Can't be much worse than eating some Haribo nightly which didn't make any difference to me.

































They are made of Sugar Coachbuster what's with the pre-determined negative judgement?
I eat 100's of grams of sugar some days to no damage.

Sugar, Coated with Myths



According to the Sugar Association, "Pure and simple, sugar is as perfect as it gets."1 Eating sugar causes immediate changes in the brain's chemistry—similar to those seen after the use of narcotics—producing heightened pleasure.2  No wonder people find sweet-tasting foods so irresistible. Of contrary opinion, one leading author believes there are 146 reasons "sugar is ruining your health."3  I like sugar, so the first message appeals to me, but I also like life and I do not want to risk my health.  So how should I act?



Some Common Forms of Simple Sugars:

Sucrose (white, table sugar)
Fructose
Glucose
Lactose
Maltose
High-fructose corn syrup
   

Corn syrup
Honey
Maple syrup
Molasses
Agave Nectar

All of these sugars contain 2.5 to 4 calories per gram and provide mostly “empty calories.”



Sugar conveys the picture of a white crystalline substance in a bowl.  This well-liked carbohydrate is used as a sweetener and as a preservative.  The main natural source of relatively pure sugar is honey—a mixture of glucose and fructose—made by bees.  Less concentrated, but also very sweet-tasting, simple sugars are naturally plentiful in fruits. The primary agriculture sources of sugar are sugar cane and sugar beets, which after refining, yield sucrose—a 50-50 mixture of glucose and fructose.



Carbohydrates, except for milk and honey, are found in significant amounts only in plant-derived foods.  Even these two foods (milk and honey) obtain their simple sugars originally from plant sources (grasses, grains, and pollen).  In a broader sense, the word sugar can be used to describe all forms of carbohydrates, from the natural complex sugars (starches) found in plant-foods to non-absorbable sugars synthesized in a laboratory, like lactulose, used as a medical treatment for chronic constipation.



Forms of Carbohydrate

Sugars can be divided into several categories:

* Simple sugars are usually thought of as unhealthy foods—for example, white sugar (sucrose) or high-fructose corn syrup.  But simple sugars are also plentiful in sweet-tasting fruits—an important part of a healthy diet.

* Complex carbohydrates are long branching chains of simple sugars connected together—the proper name for this form of carbohydrate is starch.  These sugars are abundant in common plant foods, like corn, potatoes, rice, whole wheat flours, and beans.  Green and yellow vegetables also synthesize and store complex carbohydrates, but in lesser amounts.

* Dietary Fiber is another chain form of complex carbohydrate, but its structures are not digested by the human intestine.  Although providing no calories, fiber is important for proper bowel and other metabolic functions.

* Glycogen is a form of complex sugar made of branching chains of glucose.  It is synthesized in the body and then stored in the muscles and liver for future activities.

* Non-absorbable sugars (also called sugar alcohols) are sweet-tasting but are not readily absorbed from the intestine into the body.  Although many are found in small amounts naturally, they are manufactured for commercial use. Examples are non-caloric sweeteners, like sorbitol and mannitol, used in candies and gums.  Because they are poorly absorbed they have a laxative effect—lactulose is prescribed for this purpose.




We Are Hard-Wired to Enjoy Sugar



Humans are anatomically and physiologically designed to seek and consume sugar.  The tip of our tongue tastes with pleasure only one calorie-containing substance, sugar (carbohydrate).  In our natural environment this stimulus comes from plant foods—such as, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, rice, fruits, and vegetables. Food manufacturers take advantage of our nature, adding highly-refined, powerful-tasting sugars to our foods.



Once past the tongue, the remainder of the intestinal tract, as well as all of the internal systems of the body, is geared to efficiently utilize sugars.  Our nervous system uses sugars almost exclusively as a source of energy—and 20% of the calories consumed daily go to operate the brain.



Research indicates that consumption of carbohydrates provides a reward to the person by producing opioid- and dopamine-mediated responses—changes in the brain's chemistry which cause us to feel pleasure.4  The sweet taste of sugar produces intense pleasure with effects similar to those derived from the use of narcotics (opium).  Therefore, us "pleasure seekers" quickly learn from our tongues and our brains that consuming carbohydrate is the right thing to do—and consuming sugar is intoxicating.



