According to the American Diabetes Assocation (ADA), Diabetes now afflicts 20.8
million Americans, or 7% of our population. Only 5-10% of Diabetics are type 1, where
through autoimmune destruction of insulin producing beta-cells, they now have a
lifelong dependence on insulin. The rest are classified as type 2, resulting from insulin
resistance (the cells of the body stop responding to insulin) combined with insulin
deficiency. According to the ADA there are 54 million Americans who have
prediabetes, or 17% of our population.
What's causing this epidemic? Is it really "bad genes" or what we are
putting into our bodies?
Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening condition that has everything to do with what one
eats (excessive and poor food choices) and what one does not eat (nutritional
deficiencies), and much less to do with the supposed biological fatalism of our genes.
While geneticists apply vast amounts of time, energy and money to finding the "causes"
of disease in our genes, much less attention is placed on research that has already
proven that the consumption of foods like wheat, dairy and soy are major contributing
factors in the development of type 1 diabetes, or that the consumption of high fructose
corn syrup and hydrogenated oil contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Blaming "bad genes" on diseases like diabetes is a convenient way to escape the
obvious things we can do individually, and as a culture, to prevent the escalation of an
already epidemic problem.
We shouldn't settle for the unlikely prospect of a future "cure" via the
pharmaceutical pipeline, gene therapy, stem cell research or similar scientific
fantasies, when the cause (and therefore the cure) of diabetes may be as close to
us as what is at the end of our fork.
It is universally accepted that type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system
attacking the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Eventually the pancreas is
no longer capable of producing insulin. While geneticist look for the "bad genes" that
are supposedly "causing" the autoimmune problem, it is well documented that in
susceptible individuals something in wheat known as gliadin stimulates diabetogenic
class II HLA antigens on the surface of the pancreatic islet cells (cells that normally do
no display these antigens), marking them for autoimmune destruction. [Do dietary
lectins cause disease? BMJ 1999;318:1023-1024].
Not everyone who eats wheat will develop diabetes. Different people will exhibit
differing degrees of susceptibility to wheat lectin and this is why it is right to say that
there is a "genetic component" to the development of type 1 diabetes, or to any
disease. But acknowledging the existence of genetic differences and differing
susceptibilities to illness in a population is not to say that genes are "causing" the
disease. In the case of wheat lectin, it is not the gene that is causing the islet cell to
present an antigen on its surface. It takes wheat lectin to activate the genes necessary
for this cellular transformation. To use an analogy, the genes predisposing one to
higher risk for diabetes are like an "unloaded gun." The "bullets" are certain allergenic
foods like wheat, dairy and soy. The "triggers" that "fire" this "loaded gun" are varied,
from prolonged exposure to these foods, to increased intestinal/gut permeability,
vaccinations, viral infections, and perhaps a multitude of as of yet unknown factors.
If we know that the three most commonly lauded "health foods," wheat, dairy and soy all
are implicated in the development of type 1 diabetes, wouldn't it be a good idea to
remove them from the diets of our young as a precaution? What is the other
alternative? Succumb to the fatalistic fallacies of the "gene theory" of disease, and just
hope that our children won't develop the disease because they do not have "the bad
gene," or have just been lucky in the game of nutritional russian roulette?
Type 2 Diabetes - a preventable disease!
Type 2 diabetes, and the prediabetic state of insulin resistance that precedes it, are
caused by the following preventable factors:
1) excessive consumption of calories.
2) inactivity; lack of exercise.
3) Consumption of high glycemic foods (foods that make the blood sweet): a)
primarily sugar and grain derived carbohydrates, e.g. pasta, cereal, crackers.
b) high fructose corn syrup.
4) hydrogenated oils
5) nutritional deficiencies of minerals, especially magnesium, chromium and
zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids, as found in foods like flaxseed, walnuts and wild
fish.
When we eat beyond our capacity, excess energy is stored in the body as glycogen
and saturated fat. When through prolonged over-consumption of food our body no
longer has room to store these unneeded calories, insulin resistance emerges. As if to
protect itself from caloric over-saturation, the fat cells and muscle cells begin to lose the
number of insulin receptors, thus reducing the amount of glucose that may enter. This
causes the blood sugar to raise to unhealthy levels leaving the pancreas with no other
option than to overcompensate and produce more insulin. If this cycle continues,
eventually the insulin producing beta cells become enervated and lose their ability to
produce insulin, resulting in full blown type 2 diabetes. Caloric restriction becomes of
vital importance in forestalling the development of type 2 diabetes.
