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- Type of diabetes
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- Diet only
I bought this last week - expecting "just another Gary Taubes diabetes book". Wrong.
It's a fascinating history of diabetes and the medical profession's reaction to it since the disease became prevalent in the 19th century, right up to the present (2022). In particular, GT goes to some lengths to try to understand and explain the refusal of many medics to engage with succesful dietary methods of managing or helping to manage diabetes, and their preference for developing and using more and more different types of drugs. Very low carbohydrate diets were not only known about but actively promoted in the 1800s and subsequently. The opposition of some influential and opinionated individuals who preferred drug treatment, any drug treatment, even though that drug treatment didn't work, is well set out.
One of the things he misses, though, is the medical profession's desire in the early 20th century, particularly in America, to ensure that medicine was seen as "scientific" despite it having very little foundation. If you're interested, this aspect is however very well covered in John Barry's "The Great Influenza".
Thoroughly recommended. This forum even gets a mention as a promoter of low carb/keto.
It's a fascinating history of diabetes and the medical profession's reaction to it since the disease became prevalent in the 19th century, right up to the present (2022). In particular, GT goes to some lengths to try to understand and explain the refusal of many medics to engage with succesful dietary methods of managing or helping to manage diabetes, and their preference for developing and using more and more different types of drugs. Very low carbohydrate diets were not only known about but actively promoted in the 1800s and subsequently. The opposition of some influential and opinionated individuals who preferred drug treatment, any drug treatment, even though that drug treatment didn't work, is well set out.
One of the things he misses, though, is the medical profession's desire in the early 20th century, particularly in America, to ensure that medicine was seen as "scientific" despite it having very little foundation. If you're interested, this aspect is however very well covered in John Barry's "The Great Influenza".
Thoroughly recommended. This forum even gets a mention as a promoter of low carb/keto.