Some tissues of our body, such as red blood cells and kidney cells (glomeruli cells) will only burn carbohydrates.   Endurance athletes know well the winning advantage of a diet high in sugars (carbohydrates)—sports drinks used during their races are made of concentrated simple sugars.  Considering the importance of sugars to our existence, why are they vilified?  Before discussing some of the negative consequences of consuming too much refined sugar, I need to clear up some important misinformation.



The Human Body Does Not Turn Sugar to Fat



The process of synthesizing fat from sugar is known as de novo lipogenesis—the new production of fat.  This activity is highly efficient in some animals, such as pigs and cows—which is one reason they have become popular people foods—these animals can convert low-energy, inexpensive carbohydrates—grass, say, in the case of cows and grains for pigs—into calorie-dense fats.5  However, human beings are very inefficient at this process and as a result de novo lipogenesis does not occur under usual living conditions in people. Thus the common belief that sugar turns to fat is scientifically incorrect—and there is no disagreement about this fact among scientists or their scientific research.5-8



Under experimental laboratory conditions, however, where people are overfed large amounts of simple sugars, the human body will resort to converting a small amount of sugar into a small amount of fat (triglycerides) in the liver.  For example, in one recent study, trim and obese women were overfed with 50% more calories than they usually ate—note, 535 of these extra calories each day came from four and a half ounces (135 grams) of refined sugar.  In this forced-fed situation, the women produced less than 4 grams (36 calories) of fat daily from the extra carbohydrate.8 Extrapolation from these findings means a person would have to be overfed by this amount of food and table sugar every day for nearly 4 months in order to gain one extra pound of body fat from the conversion of sugar to fat—by de novo lipogenesis. Obviously, even overeating substantial quantities of sugar is a relatively unimportant source of body fat. (So where does all that fat come from?—the fat you eat is the fat you wear.)



Sugar Does Not Cause Obesity



A universally accepted mantra among dieters is, "Don't eat starches—starches turn to sugar—sugar makes you fat."  If this were true then obesity would be rampant among rice-eating Japanese—obviously, the opposite is the case.  Worldwide, populations with the highest consumption of carbohydrate are the trimmest and fittest.9



Studies of people also show that the higher their sugar intake the lower their calorie intake and the fewer people who are overweight.10  This makes a lot of sense because when you add carbohydrate (even pure sugar) to the diet then fat must be removed—kind of a fat-sugar seesaw—one goes up, then the other must go down.  Fat is very concentrated in calories (9 per gram vs. 4 for pure sugar), fat is almost effortlessly stored, and fat provides little appetite satisfaction.  Thus, replacing fat in the diet with sugar will cause weight loss.  Furthermore, the practice by "low-carbohydrate dieters" of decreasing sugar intake often results in a higher calorie intake, because of all the fat that is added.



Sugar Does Not Cause Diabetes



After eating high-carbohydrate foods you might suspect that all that dietary sugar would cause the sugar in the blood to rise and this might lead to diabetes. That's what many lay people believe.  Even a few scientists have theorized that chronically elevated levels of sugar in the blood might wear out the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas and produce diabetes.11 Actually, this common thinking is incorrect—studies comparing sugar intake with risk of developing type-2 diabetes show people on high sugar diets are less likely to get diabetes.12  There is, however, a strong relationship between red meat consumption and diabetes.13



The lowest rates of diabetes in the world are found among populations that consume the most carbohydrate—for this reason type-2 diabetes is almost unknown in rural Asia, Africa, Mexico and Peru.14,15  However, when these people change to a diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates they commonly become diabetic. Some of the highest rates of this disease (and associated obesity) are found in Hispanics, Native Americans, Polynesians, and Blacks who have recently adopted the American diet.16



Contrary to popular belief, refined sugars actually make the body's insulin work more efficiently.17  When the refined sugar content of an experimental diet of people with mild diabetes was doubled from 45% sugar to 85% sugar, every measurement of their diabetic condition improved—fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin levels, and the oral glucose tolerance test all showed their diabetes was better.18  The researchers concluded, "These data suggest that the high carbohydrate diet increased the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin."  The increase in insulin's sensitivity (efficiency) exceeds any blood sugar-raising effect from consuming more carbohydrate.17  Because sugar does not cause type-2 diabetes, the American Diabetic Association has recommend "55% to 65% of a diabetic's diet come from carbohydrate," and sugary foods are allowed.19



