can type 1 diabetes be controlled with diet?

[Jaylee]

What is the test(s) which sees if you have too much ammonia or other byproducts of not processing protein? If you have type 1 diabetes can you limit ingesting protein enough so that you can control your type 1 diabetes and/or can you detect when you are having problems and quickly get back on a good track?

Hi

I feel you are thinking of a keytone meter...?
Keytones are present when BGs go dangerously high.. Ketoacitosis. Not to be confused with ketones from fasting or a keto style diet with a normal safe BG level..

We use our BG meters (& or CGMs.) to detect ot preempt any blood sugar issues accordingly, correcting with the only medication to do the job. Exogenous "insulin" if we go too high. Basically, & on the whole. Anything we swallow (baring water, off the top of my head.) will have either a nominal immediate effect or big impact on BGs, or possibly latter on. Depending on the complexity of the carbs & the amount, or fats slowing the digestive process ultimately converting to blood sugar to power the body.. Which is why the correct insulin to carb ratio is imperative. Along with the timing of dose to compliment the carbs. Certain insulins have a certain working profile..

Unless our BG goes lower than healthy perameters. Then we use carbs..

Hey I'm just a "layman."

All I know is my beta cells took a beating during an autoimmune episode 42 years ago.
& personally, I feel yer barking up the wrong tree? Sorry.

Hope this helps!

 

[Guzzler]

I do not understand why anyone would want to simulate 'severe Type 2 Diabetes'. Isn't it wiser to try to ameliorate the effects of Type 2 Diabetes by changing one's lifestyle/medications etc?

If you are convinced that you have the 'hunter gatherer gene' then why not try to emulate a hunter gatherer type diet, one that is rich in sat fat and protein while low in carbohydrates.

 

[Jaylee]

T1D on the other hand has almost non. Hence they need basal level insulin to be able to handle any glucose in their system. Otherwise they melt away.

Yeah, it kind of runs in the background, acting more like a computor "anti virus" program, (in therory.) more than deal with the imidiacy of what we actually eat...? (An LCer or not.) Which is what "bolus" is for...

I prefer the therory that the "devil confiscates our stereo & record collection," than just wind up as a hat & scarf in a puddle of water.

 

[yetta2mymom]

Are you speaking of the glucagon response? Or are you speaking to the 'hunter gatherer gene' hypothesis?

There are other people who improve their health with regard to blood glucose levels without losing much weight on a low carb diet, the reason for this is unfortunately unknown but I would hazard a guess that a diet low in carbs to aid bg and low in fat to aid weight loss would lead to two things, temporary weight loss and semi permanent hunger.

No
I do not lose weight on a low carb diet and a severe type 2 diabetic would not lose weight on a low carb diet. As I said the reason you lose weight on a low carb diet is that when you have an insulin release to process protein it also gets cells to change sugar into fat. After everything is over you end up with a lower blood sugar level than the body likes and the liver changes fat into sugar. Sugar into fat, fat into sugar uses a lot of energy. I have read that up to (less in most cases) 1/3 the energy is lost when you change sugar into fat and then change fat into sugar.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

have read that up to (less in most cases) 1/3 the energy is lost when you change sugar into fat and then change fat into sugar.

Can you give us a reference to where you read this?

 

[zand]

No
I do not lose weight on a low carb diet and a severe type 2 diabetic would not lose weight on a low carb diet. As I said the reason you lose weight on a low carb diet is that when you have an insulin release to process protein it also gets cells to change sugar into fat. After everything is over you end up with a lower blood sugar level than the body likes and the liver changes fat into sugar. Sugar into fat, fat into sugar uses a lot of energy. I have read that up to (less in most cases) 1/3 the energy is lost when you change sugar into fat and then change fat into sugar.

I no longer lose weight on a low carb diet. I now do a much lower carb diet and lose weight when I am in ketosis (producing ketones) and burning fat. If you don't consume carbs, then you use fat as fuel. I don't understand what you mean about changing fat to sugar etc. If you are keto adapted you simply burn fat.

 

[yetta2mymom]

I do not understand why anyone would want to simulate 'severe Type 2 Diabetes'. Isn't it wiser to try to ameliorate the effects of Type 2 Diabetes by changing one's lifestyle/medications etc?

If you are convinced that you have the 'hunter gatherer gene' then why not try to emulate a hunter gatherer type diet, one that is rich in sat fat and protein while low in carbohydrates.

I am naturally a type 2 diabetic most of the time. We are born that way. I am producing hormones which make me insulin resistant. We turn off the hormones when our blood sugar is heading to dangerous territory and put out enough insulin to keep our blood sugar from getting too high and check if the hormones have cleared enough to mop up most of the sugar. When our smart body determines it is O.K.. we put out enough insulin to change most of the sugar into fat. I have reactive hypoglycemia. I do everything right but I do not restart my hormones in time and I end up with dangerously low blood sugar. I came near to death 1 time. It was not that bad most of the time I only passed out a few times and fell down about 6 (guess) times.

 

[yetta2mymom]

Can you give us a reference to where you read this?

