Treating Type II Diabetes Nutritionally
BY C. LEIGH BROADHURST, Ph.D.
Up to 16 million people in the United States and Canada have a disease
that some researchers say is almost entirely caused by poor nutrition and could be prevented
or reversed with a whole-foods diet. Type II diabetes, or noninsulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus (NIDDM), affects roughly 95 percent of all diabetics and in almost all cases
develops after age 40. It is vastly different from Type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus (IDDM), which primarily affects children and teenagers and is usually caused
by autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic cells. People with irreversible
conditions must inject insulin daily.
In contrast, people with NIDDM typically have enough insulin, but it
is not used effectively. Insulin receptors on the cells may not accept insulin the way
they should, or the cells may have too few receptors. This situation is called insulin
resistance, meaning the cells resist the hormonal signaling of insulin. Early symptoms
are excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight gain, blurred vision, extreme fatigue,
high cholesterol and/or triacylglycerols, carbohydrate cravings yet extreme fatigue
after eating them, numbness in extremities, and an inability to tolerate cold.
The incidence of diabetes among seven U.S. ethnic minorities for which
there are data is much higher than the incidence in their respective countries of origin.
When members of any ethnic group move to the United States, their incidence of diabetes
increases. This is unequivocal evidence that NIDDM is caused by diet and lifestyle.
A more subtle point is that the incidence of NIDDM in the United States
is greater among minorities than Caucasians, even when diet and lifestyle factors are
taken into account. The typical incidence of NIDDM among Caucasians is 2 to 4 percent.
Native Americans have the highest NIDDM incidence of any population: for example, 50
percent of the Pima Indians in Arizona have NIDDM, though diabetes was rarely seen in
Native American populations prior to 1940. In Canada, 728 Ojibwa-Cree Indians on a reserve
in sub arctic Ontario were studied; across all age groups, 18 percent of females and
16 percent of males had NIDDM. Also, 28 percent of females and 24 percent of males had
prediabetic insulin resistance. NIDDM, insulin resistance and obesity were more common
in females, and 54 percent of women ages 50 to 59 had NIDDM. In contrast, Caucasians
(mainly of northern European ancestry) have the lowest incidence of NIDDM--2 percent.
So there is also a genetic variation influencing the incidence of diabetes among ethnic
groups. This variation may suggest why ethnic groups that were among the first to adopt
agriculture-based diets now have the lowest NIDDM incidence.
The Modern Diet Connection
In my research I have found that straying from a hunter-gatherer, whole-foods
diet is the ultimate cause of NIDDM. Most major causes of NIDDM can be related to a
processed-food and agriculture-based diet. These include:
- Obesity, or too much body fat compared to lean-tissue weight. Obesity
is the leading cause of NIDDM.
- Too many calories, especially from refined and processed carbohydrates
and fats.
- Lack of certain polyunsaturated fats and unbalanced fat intakes.
- Chromium deficiency.
- Lack of certain phytochemicals.
My research supports an "evolutionary diet" as an ideal NIDDM
treatment. The diet is based on lean protein, vegetables, whole fruits and moderate
amounts of fat, especially polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Fish, nuts and
cold-pressed unrefined oils such as flaxseed, olive and sesame are recommended sources
of fat. Carbohydrates should not be prominent in the diet, and sugars, any form of wheat
but especially white flour, other refined grains, fried foods and junk foods all need
to be minimized.
The Promise of Medicinal Plants
Many phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are bitter or astringent;
therefore, agriculturalists have practiced "negative selection" for these
compounds. These phytochemicals are systematically bred down to low levels or concentrated
in peels that aren't eaten. Modern produce is bred to be larger, milder and sweeter.
Consequently, we have lost a lot of phytochemical protection from chronic diseases,
NIDDM included.
Beyond Fiber
High-fiber diets are uniformly recommended for diabetics. Particularly
important is soluble fiber, including gums, mucilages, pectins and polysaccharides,
all of which can slow the absorption of glucose in the intestines. However, some plant
foods provide synergistic benefits beyond just inhibiting glucose absorption. For example:
Nopal: In a 1990 La Raza, Mexico, hospital
study, eight diabetics were given 500 g of Nopal, also known as prickly pear cactus,
on an empty stomach. Five tests were performed on each subject, four with different
cooked or raw cactus preparations and one with water. After 180 minutes, fasting glucose
was lowered 22 to 25 percent by all nopal preparations compared to 6 percent for water.
Nopal is rich in pectin, but again, fasting glucose was affected, so the effect is more
than inhibition of glucose absorption. Animal studies corroborate this, showing small
amounts of an active fraction isolated from nopal can partially reverse diabetes.