The carbohydrates found in whole foods (starches, vegetables, and fruits) are much healthier to consume than refined sugars for a person wanting to prevent or cure type-2 diabetes for a variety of reasons—especially because of the adverse effects on weight gain and blood cholesterol and triglycerides of sugars compared to starches (more in next month's newsletter).  A high carbohydrate, vegan diet, has recently been shown to help diabetics stop medications and improve their overall health.20 (See my August 2006 newsletter)

Acceptable Sugar Use

The main reason sugar has a bad reputation is because of the company it keeps.  People living in Western societies eat loads of rich foods that make them fat and sick.  Along with their high intake of meat, dairy, and refined grains, they also eat a lot of simple sugars.  In this caldron of malnutrition, sugar's exact contribution becomes indistinct.  But, in most people's minds, sugar is the villain—the scapegoat, taking focus off the animal-foods and free fats (vegetable oils), which are much more of a burden to one's health than simple sugar is.  This misplaced emphasis results in a lost opportunity to regain lost health and appearance.



Sugar tastes great and can hugely enhance the enjoyment of eating. One practical point is that the addition of sugar will boost the acceptance of a low-fat diet, like the McDougall diet—increasing long-term compliance.  However, to reap the greatest pleasure with the least harm, simple sugar should be put on the surface of the food where the tongue makes direct contact.  This means sugars should not be added to the food during preparation—mixed up in the ingredients where the sweet flavors are hidden from the tongue's taste buds.  Using a small amount of sugar on the surface of the food is my recommendation for trim, healthy people.



However, there can be some real drawbacks and health hazards caused by consuming simple sugars, especially for those in poor health. I will discuss these in next month's newsletter. In the meantime, if you have concerns about your weight loss or have artery (heart) disease, then you should strictly limit your intake of all simple sugars, including fruits and their juices.



References:

1)  Sugar Association: http://www.sugar.org/contactus/

2)  Yamamoto T. Brain mechanisms of sweetness and palatability of sugars. Nutr Rev. 2003 May;61(5 Pt 2):S5-9.

3)  146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D: http://rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

4)  Levine AS, Kotz CM, Gosnell BA.  Sugars: hedonic aspects, neuroregulation, and energy balance.  Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Oct;78(4):834S-842S.

5) Hellerstein MK.  De novo lipogenesis in humans: metabolic and regulatory aspects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999 Apr;53 Suppl 1:S53-65.

6) Acheson KJ, Schutz Y, Bessard T, Anantharaman K, Flatt JP, Jequier E.  Glycogen storage capacity and de novo lipogenesis during massive carbohydrate overfeeding in man. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Aug;48(2):240-7.

7) Minehira K, Bettschart V, Vidal H, Vega N, Di Vetta V, Rey V, Schneiter P, Tappy L.  Effect of carbohydrate overfeeding on whole body and adipose tissue metabolism in humans  Obes Res. 2003 Sep;11(9):1096-103.

8) McDevitt RM, Bott SJ, Harding M, Coward WA, Bluck LJ, Prentice AM.  De novo lipogenesis during controlled overfeeding with sucrose or glucose in lean and obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Dec;74(6):737-46

9) The thinnest people eat the most carbohydrate:

http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/homerealestate/package.jsp?
name=fte/thinnestpeople/thinnestpeople

10) Bolton-Smith C, Woodward M.  Dietary composition and fat to sugar ratios in relation to obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994 Dec;18(12):820-8.

11) Koyama M, Wada R, Sakuraba H, Mizukami H, Yagihashi S. Accelerated loss of islet beta cells in sucrose-fed Goto-Kakizaki rats, a genetic model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Am J Pathol. 1998 Aug;153(2):537-45.

12)  Janket SJ, Manson JE, Sesso H, Buring JE, Liu S. A prospective study of sugar intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care. 2003 Apr;26(4):1008-15.

13)  Song Y, Manson JE, Buring JE, Liu S. A prospective study of red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly women: the women's health study. Diabetes Care. 2004 Sep;27(9):2108-15.

14) Kitagawa T. Increased incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus among Japanese schoolchildren correlates with an increased intake of animal protein and fat. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1998 Feb;37(2):111-5.

15) Llanos G. Diabetes in the Americas. Bull Pan Am Health Organ. 1994 Dec;28(4):285-301.