No I am advertising a web site thru google. I get thumbs up from a lot of Indian doctors. No one says I am wrong. I am trying to get doctors to know the obvious. A lot of doctors

I am naturally a type 2 diabetic most of the time. We are born that way. I am producing hormones which make me insulin resistant. We turn off the hormones when our blood sugar is heading to dangerous territory and put out enough insulin to keep our blood sugar from getting too high and check if the hormones have cleared enough to mop up most of the sugar. When our smart body determines it is O.K.. we put out enough insulin to change most of the sugar into fat. I have reactive hypoglycemia. I do everything right but I do not restart my hormones in time and I end up with dangerously low blood sugar. I came near to death 1 time. It was not that bad most of the time I only passed out a few times and fell down about 6 (guess) times.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

No I am advertising a web site thru google. I get thumbs up from a lot of Indian doctors. No one says I am wrong. I am trying to get doctors to know the obvious. A lot of doctors

So just your hypothesis? no references to any studies or medical journals?

 

[Jaylee]

I know there were doctors who were trying to control type 1 diabetes with diet.. They posted a picture of a teen age (guess 12,13,14) who they said had controlled his diabetes since birth. Can you cut the amount of times you need to control BG with diet. I do not know. What were they doing?

Got any links or literature to this?

 

[Guzzler]

I am naturally a type 2 diabetic most of the time. We are born that way. I am producing hormones which make me insulin resistant. We turn off the hormones when our blood sugar is heading to dangerous territory and put out enough insulin to keep our blood sugar from getting too high and check if the hormones have cleared enough to mop up most of the sugar. When our smart body determines it is O.K.. we put out enough insulin to change most of the sugar into fat. I have reactive hypoglycemia. I do everything right but I do not restart my hormones in time and I end up with dangerously low blood sugar. I came near to death 1 time. It was not that bad most of the time I only passed out a few times and fell down about 6 (guess) times.

"We are born that way". Forgive me but if you were born with full blown Type 2 Diabetes I would suspect that this may have been picked up at an early age (and I suspect that you did not have full blown T2 because, left untreated, you would probably not have reached the age you are considering that you have only been addressing carbs for the last 12 years).
I also suspect that you may be misunderstanding the role of insulin in the metabolism (insulin being the main player but not the only hormone that is a part of the metabolism/endocrine system).

My main qualm about your plan to go low carb and low fat is that this is just another way of describing a calorie restricted diet and as we know, these calorie restricted diets often promote temporary weight loss and lower BMR. These diets have not worked long term for the vast majority of people for the last 40 odd years.
They lead to guilt (why can't I do this? why can't I stick to this?), hunger and deficiencies in vital nutrients in some cases.

 

[lucylocket61]

I just remembered who the Op is, and the exhaustive, and exhausting time last year and early this year trying to get information out of the poster. So I will surrender now.

 

[kokhongw]

I have reactive hypoglycemia. I do everything right but I do not restart my hormones in time and I end up with dangerously low blood sugar. I came near to death 1 time. It was not that bad most of the time I only passed out a few times and fell down about 6 (guess) times.

That is likely because there's not enough ketones to fuel the brain...

 

[yetta2mymom]

So just your hypothesis? no references to any studies or medical journals?

Yes, you are right. However I was reviewed by google. Since I am not a health care professional they stopped allowing me to advertise my web site to health care professionals in the U.S. and India. After 4 people (I have an ap) from google in the U.S. looked at my entire site I was reinstated. I now have an average of over 700 views each day in India and about 30 in the U.S.. 1 of the U.S. doesn't count and gives a false picture he/she is local and looks at my site several times a day often in the middle of the night (what is going on?). I have asked the N.Y. Times and the Washington Post to tell me if I could put in an ad that basically politely curses the U.S medical union since I can not advertise and/or get published since I am not a health care professional. I included in my rant that the medical union does not allow anyone to get a simple A1c and/or blood sugar value from any medical facility they control (most) but you can get such tests in the U.S. from installations not under their control. I emailed people when I found out about this strange situation and the 3 newspapers I contacted had women call me and ask if I was a health care professional. I am now in limbo about my ad but my ap showed me that 3 people from the N.Y. area looked at my site at about the same time and when I mentioned that google allowed me to restart advertising 1 person from D.C. looked at my site. I don't remember all the times people in the U.K. have looked at my site. But I am still here and I assume I have been reviewed. I did post on the gestational diabetes form on this site asking if anyone had gestational diabetes and did not fit the profile of my "hunter" gene. We have a glucose tolerance test which slows down but is still rising after 2 hours. We do not lose weight on a low carb diet. Our A1c is very effected by the amount of sugar/starch/alchol we eat. I was obviously looked at since 3 people took it upon themselves to harass me and a moderator took away there privileges and asked me what I wanted (her?) to do. I basically said stop the harassment but nothing else. 2700 people looked at my post when it was fresh and 1 lady who takes steroids said it lead to gestational diabetes. Where are all the other women?

 

[yetta2mymom]

That is likely because there's not enough ketones to fuel the brain...

Explain your analysis. I assume that over 50 years ago when these events occurred, before I realized I had a low blood sugar problem, I got very low blood sugar.