Although some genetic factors undeniably play a role, NIDDM is first
and foremost a nutritional disease. I'm convinced that the treatment and prevention
of NIDDM is best achieved through diet and supplementation.
If we don't act now with education and further research, the incidence
of NIDDM will skyrocket as more of the world's population adopts the Western diet. NSN
References
Frati AC, et al. Hypoglycemic effect of Opuntia ficus indica in non insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus patients. Phytother Res 1990;4:195-7.
Trejo-Gonzales A, et al. A purified extract from prickly pear cactus
(Opuntia fulignosa) controls experimentally induced diabetes in rats. J Ethnopharm 1996;55:27-33.
About The Author
Dr. Broadhurst is a geochemist with experience in the design and operation
of analytical laboratories. She works as a visiting scientist for a government nutrition
research laboratory and heads 22nd Century Nutrition, a nutrition/scientific consulting
company.
DIABETES ALERT
Did you know?
Diabetes has become the leading cause of death by disease in the United
States, with over 190,000 deaths a year. In its advanced stages, Diabetes is associated
with and contributes to:
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Heart disease (Atherosclerosis, Arteriosclerosis)
-
Stroke
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Blurred vision and blindness (diabetic retinopathy)
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Amputations (of the lower-body extremities)
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Nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy)
-
Kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy)
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Impotence
Diabetes affects more than 16,000,000 people in the United States. Approximately
11,000,000 people have been diagnosed as having Diabetes, while about 5,000,000 people
are not yet aware that they have the disease. This is because in its early stages, the
symptoms of Diabetes may be quite mild in comparison with other serious diseases and
are progressive. In the United States, over 1,000,000 people will be diagnosed as having
Diabetes this year.
What are the Symptoms of Diabetes?
-
Symptoms of Diabetes include:
-
Excessive thirst
-
Frequent urination
-
Weight gain for no apparent reason
-
Blurred vision
-
Unusual or extreme fatigue
-
High cholesterol and/or triglycerides
-
Carbohydrate (sugar) craving
-
Inability to tolerate cold weather
-
A numbness or tingling sensation in the extremities of the body (toes,
etc.).
If you now have any of these symptoms you should be tested for Diabetes.
Additionally, measures that studies have shown to have significant benefits in managing
and/or minimizing the chance of developing Diabetes as an adult are discussed below.
What causes Diabetes?
Commonly recognized as a “blood sugar” disorder, Diabetes is characterized
by chronic inability of the body to effectively metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins,
resulting in increased levels of blood sugar in the form of glucose. This occurs either
because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone required to enable the
cells of the body to convert glucose to useable energy) or because the cells of the
body do not effectively respond to the presence of insulin. Thus, while there are two
distinct types of Diabetes, in either case, glucose remains in the blood stream where
it cannot effectively be used as energy, which is needed for all forms of activity by
and within the human body.
Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDMM) or Type 1 Diabetes appears
to be caused by immune system production of antibodies that attack and destroy the insulin-producing
beta-cells of the pancreas. People with Type 1 Diabetes typically inject daily, to obtain
insulin that the pancreas can no longer produce naturally, in order to properly metabolize
dietary intake as body energy. Type 1 Diabetes primarily develops at young age levels
among children and teenagers. Less than10% of all Diabetics have Type 1 Diabetes.
Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)
or Type 2 Diabetes (commonly referred to as “Adult On-set” Diabetes) is not characterized
by deficiency of the pancreas in creating Insulin. People with Type 2 Diabetes typically
generate enough insulin, but it is not used effectively. The insulin receptors on the
cells of muscles and other body tissues may not respond to insulin, or the cells may
have too few of the receptors that are needed to recognize the presence of insulin.
This condition is called “insulin resistance,” which means that body cells do not accept
the “hormonal signaling” of insulin that is necessary in order for glucose (in the blood
stream) and glycogen (stored in the liver, muscle and other body tissue) to be converted
into useable body energy. Type 2 Diabetes develops much more slowly than Type1 and may
not be recognized (without proper testing) until it has reached advanced stages. Approximately
90% of Type 2 Diabetics are obese and obesity is reported to be a major contributing
factor to loss of insulin sensitivity. In almost all cases Type 2 Diabetes develops
after age 40. Ninety percent or more of all Diabetics have Type 2 Diabetes.
While Type 1 Diabetes is currently controllable only by life-long daily
Insulin regulation, Type 2 is more easily managed. In fact, recent studies have found,
and many health scientists now believe, that Type 2 Diabetes may be preventable and
may even be reversible, through exercise and proper diet and dietary supplementation.