16) Egede LE, Dagogo-Jack S. Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes: focus on ethnic minorities. Med Clin North Am. 2005 Sep;89(5):949-75, viii.

17) Smith U. Carbohydrates, fat, and insulin action.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Mar;59(3 Suppl):686S-689S.

18) Brunzell JD, Lerner RL, Hazzard WR, Porte D Jr, Bierman EL. Improved glucose tolerance with high carbohydrate feeding in mild diabetes.  N Engl J Med. 1971 Mar 11;284(10):521-4.

19) ADA recommends high carbohydrate intake:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/

summaries/anderson-carbs.jsp

20) Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJ, Turner-McGrievy G, Gloede L, Jaster B, Seidl K, Green AA, Talpers S. A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006 Aug;29(8):1777-83.

I'm now 5 stone lighter by cutting my intake of carbs. My diabetes is under control and I don't feel that I'm following any kind of diet and I'm never hungry and enjoy my food.

The fasting was good for losing weight but was never sustainable. I'm not suggesting this will work for everyone,but it worked for me.

There are so many conflicting stories in the newspapers about what's good for you one minute then bad the next week. I'm no expert but it's about finding what you feel comfortable with,but it will mean cutting down on excess.

One last thing,cut out sweeteners if your on them. They're lethal.

It's just a shame STUDYFORM blundered onto this thread.

For anyone else reading this.
If you're concerned, visit you GP, listen to your GP, ignore fads and BS posted by "Doctors" online, and even more, ignore their followers.

My solutions aren't solutions. They're treatments.
The sentence you've highlighted was to answer the initial query in this thread. It isn't "NOW know"... I always knew, that sugar doesn't cause diabetes.
Heredity is among the biggest causes (something you said was not true).

It is completely medically accepted fact that sugar (in all its forms) is to be avoided by people with T2 diabetes (THIS IS FACT!), or reduced dramatically, hence my post detailing that sugar isn't only found in sugar.

At no time have I ever said "a lifelong medication journey" is a good idea. BUT, if medication needs to be taken, then it does. Be it Metformin, Aloglyptin or Insulin.

I watched the Michael Mosely thing about dramatic weight loss (slimfast etc...) and the reduction in POTENTIAL diabetes in the VASTLY overweight people who were subjects on the programme, which as I said, several times, often works. It was like much stuff on the BBC, preachy nonsense which did not apply to the majority of diabetics and it was trotted out at the same time as the numbers were changed that made so many more people 'pre-diabetic', which isn't a thing, by the way, just a likelihood.

BUT NOT ON DIABETIC SUFFERERS. They have a disease which is not curable. It can be reversed to barely noticeable if the blood glucose readings are to high

The few bits of scientific and practised evidence you have shown and posted are nothing more than vanity projects that you choose to follow.
Your irrefutable scientific and proven practical evidence is plenty refutable. I believe it to be money-making quackery.
I choose to believe THE VAST MAJORITY OF DOCTORS in the field of endocrinology.
I choose to believe other diabetics -on forums and in various meetings.
Your diet is of no consequence - You aren't diabetic.
People who aren't diabetic can eat sugar and basically anything else, until they explode.
People who are diabetic can't. Because - in the medium term - they will suffer serious consequences or death.

If medication slows this inevitability, then its a good thing the medication exists.

So, I will continue to deny your "advice" as being contrary to current medical convention, mostly because most people in the field simply don't agree with it.

I'm getting the feeling that the dented ego here isn't mine.

I would do the same if you tried handing out homeopathy ideas as a cure for something. That's nonsense too, but has some believers.

Your diet might be fine for you, it might be something you enjoy, it might be findable online (albeit only from its creator) and there may well be a lad of claims, testimonials, books and other preachings, but it's still NOT A CURE FOR DIABETES.

Type 2 can be reversed with diet that is fact,google can you reverse type 2 diabetes with diet and see what happens it certainly does not say NO.

STUDY given your current list of health issues it's surprising you aren't even curious about any sort of change to your regime you clearly haven't 'tried everything'.
I've experimented and experienced many known inevitable health and physiology changes with various changes in eating not just keto or starch based,I think you underestimate the power/effect of diet.