Exercise is essential in helping the body use up stored energy, converting calories
consumed into calories burned. Exercise has the opposite effect of over-eating,
increasing the number of insulin receptors in muscle, and increasing the sensitivity of
the body to insulin; hence, releasing the pancreas of the burden of constant insulin
production. Exercise also results in the release of appetite suppressing hormones and
neurotransmitters which help to forestall over-eating.
Carbohydrates generally have an insulin secreting effect on the body because they
have a high glycemic rating. That is to say, carbohydrates cause the blood to become
sweeter than protein or fat, which are broken down slowly in the body, independently of
insulin. Even so-called "complex carbohydrates" like puffed rice have higher glycemic
ratings (110) than white sugar (80), which is 50% fructose, and therefore less likely to
induce an insulin response than these "whole grains."
The perception that "whole grains" are good for our health and should be consumed in
plenty is based on the assumption that the millions of years of biological evolution that
preceded the advent of the agrarian revolution (circa 10,000 b.c.) are no longer
relevant. We spent 2.5 million years as homo sapiens in the capacity of hunters and
gatherers, and countless millions of years before that as foragers. Our metabolism is
simply not designed for large amounts of starch, sugar, and synthetically produced
sweeteners and fats. We need fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, and high quality
animal protein in plenty.
High Fructose Corn Syrup has been shown to cause insulin resistance in rats and
humans. It also been associated with insatiable hunger and increased production of fat.
Hydrogenated oils dramatically reduce the responsiveness of our muscle and fat to
insulin, whereas, omega 3 fatty acids increase that responsiveness. A search of the
biomedical citations on www.pubmed.gov shows a treasure house of research proving
omega 3 fatty acids help to correct insulin resistance.
Numerous clinical studies have also been done showing that magnesium, gtf chromium,
chelated zinc, alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon (ceylon or true cinnamon; not cassia or false
cinnamon) all help to prevent, reduce or reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes.
The reason why these truly remarkable dietary supplements receive less attention than
they deserve is because they are not "patentable drugs." Mother Nature's formulas are
proprietary, but She does not grant patents! Rather, she offers these things to us to
use freely for self-healing, if only we would listen and consider ourselves deserving
enough to use them.
million Americans, or 7% of our population. Only 5-10% of Diabetics are type 1, where
through autoimmune destruction of insulin producing beta-cells, they now have a
lifelong dependence on insulin. The rest are classified as type 2, resulting from insulin
resistance (the cells of the body stop responding to insulin) combined with insulin
deficiency. According to the ADA there are 54 million Americans who have
prediabetes, or 17% of our population.
What's causing this epidemic? Is it really "bad genes" or what we are
putting into our bodies?
Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening condition that has everything to do with what one
eats (excessive and poor food choices) and what one does not eat (nutritional
deficiencies), and much less to do with the supposed biological fatalism of our genes.
While geneticists apply vast amounts of time, energy and money to finding the "causes"
of disease in our genes, much less attention is placed on research that has already
proven that the consumption of foods like wheat, dairy and soy are major contributing
factors in the development of type 1 diabetes, or that the consumption of high fructose
corn syrup and hydrogenated oil contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Blaming "bad genes" on diseases like diabetes is a convenient way to escape the
obvious things we can do individually, and as a culture, to prevent the escalation of an
already epidemic problem.
We shouldn't settle for the unlikely prospect of a future "cure" via the
pharmaceutical pipeline, gene therapy, stem cell research or similar scientific
fantasies, when the cause (and therefore the cure) of diabetes may be as close to
us as what is at the end of our fork.
It is universally accepted that type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system
attacking the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Eventually the pancreas is
no longer capable of producing insulin. While geneticist look for the "bad genes" that
are supposedly "causing" the autoimmune problem, it is well documented that in
susceptible individuals something in wheat known as gliadin stimulates diabetogenic
class II HLA antigens on the surface of the pancreatic islet cells (cells that normally do
no display these antigens), marking them for autoimmune destruction. [Do dietary
lectins cause disease? BMJ 1999;318:1023-1024].