 

[kitedoc]

Thanks. I know doctors were trying to control type 1 diabetes and had been su

Hi

I know there were doctors who were trying to control type 1 diabetes with diet.. They posted a picture of a teen age (guess 12,13,14) who they said had controlled his diabetes since birth. Can you cut the amount of times you need to control BG with diet. I do not know. What were they doing?

If this person had a definite, proven diagnosis of type 1 diabetes ( as opposed to another form of diabetes like LADA), the chances of a reversal is extremely rare. ? only 2 in the UK of recent times. One would need all the details of this case you mention to understand what was and was not happening.

 

[yetta2mymom]

If this person had a definite, proven diagnosis of type 1 diabetes ( as opposed to another form of diabetes like LADA), the chances of a reversal is extremely rare. ? only 2 in the UK of recent times. One would need all the details of this case you mention to understand what was and was not happening.

Hi

I know very little but they did not say they had reversed his diabetes (I have an auto-immune problem and I have very little hope for a cure). They said they could control his symptoms with diet. Did they mean only diet? It was implied but not specifically stated. Was it a hoke. Don't know but also don't know if you measured everything in terms of sugar/starch/alchol/protein could you control type 1 diabetes. I do not know. If you occasionally had to take insulin and/or some other treatment? I do not know. Maybe someone has a clue?

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @yetta2mymom, From my experinece and reading as a diabetic, not as professional advice or opinoin:
There is a period of time called the honeymoon phase where for maybe 12 months or longer someone diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) recovers some of their own insulin production - not sufficient usually to stop insulin injections entirely but certainly lower doses than when their pancreas gland is later producing zero insulin.
Before insulin was discovered and could be extracted from animals and used by humans, the way to try to temporarily ease the persistent decline in health of someone with apparent T1D was to restrict food, including carbs.
At a guess, nowadays, if someone is definitely diagnosed T1D and is in early phase it maybe theoretically possible that by restricting carb intake one might be able to 'get by' for ? months on that diet alone whilst their pancreas gland's beta cells are gradually being wiped out by the auto-immune response. By 'get by' I am not suggesting their BSLs would be normal.
Eventually the lack of insulin would cause sufficient symptoms to lead to the need for injected insulin in order to save them from an unpleasant death.

 

[yetta2mymom]

Hi @yetta2mymom, From my experinece and reading as a diabetic, not as professional advice or opinoin:
There is a period of time called the honeymoon phase where for maybe 12 months or longer someone diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) recovers some of their own insulin production - not sufficient usually to stop insulin injections entirely but certainly lower doses than when their pancreas gland is later producing zero insulin.
Before insulin was discovered and could be extracted from animals and used by humans, the way to try to temporarily ease the persistent decline in health of someone with apparent T1D was to restrict food, including carbs.
At a guess, nowadays, if someone is definitely diagnosed T1D and is in early phase it maybe theoretically possible that by restricting carb intake one might be able to 'get by' for ? months on that diet alone whilst their pancreas gland's beta cells are gradually being wiped out by the auto-immune response. By 'get by' I am not suggesting their BSLs would be normal.
Eventually the lack of insulin would cause sufficient symptoms to lead to the need for injected insulin in order to save them from an unpleasant death.

Hi

Without insulin you can control your blood sugar by eating slowly digesting starches (people with reactive hypoglycemia do that) The only other problem I am aware of is that you need insulin to process excess protein into urea. If not you get a build up of ammonia and if you don't fix that you die. I do not know if you can control your protein intake and/or occasionally take insulin and/or some other treatment when you get out of balance. I have not heard from anyone who seems to know if that is a possible way to live. I was at a meeting where 1 woman just didn't seem to understand there are people who have to eat either a very low sugar/starch/alchol or only slowly digesting starches in order to avoid very debilitating fatigue (me). Somehow she thought I was eating my strange diet on a whim. I am unusual in my persistence, but I am not alone.

 

[Guzzler]

Hi

Without insulin you can control your blood sugar by eating slowly digesting starches (people with reactive hypoglycemia do that) The only other problem I am aware of is that you need insulin to process excess protein into urea. If not you get a build up of ammonia and if you don't fix that you die. I do not know if you can control your protein intake and/or occasionally take insulin and/or some other treatment when you get out of balance. I have not heard from anyone who seems to know if that is a possible way to live. I was at a meeting where 1 woman just didn't seem to understand there are people who have to eat either a very low sugar/starch/alchol or only slowly digesting starches in order to avoid very debilitating fatigue (me). Somehow she thought I was eating my strange diet on a whim. I am unusual in my persistence, but I am not alone.

No. In the absence of insulin you die, it is as simple as that. There is a process involving protein that is called gluconeogenesis, it may be worth your while to go back to the basics of how the three macros are metabolised especially if, as I suspect, you now seem to be blaming protein for something which leads me to think you may limit the protein in your diet, too. As a senior gentleman on a low carb, low fat, low protein diet you would be putting your health at serious risk and I urge you to defer any decisions until you understand fully the ramifications of such a diet.