Eating processed meats and red meat regularly increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, a large study shows.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers analyzed dietary-intake data from more than 200,000 people in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Studies. The participants have been tracked for a decade or more.
There is some significant research from the UK suggesting that Type II diabetes can be reversed, at least short term according to reasearchers from Newcastle University. The theory is that fat deposits in the Pancreas inhibit insulin production to varying degrees, and a short sharp low calorie controlled diet can lead to targetted dissipation of the fat deposits in the Pancreas and insulin production restarting. There is an illuminating series of articles posted on SF here and in particular the Newcastle U press release here .
Red meat is certainly fattier than white and in general processed meats tend to be fattier than unprocessed, so it may all tie in with the Harvard research.
I cross post my comment from that thread below:
“I don’t know if my experience can be helpful to anybody. Almost a year ago I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I have to say that it was borderline and with management all indicators are within normal limits, but I have found it a struggle.
Reading this article, something clicked. I had some trouble about 7 years ago [long before any diabetic symptoms became glaringly apparent] and had almost everything analysed. The results came back as normal, all except for the liver which had indications of heightened fat deposits. When I saw this research showing that the thinking is that it is fat deposits in the Pancreas and Liver which is stopping insulin production, it all fell into place; the advice of these researchers is that people do not undertake such drastic dieting [600 cals/day] without medical supervision, but the research is certainly noteworthy perhaps beyond the general knowledge which has always existed that control of diet and increasing excercise can put diabetes into remission.
What this research does suggest is that short term shocks to the system like this diet, will specifically target getting rid of the fat deposits in the organs concerned, in particular the Pancreas, freeing it to restart producing insulin at normal levels. The prospect is of ‘reversing’ diabetes, rather than putting it into remission, which has always been considered a part of a life-long progression of the disease. It is early days though, and there is more work to do on this.
For myself, I have struggled. Even with the management I get tired so easily and do not have the energy I used to have. I have cut down the blogging accordingly. I am trying to get my head round all this.
But as my friend a well-known Olympic sportsman has proved, this need not be a limiting factor on what one can achieve or a source of stigma.
I applaud those on this thread who have had the courage to admit to what they are dealing with. I had to reflect for a bit before posting this comment.
God is good, and I take encouragement from the wonderful doctors and researchers He has provided, and for bringing me to face the need to accept that I am not going to live forever, and need to take good care of the temple which He has provided for me to live in.”
I don’t believe the article…at least not for me. I have been on a low carb regimen for over a year…meat, fatty meat, cheese, salads, water, coffee, small quantities of whole grained breads and low carb pastas.
The end result? My A1C dropped 0.7, back to normal. My colestorol was the lowest it had ever been measured…109. My HDL went up, my LDL went down. I feel better and have lost some weight gradually.
Go figure. Everyone’s physiology is different.
Hmm, my personal suspicion – based on the very unrepresentative sample of my 5 (birth) family members and a few forebears – is that the interaction with genetics (see last paragraph) will be misinterpreted. It does not mean certain types will definitely get Type 2 on a given diet, but that some genetic types can end up with Type 2 if they eat certain things, but [i]could avoid it if they eat differently[/i]. My mother had been waiting her whole life to develop diabetes because her father had it. She eventually was told she was Type 2 in her 70s or so but probably had it longer. She talked to us as if we would inevitably develop it ‘because we have a genetic pre-disposition’ – which took away incentive to change our diets! – until I did that, due to a gall bladder crisis at 57. I think I actually gave myself this shock treatment, with under 1000 calories a day, anyway, for a few weeks prior to surgery, and afterward I ate more calories but still very different foods from before the gall bladder diagnosis (which included fatty liver). In a couple months I felt like a different person, 15 pounds off, at least 10 years younger – I went on about it in 2008-9 in a couple comments somewhere on similar posts, because the change was so great. And meanwhile, both my brothers at age 55 and 56 announced they had Type 2 diabetes – I think because they went right on eating the same red meat, dairy products, and high GI foods typical of my mother’s diet her whole life and our ongoing consumption, unless intentionally changed. I’ve said before the one thing I think I agree with Michelle O. about is the diet change campaign, because I’m now convinced Americans induce considerable medical calamity to our own systems, creating expense as well, by eating what is put in front of us without making an effort to find out what is really good for us. It really is good to find out – the truth makes you free.
Sheesh…sorry…”cholesterol”…
Doing VBS from 8:30 to Noon and then working 2PM to 12AM all week is starting to take its toll.