BTW:

While diabetes cannot technically be cured, it can go into remission. Medically speaking, there is no cure for diabetes but it can go into "remission." ... Complete remission: When the blood glucose level returns to normal, not simply pre-diabetic levels, for at least 1 year without any medications.22 Apr 2017
Can diabetes be cured? A review of therapies and lifestyle changes

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317074.php

Imagine sitting across from your doctor and being told your blood sugar is elevated and that you now have type-2 diabetes. Next you are informed that this condition is in part due to your excess body fat and that if you lose weight your diabetes will improve and possibly go away; however, in the meantime, you need to take medication. The doctor prescribes a diabetic pill (say a sulfonylurea) and hands you a sheet of paper describing a calorie-restricted diet; which incidentally was provided by a drug company representative selling diabetic pills to your doctor. On your first follow-up visit, the next month, despite all of your best efforts, you have gained 4 pounds. Because of your weight gain your blood sugars are still no better in spite of the medication. Your doctor doubles his efforts and adds another medication with a stern warning to lose the weight. The next month your weight is up another 4 pounds. Your blood sugars are now over 200 mg/dL and insulin shots are prescribed. This downhill spiral continues and after one full year of intensive treatment you have now gained 20 pounds of weight, a bag full of pills, bottles, and syringes, and worse health. Nearly every patient gets the same results because the medications do nothing to fix the illness and they compound the patient's problems by raising the levels of insulin in his or her body -- One important effect of insulin is to facilitate the storage of dietary fat into fat cells.

The first step to turning around these events is to stop, or at least drastically reduce, the medications. By removal of the medication-induced "hyper-insulin-state," the body can now begin making overdue corrections; an important one being weight loss. The second crucial step is to change to a low-fat, animal-food-free, starch-based diet. Starchy foods (rice, corn, potatoes, beans, etc. cause the body's own insulin to become more powerful; insulin sensitivity is increased.1-3. To further make the point about the benefits of carbohydrates on the function of insulin; even pure simple sugar improves insulin sensitivity.4 A classic experiment on people found an improvement in diabetic control as measured by fasting blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and glucose tolerance tests when diabetics were fed an extreme diet consisting of 85% of the calories as simple sugar (glucose and maltose).4 Animal proteins, like milk casein, and animal fats and vegetable oils reduce the sensitivity of insulin.5,6 The third step is to start exercising which further lowers blood sugars and enhances the weight loss. With these changes a simple cure is possible for essentially everyone with type-2 diabetes.

Diabetes: From Insulin Deficiency to Excess

Diabetes (mellitus) is a disease characterized primarily by elevated sugar levels measured by a blood test usually taken after 6 to 8 hours without food (a fast). Normal fasting blood sugar values vary among healthy people between 50 mg/dL to 100 mg/dL.* Levels above 100 mg/dL suggest impairment of the body's blood sugar-regulating mechanisms (impaired glucose tolerance = IGT) and a level above 126 mg/dL is defined as diabetes. Blood sugar levels change rapidly, especially after eating (they go up) and after exercise (they go down). Hemoglobin A1c is a common blood test that reflects the average blood sugar over the previous 2 to 3 months and is the gold standard for judging long-term control with medication. It is not a test for diagnosing diabetes. A normal level is considered below 6%. Some patients with diabetes run percentages twice that high.

*Divide mg/dL by 18 for a rough conversion to mmol/L.

Consider diabetes as a spectrum of disease from insulin deficiency (type-1 diabetes) to insulin sufficiency (type-2 diabetes). Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas. This vital hormone facilitates the passage of glucose through the cell wall into the cytoplasm where this sugar provides for energy for the body. Insulin also makes possible the storage of dietary fat inside of the fat cells. Insulin production can be permanently reduced by the destruction of the beta cells; this is usually due to an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself). Type-1 diabetes follows substantial loss of pancreatic function. Cow's milk protein is the most common cause of immune-mediated beta cell destruction.7 Type-1 diabetes can occur at any age, even into adulthood. Substantial lack of insulin production is life threatening; the only partial remedy is supplementation with daily insulin injections. The damage is irreversible.

