Curing Diabetes?

There are many Gurus who claim that their retreat, diet, etc can "cure" diabetes. In non-insulin dependent diabetes (type 2) the physical issue is not enough insulin (as opposed to none). In this type of diabetes, making the lower amount of insulin work will "cure" it without medication.

Essentially the way to do this is to eat less and exercise more and lose weight if possible. Retreats that force you to do that will work.

Recently some researchers (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2017-221854) tried a diet where patients were asked to fast (until dinner) three times a week, and generally eat a low carbohydrate diet. All the patients were able to stop their insulin and 67% stopped all diabetes medicine. And they felt great. They all lost weight.

This is not going to be a universal cure, but shows how proper diet can help diabetes!

Children and Food Additives

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently posted some recommendations on food additives and their effects:

Here are some of the additives with the most evidence for concern:

• Bisphenols: Used in plastic containers and the lining of metal cans, bisphenols (such as BPA) can disrupt endocrine function, potentially reducing fertility and changing the timing of puberty. Research also suggests effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes and childhood obesity.

• Phthalates: Found in plastic food wrap as well as in plastic tubes used during food manufacturing, phthalates have been tied to endocrine disruption (including testicular toxicity), cardiotoxic effects, and oxidative stress.

• Nitrates and nitrites: Added directly to foods (usually processed meats) as a preservative or to enhance color, these compounds have been linked to cancer and thyroid dysfunction.

To help reduce exposure, the AAP recommends that clinicians advise families to eat more fresh or frozen (rather than canned) fruits and vegetables, and to avoid processed meats. In addition, plastic shouldn't be put in microwaves or dishwashers, as heat can cause chemicals to leak into food.

More information is available here

You Are What You Eat

I have always been a proponent of eating unprocessed food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a generally healthy diet. Recently there have been a slew of studies which support this.

Processed Foods

In JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(4):490-498, a study in France of over 45,000 people showed a 14% increase in death for every 10% increase in ultraprocessed foods.

Fiber and Grains

In Lancet Volume 393, ISSUE 10170, P434-445, and in Lancet January 10 two articles confirmed the health benefits of "good" carbohydrates, high in fiber, and whole grains. Diets rich in these foods resulted in up to 30% lower risk for heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Sweetened Drinks - Home is where it starts

Our family never had sweetened soda in our home - probably started by my Eastern European parents who couldn't comprehend spending money on drinks when water was free. To try and stop children from drinking these in excess there have been movements to tax the drinks, make large cups illegal, and remove them from schools. But is a recent study, J Pediatr 2018 Jul 18, researchers found that the one most important factor in adolescents drinking sugary soda was availability in the home. That's where it needs to start!

Screen Time - The Dumbing of America?

Recently my wife and I were in a restaurant and noticed a young child, in a stroller, perhaps 2 years old, sitting at the next table being "babysat" by an ipad. Of course the parents were also using their screens. Well there was no distracting conversation!

In another recent study (JAMA Pediatr 2019 Jan 28) researchers once again found that, after accounting for household income, maternal education, maternal depression, and parenting style, there were significant associations between more media use at 24 months and lower language and intelligent scores at 36 months and at 60 months. Not really a surprise as evidence has been increasing in recent years

Could this decrease in our general intelligence, our reliance and devices and belief in anything on the Internet leave us open to Russian and other meddling through social media? A form of Internet Dis-Intelligence?

Screen Time bad for Everyone

There have been many articles (some quoted here) that show excess screen time in children (more than 1 hour a day) is associated with lower results in intelligence and poor behavior.

Now a publication (Scientific Reports volume 9, Article number: 2851 (2019) ) has shown an association between TV watching and risk of dementia or Alzheimer's. Following 3600 adults over 50, they found that those who watched 3.5 or more hours of TV daily (as opposed to less than 2.5) had an over 20% decrease in tests of verbal cognition. It was a linear response, those with 7 hours a day had a 50% worsening compared with the lower volume. The authors wonder if this is related to lack of mental stimulation (which has been shown to improve cognition. So turn it off!

Vaccinations

When Polio vaccine was developed, there was collective sigh of relief among parents. Thousands of children had been stricken with paralysis and death. You can read many novels about the frightening times.I had some friends growing up who had partial paralysis.

The remarkable progress in eliminating these childhood diseases, often fatal, including measles, tetanus and more, has led to complacence. The anti-vaccine crowd with their unscientific scare tactics are taking advantage of what has become a widespread belief that "if it is on the Internet it must be true".

I never thought I would hear or see a case of tetanus (with its 70% plus mortality) but sure enough, in MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 Mar 8, there is a report of an unvaccinated child who almost died from the disease and is left with permanent disabilities.

Vaccines are a major step forward in medicine and have saved countless lives. Fables of their bad side effects belong with "fake news". Get your vaccines.

Artificial Sweeteners - More Dangers

I have posted many times about the dangers of artificial and non-nutritive sweeteners, such as Aspartame, Stevia and Monk Fruit extract. Previous studies have shown that these actually increase the desire for sugar and can lead to obesity.

Now, in Circulation 2019 Mar 18, a study of over 100,000 patients showed that ingestion of artificially sweetened beverages, especially in larger amounts, was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular death. This was especially seen in overweight people (the obvious target of these drinks) but also in those who did intense physical activity!

Not long ago I engaged in an email discussion with makers of specialized sports drinks, including those which cyclist like myself use on long rides, as to why they add Stevia or Monk fruit to their supplements. They insist it is for taste, but I have found that unnecessary, and now it appears harmful! So if you use these supplements (Hammer nutrition for example) read the ingredients. I discarded two large jars and now use Scratch Nutrition products.