bit about losing 5% of you body weight usually only applies if you have excess fat to begin with.
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Clay Wirestone writes about some of the new diabetes drugs over at DiabetesHealth. Check it out if interested in Symlin, Byetta, or Invokana. A snippet:
A lot of potential patients means that scientists are working on a lot of potential breakthroughs. But it’s hard to know, sometimes, which drugs are the real breakthroughs and which ones are simply hyped-up versions of already available treatments. Your team of medical professionals will help you. It pays to stay informed, as well, so you’re not surprised if a new treatment is suggested.
His writing isn’t as dry as my Drugs for Diabetes. But I cover all 12 available drug classes.
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E-book cover
Almost two years ago, a few patients asked me if the up-and-coming paleo diet might help with diabetes management. I had no idea. I’ve been studying the issue since then and have concluded that it may be healthful. Perhaps you’ve been following my intellectual journey at the Paleo Diabetic blog.
At this point there are many versions of the paleo diet out there. They vary widely in terms of carbohydrate content, which could be a major problem if you have diabetes. On the plus side, most paleo diets favor low-glycemic-index carbohydrates instead of high-GI. That would tend to smooth out blood sugar spikes. As far as I know, none of the published programs are designed specifically for people with diabetes. Until now.
I’m prepared when my next patient asks me about a paleo diabetic diet. I’ll refer him to the Paleobetic Diet.
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Click the pic to purchase at Amazon.com. E-book versions also available at Smashwords.com.
Bible Verse of the Day
Diabetic Mediterranean Diet 