I felt I needed to do this post after talking to one of my clients and hearing about the partner of a neighbour. It really got me angry and I needed to off-load.
I have put my client, who is male, 72 years of age, and suffering from Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), on my B-TRU Ketogenic diet. For the first time his blood glucose levels were dropping from 12 to the 5-6 range, and his wife, who is following the same diet, also suffering from T2DM but is much more compliant, has had levels dropping to the 4 range. Amazing! It has been a long time for both of them to experience levels in this healthy or near healthy range.
However, my patient recently went to a dinner (without his wife) and could not resist the white bread and the Sprite drink. While I understand that temptation often gets in the way, in his mind it was easier to do the wrong thing. The reason for this is that he has been led to believe that it doesn’t really matter if he excessively eats these foods, as he is religiously taking his medication, Metformin, that will keep his blood sugar levels in check.
Then we come to the partner of my neighbour. He is a 77 year old man, who is also suffering from T2DM, a stroke victim, and currently in a nursing home. However, despite taking his diabetic medication regularly as prescribed, he has now lost all his toes. Yes, all 10 of them! And we all know what they feed the elderly in nursing homes. Jellies, ice creams, pavlova and sweet biscuits etc. And they love it!!
Despite the encouraging results that I and others have experienced with our clients, and with ourselves, by drastically reducing processed carbs and sugars from the diet, there has been a consensus for many years that there is no direct link between sugar and T2DM. Indeed in a 2003 study, entitled “A Prospective Study of Sugar Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women” conducted by Janket el al, the conclusion states: “Intake of sugars does not appear to play a deleterious role in primary prevention of type 2 diabetes. These prospective data support the recent American Diabetes Association’s guideline that a moderate amount of sugar can be incorporated in a healthy diet.”
There are a lot of things I can say about this conclusion:
Indeed, what does a “moderate amount of sugar mean’? And what type of sugar are we really talking about? I know from my own experience and the experiences of my clients, once you start eating sugary, processed carbohydrates, you can’t stop. It is much like alcohol to an alcoholic. Not only are you addicted, but so are the “not so beneficial” microbes in your gut. These microbes cannot survive on oxygen like our cells, and need sugar to survive. This might not mean much to you if you have no idea how important your microbiome is, and how much impact the wrong types of microbes can have on your health. But believe me, coming from a microbiologist and naturopath, your healthy microbiome is paramount to so many aspects of your health and survival. You do not want the wrong types growing uncontrollably, overtaking your beneficial microbiome, and you do want the right ones in good numbers producing their vital metabolites.