In type-2 diabetes the pancreas is synthesizing normal and sometimes excess amounts of insulin.8,9 However, in this case the problem is not with the pancreas; the problem is that the cells throughout the body have become resistant to the actions of insulin. This peripheral resistance results in less sugar entering the cells and more remaining in the blood. The development of insulin resistance is a normal adaptive mechanism the body uses to ward off extreme fat accumulation when faced with the rich Western diet.  Type-2 diabetes is known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, meaning there is plenty of insulin being synthesized. Therefore, eliminating the resistance to the action of the body's insulin always cures type-2 diabetes (unless there is in addition some significant loss of beta cell function). This cure is accomplished with substantial weight loss.10 The most healthful and long-lasting way to correct obesity and insulin resistance is by following a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, starch-based diet.10-13

People with Insulin Deficiency May Need Insulin Injections

Those patients requiring insulin can be divided into two categories:

1) Total Insulin Deficiency: The most severe form of insulin deficiency, seen in the classic patient with type-1 diabetes, requires daily insulin supplementation, otherwise the patient will become severely ill (ketoacidosis), and often die without this vital replacement.

2) Trim People with Partial Insulin Deficiency: Most people with blood sugars above 126 mg/dL, who are also trim (not overweight or underweight) fall into the category of partial insulin deficiency. Doctors often refer to this as type-1½ diabetes. These patients produce enough insulin to avoid life-threatening illness, but not enough to keep their blood sugars normal. With the elevated sugar levels they may also develop adverse effects, such as excessive thirst and urination, and too much weight loss. Insulin injections easily remedy these undesirable conditions.

Treating Type-2 Diabetes in the Overweight Patient

The typical patient I see with a diagnosis of type-2 diabetes is overweight or obese and on a multitude of medications intended to lower their blood sugar. Yet their sugars remain elevated in the 200 mg/dL to 400 mg/dL range; even with their doctors' best efforts. No matter how often the blood sugar is checked daily, or the amount and kind of medication given, the blood sugars are never normal; they are usually way too high, and on occasion, dangerously low, causing confusion and coma. Obviously, even in the best professional hands, the treatments do not work.

The first step I take is to stop all of their oral medications on the first visit. I do this because these medications have serious adverse effects and no real health benefits. (Yes, they do cause the numbers -  sugar and HgBA1c - to look better.) After I explain the facts to the patient, most of them readily agree to make this change.

Diabetic Pills Kill

Most physicians believe that better control of blood sugars means better long-term outcomes for the patients and they enthusiastically prescribed these medications. Research proves otherwise. Diabetic medications are approved by the FDA for market based upon their ability to lower blood sugar levels, not based on any improvements in the quality or quantity of the patients' lives.

In a major study, a popular diabetic medication, Avandia (rosiglitazone), given at a dosage of 4 mg twice daily, on average, decreased hemoglobin A1c levels by 1.5 percentage points, reduced fasting plasma sugar by 76 mg/dL (4.22 mmol/L), and reduced insulin resistance by 25%.14 These improved numbers should have meant healthier patients, but they didn't.  On May 21, 2007 the New York Times reported, patients taking Avandia had 66 percent more heart attacks, 39 percent more strokes and 20 percent more deaths from cardiovascular-related problems.15,16 Since 1972, the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) descriptions of most diabetic pills have included two paragraphs in bold print that begin with: Special Warning on Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality.  This warning is given because a very commonly prescribed class of oral medication, called sulfonylureas, increases the risk of cardiovascular death by 2 ½ times compared to diet treatment alone.

Reducing Insulin Injections

For the overweight patient, with a diagnosis of type-2 diabetes, significantly elevated blood sugars, and taking insulin, I always reduce their dosage, and most times I ask them to stop the insulin altogether. My decision is based upon my best guess and the patient's wishes. Many patients are understandably afraid to stop their insulin, so a reduction in dosage is often the best compromise, say stopping all of the short-acting insulin and continuing only the long-acting, or cutting the amount of both the long and short acting in half. This is very safe to do (under doctor's supervision) for those with type-2 diabetes. The greatest risk to the patient is hypoglycemia from them still taking too much insulin, especially after they change to a low-fat, starch-based diet and start exercising. In almost all cases it is better to guess on the side of less rather than more medication.

At the same time medication changes are being made, my patients begin strictly following the McDougall Diet and exercising daily (slowly at first). I ask them to monitor their blood sugars (fasting) every morning with their home measuring unit and report the results to me daily. Based on these blood sugar numbers their insulin injection dosage is either raised or lowered for that evening or the next day. The goal is to keep their fasting blood sugars between 150 mg/dL and 300 mg/dL. I discourage blood sugar measurements at any other time of the day unless they suspect hypoglycemia (too low a sugar). The finding of elevated sugars later in the day after eating just upsets the patient and does not add any useful information in deciding on the next dosage of insulin to be given.