Consequently, and because Type 2 Diabetes is said to be reaching epidemic proportions,
Type 2 Diabetes has become the subject of intensive scientific and clinical study. Some
of the more significant results of recent research regarding Type 2 Diabetes are discussed
below.
Who is at Risk of Having or Getting Type 2 Diabetes?
According to the American Diabetes Association, your risk of having or
getting Type 2 Diabetes is significantly greater than that of the general population,
if:
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You are over 40
-
There is a history of Diabetes on your family
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You are “over-weight” for your age and height
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You are Hispanic, Asian, Native American or Black
The incidence of Type 2 Diabetes among the ethnic groups noted above
has been found to 5 to 10 times higher than the rate for Diabetes among Caucasians (about
5%). However, the rate incidence of Diabetes among all groups, including Caucasians,
is increasing and Diabetes has been called “America’s growing epidemic.” Diabetes is
also on the increase world wide as more people adopt the Western diet.
How can Type 2 Diabetes be Prevented or Controlled?
The growing incidence of Type 2 Diabetes had been related to several
basic factors.
Long term consumption of today’s “processed foods”, “fast foods” and
“junk foods” (high in carbohydrates, sugar, sodium and saturated fat content) contribute
to obesity and stress the proper and normal functioning of the glandular, digestive,
circulatory, nervous and immune systems of the body.
Additionally, commercial refinement of fats and oils (and foods containing
them) has effectively replaced some of the essential natural fatty acids (which are
basic components of nerve cells, the outer membrane of all body cells and harmone-like
substance known as Prostaglandins), with trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated oils. This
can cause damage to cellular structures. In Diabetes, for example, the prevention of
damage to cells that results in inability to respond to the hormonal signaling of insulin
(which is necessary to effectively utilize sugar as body energy) is highly important,
as is the prevention of nerve cell damage (Diabetic Neuropathy).
Further, Dr. C. Leigh Broadhurst (a geochemist who heads a scientific
nutrition consulting firm and is a visiting scientist for a government nutrition research
laboratory) explains that because modern produce has been bred to be larger, milder
and sweeter, a significant amount of the natural phytochemical protection from chronic
diseases (especially Diabetes) traditionally obtained from eating natural plant foods
has been lost.
Dr. Broadhurst notes that among Native Americans, where dietary intake
of traditional plant foods (that are rich in vegetable protein (amino acid), unaltered
unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals) has been replaced by the “modern diet”
(that is high in carbohydrates, saturated fats and processed grains), there have been
startling increases in Type 2 Diabetes. Other recent studies have shown similar increases
of Type 2 Diabetes among Hispanics, Blacks and Asians.
Thus, although genetic history plays an associated role, Type 2 Diabetes
is now believed to be primarily a nutritional disease. In fact, many health scientist
today believe that Type 2 Diabetes can in many cases be prevented or even reversed with
proper whole-foods diet coupled with specialized nutrient supplementation, to aid the
body address the underlying causes of Type 2 Diabetes referred to above.
Nutritionists generally agree that the proper diet should be based on
lean protein, vegetables, whole fruits and moderate amounts of fat. Saturated fat intake
should be decreased while increasing intake of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Carbohydrates
should not be prominent in the diet, and refined sugars, any form of wheat (but especially
white flour), other refined grains, fried foods and junk foods should be minimized.
Diets and dietary supplements that are high in fiber are recommended.
Particularly important is soluble fiber, including gums, mucilages, pectins and polysaccharides,
all of which can slow the absorption of glucose in the intestines. Also important are
the minerals chromium, magnesium, manganese, selenium and zinc and vitamins A, B2 (Niacin),
B6, B12, C and E, amino acids and all antioxidants. Antioxidants act to eradicate oxygen-deficient
molecules known as “free radicals” which, if not eliminated, may cause damage to body
cells thereby impairing their ability to perform their specialized functions within
the human body system, including the effective metabolism and utilization of carbohydrates
and sugar as body energy.
What are the Benefits of Nopal?
Nopal (scientifically a member of the Opuntia Cactaceae family) is classified
as a vegetable. Testing by the USDA has revealed Nopal to be rich in soluble and insoluble
dietary fiber and essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, many of which act as antioxidants,
which have been lost in the modern diet. Conversely, Nopal is low in carbohydrates and
the carbohydrates found in Nopal have the lowest “Glycemic Index” (a relative measure
of the rate at which carbohydrates trigger an increase in circulating blood sugar) among
all plant foods tested to date. Nopal is also low in sodium content.