Not everyone who eats wheat will develop diabetes. Different people will exhibit
differing degrees of susceptibility to wheat lectin and this is why it is right to say that
there is a "genetic component" to the development of type 1 diabetes, or to any
disease. But acknowledging the existence of genetic differences and differing
susceptibilities to illness in a population is not to say that genes are "causing" the
disease. In the case of wheat lectin, it is not the gene that is causing the islet cell to
present an antigen on its surface. It takes wheat lectin to activate the genes necessary
for this cellular transformation. To use an analogy, the genes predisposing one to
higher risk for diabetes are like an "unloaded gun." The "bullets" are certain allergenic
foods like wheat, dairy and soy. The "triggers" that "fire" this "loaded gun" are varied,
from prolonged exposure to these foods, to increased intestinal/gut permeability,
vaccinations, viral infections, and perhaps a multitude of as of yet unknown factors.
If we know that the three most commonly lauded "health foods," wheat, dairy and soy all
are implicated in the development of type 1 diabetes, wouldn't it be a good idea to
remove them from the diets of our young as a precaution? What is the other
alternative? Succumb to the fatalistic fallacies of the "gene theory" of disease, and just
hope that our children won't develop the disease because they do not have "the bad
gene," or have just been lucky in the game of nutritional russian roulette?
Type 2 Diabetes - a preventable disease!
Type 2 diabetes, and the prediabetic state of insulin resistance that precedes it, are
caused by the following preventable factors:
1) excessive consumption of calories.
2) inactivity; lack of exercise.
3) Consumption of high glycemic foods (foods that make the blood sweet): a)
primarily sugar and grain derived carbohydrates, e.g. pasta, cereal, crackers.
b) high fructose corn syrup.
4) hydrogenated oils
5) nutritional deficiencies of minerals, especially magnesium, chromium and
zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids, as found in foods like flaxseed, walnuts and wild
fish.
When we eat beyond our capacity, excess energy is stored in the body as glycogen
and saturated fat. When through prolonged over-consumption of food our body no
longer has room to store these unneeded calories, insulin resistance emerges. As if to
protect itself from caloric over-saturation, the fat cells and muscle cells begin to lose the
number of insulin receptors, thus reducing the amount of glucose that may enter. This
causes the blood sugar to raise to unhealthy levels leaving the pancreas with no other
option than to overcompensate and produce more insulin. If this cycle continues,
eventually the insulin producing beta cells become enervated and lose their ability to
produce insulin, resulting in full blown type 2 diabetes. Caloric restriction becomes of
vital importance in forestalling the development of type 2 diabetes.
Exercise is essential in helping the body use up stored energy, converting calories
consumed into calories burned. Exercise has the opposite effect of over-eating,
increasing the number of insulin receptors in muscle, and increasing the sensitivity of
the body to insulin; hence, releasing the pancreas of the burden of constant insulin
production. Exercise also results in the release of appetite suppressing hormones and
neurotransmitters which help to forestall over-eating.
Carbohydrates generally have an insulin secreting effect on the body because they
have a high glycemic rating. That is to say, carbohydrates cause the blood to become
sweeter than protein or fat, which are broken down slowly in the body, independently of
insulin. Even so-called "complex carbohydrates" like puffed rice have higher glycemic
ratings (110) than white sugar (80), which is 50% fructose, and therefore less likely to
induce an insulin response than these "whole grains."
The perception that "whole grains" are good for our health and should be consumed in
plenty is based on the assumption that the millions of years of biological evolution that
preceded the advent of the agrarian revolution (circa 10,000 b.c.) are no longer
relevant. We spent 2.5 million years as homo sapiens in the capacity of hunters and
gatherers, and countless millions of years before that as foragers. Our metabolism is
simply not designed for large amounts of starch, sugar, and synthetically produced
sweeteners and fats. We need fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, and high quality
animal protein in plenty.
High Fructose Corn Syrup has been shown to cause insulin resistance in rats and
humans. It also been associated with insatiable hunger and increased production of fat.
Hydrogenated oils dramatically reduce the responsiveness of our muscle and fat to
insulin, whereas, omega 3 fatty acids increase that responsiveness. A search of the
biomedical citations on www.pubmed.gov shows a treasure house of research proving
omega 3 fatty acids help to correct insulin resistance.
Numerous clinical studies have also been done showing that magnesium, gtf chromium,
chelated zinc, alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon (ceylon or true cinnamon; not cassia or false
cinnamon) all help to prevent, reduce or reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes.
The reason why these truly remarkable dietary supplements receive less attention than
they deserve is because they are not "patentable drugs." Mother Nature's formulas are
proprietary, but She does not grant patents! Rather, she offers these things to us to
use freely for self-healing, if only we would listen and consider ourselves deserving
enough to use them.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| ...To Learn About the Dangers of Splenda click below. |