One other important change I also make is to switch them from multiple shots daily to a single dose of long-acting insulin, such as Lantus, taken once in the evening. (Other long-acting options are Ultralente and Levemir.) A typical starting dose for people with blood sugars between 200 mg/dL and 400 mg/dl is 20 to 40 units of Lantus daily (roughly 10 units of insulin for each 10 mg/dL elevation over 200 mg/dL). The reason I do not try to more aggressively treat the blood sugar numbers to make them look more normal by using more testing, pills, and injections is because this commonly used approach is proven beyond any doubt to harm patients.

For type-2 diabetes I do not prescribe pills; however, when needed, I use long-acting insulin in order to:

1) Decrease the rate of weight loss or to cause weight gain.
2) Relieve symptoms of diabetes, such as excessive thirst and urination.
3) Help relieve the worries of the patient over the high sugar numbers. Being treated with a little insulin makes people feel that all the bases are being covered, especially if their blood sugar numbers look a little lower after the insulin. However, there are possible downsides: Introduction of insulin treatment may cause the patient to become less compliant with their diet and exercising; turning their faith back to the medications, in spite of the facts. Plus, I worry about the harms caused by the medications as I have discussed.

Aggressive Treatment Harms Patients

All six major studies published over the past thirteen years show that attempts by physicians to make the patients' blood sugars and Hemoglobin A1c levels look more "normal" with medications harm the patients. Three major studies published between 1996 and 2000 found more weight gain, higher cholesterol, triglycerides, and/or blood pressure; and more heart disease, stroke, and/or death with "aggressive" treatment compared to less treatment.17-19

In 2008, three landmark studies, ACCORD, ADVANCE, and VADT, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.20-22 All three showed aggressive treatment does more harm than good. On February 6, 2008 the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), stopped the ACCORD study (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) when results showed that intensive treatment of diabetics increases the risk of dying compared to those patients treated less aggressively.23 Patients in the intensive-treatment group were oftentimes taking four shots of insulin and three pills daily, and checking their blood-sugar levels four times a day.20 The ADVANCE study found no reduction in heart attacks or strokes, deaths from cardiovascular causes, or death from any cause with intensive therapy.21

The Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT) was based on 1791 military veterans with type-2 diabetes.22 Patients were assigned to receive either intensive- or standard-glucose control and studied for 5.6 years. The intensive-therapy group reduced their hemoglobin A1c levels to 6.9%; compared to 8.4% in the standard-therapy group. A weight gain of 18 pounds occurred with the intensive-treatment, compared to 9 pounds with standard-therapy. There were 102 deaths from any cause in the intensive-therapy group and 95 in the standard-therapy group. In the intensive-therapy group, the number of sudden deaths was nearly three times the number of those in the standard-therapy group (eleven vs. four). More patients in the intensive-therapy group had at least one serious adverse event, predominantly hypoglycemia, than in the standard-therapy group.

Diet and Exercise Are the Foundations for Proper Medical Care

Drug therapy has consistently failed patients with type-2 diabetes, and their well-intended doctors, making the search for an alternative treatment imperative. Since the rich Western diet is agreed to be the cause of this epidemic, should diet not be the first place to look for the prevention and the cure?24 Written reports on the benefits of a low-fat, high-carbohydrate, plant-food-based diet on type-2 diabetes date back to at least 1930.25 Several published studies demonstrate how type-2 diabetics can stop insulin and get off diabetic oral medications with a change in diet.26-31 One goalpost is weight loss to the point of normal body weight, at this time the blood sugars of most patients diagnosed with type-2 diabetes will normal, and then everyone will agree that no further treatment with medications is needed.

By great good fortune, this same low-fat, no-cholesterol diet successfully used for diet-therapy for diabetes has been shown to prevent and treat heart and kidney disease, and prevent many common forms of cancer. Heart disease accounts for 70% of the deaths in diabetics, diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, and cancer is more common in diabetics.

When caring for a person with diabetes, attention should be paid to other risk factors, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. In most cases these numbers will also improve by following a starch-based diet and exercising, and the associated weight loss. But there will remain a few people who will benefit from treatment of their blood pressure and blood cholesterol with medication. Just like a few people with type-2 diabetes (with partial insulin deficiency) will need insulin.

