Why are many national diabetes and dietetic organisations opposed to low carb diets in the management of T2D, despite proven efficacy? What’s happening in Australia may provide some insight.
Investigative journalist Marika Sboros of Foodmed.net recently published a
four-part series on DAA conflicts of interest, and the DAA’s (Dietitians Association of Australia) treatment of three dietitians.
The fourth post includes the story of my deregistration by DAA after a complaint was made that my recommendation of low carb diets for diabetes was not evidence based.
http://foodmed.net/2017/01/30/daa-targets-dietitians-with-fake-news/
I’d love to know what you think.
Welcome to the forum, Jennifer. I'm glad to see you are still making a living, despite the evil efforts of the DAA. I've looked at your references & am horrified at your treatment.
I started low carbing 9 years ago, on the advice of a type 1, Fergus on this forum.
The incentive was a crippling neuropathy & other complications - extreme tiredness, beginning of retinopathy & reduction in kidney function.
Doctor suggested hospital investigation for the neuropathy. My HbA1c was 6.7 which was considered acceptable. [It's currently 6.6 & has been lower.]
I was diagnosed T2 8 years before, age 61. and had carefully followed the DUK/NHS complex carb, low fat dietary advice. I had been told that diabetes was progressive, however well I followed their diet, so followed it carefully..
My BGs immediately improved & in 3 months I was completely our of pain & back on the tennis court.
Dr fully approves my diet, & supports me with test strip prescriptions.
I did of course phone DUK with the good news & got the answer: "If it works for you, carry on, but we will not change our advice."
I would have hoped my experience is valid & of interest to the DUKs of this world - 78 next month; playing tennis & table tennis at club standard; free of diabetes symptoms; HbA1c=6.6; 2-3 metformin daily.
I did manage to make them feel guilty - they sent an email explaining that they do support low carb [actually LCLF] - [when people do it, but they don't advocate its use, as it is one of many dietary options.] Then I met a DUK rep at a meeting & gave her my story. I got a personal reply - identical to the email sent 9 months before.
That got us into an apology & 6 months of correspondence in which I analysed their documentation & showed how they seriously distorted the references they were quoting to support their diet recommendations.
After those exchanges, their last words were:
"Thanks for your follow up email. I’m hoping that we can get a clearer outcome this time. From the various discussions, the summary of our positions are as follows:
· does Diabetes UK support low carb diet as an approach to managing diabetes – Diabetes UK’s answer is Yes. We see low carb as one of the many approaches.
· does Diabetes UK support low carb diet as the default approach to managing diabetes – Diabetes UK’s answer is No. This is based on the fact that other approaches are also beneficial so we think people should choose an approach based on their personal preference and that they are likely to stick to.
These are positions that have been informed by robust review of the research. Unfortunately, you disagree with our positions and there appears to be is very little chance of us resolving such disagreements with our conversations. Whilst Diabetes UK highlights personal success stories through our various channels it is important that our nutrition guidelines are based on published evidence. I’m afraid it would be unhelpful to keep changing our position on a very topical subject like diet based on personal accounts. Apologies for my simplicity of thoughts, but if we were to say today that everyone with diabetes should follow low carb diet, what do we do when we are approached by someone else who has put their Type 2 diabetes into remission with very low calorie diet? That will be a recipe for confusion especially when there is no consistent evidence to support one approach over the other."
I'm hoping that the many hours of literature study, & years of experience they casually brush off can be used for the benefit of the diabetic community, so I am on a community seeking to improve the approach to new patients.
The problem is, of course, that most of the approaches fail badly, resulting in the public health crisis that threatens the NHS, with the results of diabetes complications.
The concept of a dietary approach - LCHF - that minimises complications & can restore health does not seem attractive to the organisations. Perhaps there is no money to be made by drug companies & cereal producers who sponsor diabetes research.
Hiding behind
"robust review of the research .... published evidence" is a lie which I have demonstrated to them by referring to their sources. In any case, they might consider a research project on a high fat diet to be unethical.
Hope we can all take it forward for the benefit of all & the frustration of the DAs & vested interests - & professional pride.