Uninformed and purposely misled, as is the case now, the patient cannot get well and the doctor is ineffective in carrying out his or her duties. Consideration for the truth, and the appropriate medical practices that must follow, would change the entire healthcare system for the good, reducing costs and improving patient outcomes substantially.

References:

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11) Barnard ND, Scialli AR, Turner-McGrievy G, Lanou AJ, Glass J. The effects of a low-fat, plant-based dietary intervention on body weight, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity. Am J Med. 2005 Sep;118(9):991-7.

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17) Purnell JQ.  Effect of excessive weight gain with intensive therapy of type 1 diabetes on lipid levels and blood pressure: results from the DCCT. Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. JAMA. 1998 Jul 8;280(2):140-6.

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STUDY you are miles off with your assertions and your 10 points have many holes it's a shame for your health you aren't open to learning as you are a prime candidate for this way of eating.

1)He is a dcotor
2)He has years of study
3)He has not developed a brilliant new diet nor claimed it's magic this way of eating goes back 1000s of years to rural Asia and Africa
4)He has learned all of his practices from those before him I've read much of the published infprmation from Walter Kempner and Nathan Pritikin
5)He has shown proof that conventional practice (for which he was a part of for many years and his family still is) is mainly profit based before the health of the patient
6)All his research is based on published Medical and scientific papers look some up and cross reference their legitimacy
7)Web site and videos came much later as you know the internet hasn't been around as long as McDougall has been practicing all information is accessable for free
8)McDougall has been in the media for many years had his own popular radio show back in the day but was too helpful as he advised mainly drug free solutions to most illnesses
9)I was kindly put in McDougalls' direction all information always has been and is free,I believe the only charges are for his courses in the US where some like to be shown how it's done as part of a stay over package
10)The anecdotal evidence from those helped by such basic lifestyle changes is what makes this what it is and ensures there is never any con whatsoever

Nothing McDOugall quotes,cites or uses is pseudo science everything is KNOWN FACT.

STUDY Why get so personal towards a guy who helps people for free with proven checkable science? Maybe it's because he's against the mainstream teachings which bother you and not after your money?
Very strange to say real experts when you are on drugs for illnesses following their advice.
Most in your shoes would eat wood if they thought it could cure your disease whereas you are more concerned that your pride will be hurt if you find out you've been listening to rubbish all these years.
'Pride is a poor substitute for intelligence' (Lieutenant Tay Rambo First Blood Part II)

There is a way you can eat starchy carbs without the usual spikes I used this method at the beginning when going back to sugar and it was more pleasant than in the past after periods without sugar,everyone with insulin issues should be told and shown the reason they aren't is quite sinister imo.
By the way I was doing that way before I'd even heard of a starch based diet or McDougall etc. and I do it now for 1 or 2 meals every day that might be part of the reason I can eat 500g+ of carbs with no issues nowadays.

The first few minutes of that lecture where he publishes figures that associate insulin resistance with diseases and mortality is startling.

I have just wasted another 15 minutes trawling through this self-publicising clown's site.

There's even a page on how to sort out the Tax deductible aspect of shelling out for his courses.

He even alludes to helping Breast cancer patients and Alzheimers sufferers.

McDougall is a con-man, a flim-flam man, a charlatan, a liar.
That you can't see it is a shame.

McDougall isn't a one man band promoting these ideas as I've pointed out before.
There's a large movement of MDs saying exactly the same.

There's another band of doctors trying to convince us of the opposite with regard to diet.

Then we have the majority of medicals following the consensus and telling us to eat a balanced diet and lose weight, and at the same time giving us drugs that make diabetics hungry.

One thing's for sure, diabetes is on the increase and numbers of people getting it is increasing rapidly.
And the richer we get the sicker we get.

Massive eye opener watching those videos especially for a former Casein huffer like myself.

Had a look at his site (Dr Naiman) and won't be advocating his way of eating which is pretty much what mine was before.
One of his headers is Eating Carbs is the new smoking which is of course dependent on what else you are eating,basically his stuff is pretty much what most natural bodybuilders are doing and adjusting carb macros to build up or cut down.

Interesting video on beans and how they slow the absorption of glucose from other foods amongst other good things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76XklHNzWx0

A very interesting video with good info that's easy to integrate into your diet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UulIQG7SrJE

'they don't just see less cardiovascular deaths'   ... i'm sure he means 'fewer'  

these guys need to brush up on their techniques for sure