[pascalmemories]

> Diabetics generally have lost the ability to process carbs (usually by eating too many)

That's an outrageous misrepresentation of diabetes (all types).

Diabetics process carbs exactly like everyone else. The body breaks them down and throws the sugars into the bloodstream in the perfectly normal way.

The lack of insulin (generally Type 1) or the resistance to insulin present (generally Type 2), means the cells struggle to process the glucose, leading to uncontrolled rise in glucose levels to dangerous levels.

The body has a poor 'over-limit' response to glucose and tries rather inefficiently to dump the excess in urine which has limited success. As a consequence lots of short-term and long-term damage to the body results - some of which is still being discovered.

Causes of diabetes have multiple possible elements, including none, one or more of : genetics, environmental [e.g. infection] and lifestyle.

"eating too many [carbs]" is a myth and intended to be derisive and offensively stereotype diabetics as being wholly responsible for their condition - just dressed up as a more socially acceptable victim-blame than saying they're receiving God's punishment for having sugar in their coffee.

Science has conclusively proven diabetes is not some simple response to over-indulgence in carbohydrate.

Stop making offensive and untrue claims.

[andy_ppp]

I'm sorry for upsetting you but from my research eating high sugar/carb diets (without exercise) causes insulin resistance in the majority of people. There are some groups that are more susceptible to this of course.

I'm not blaming anyone or even thinking about that; I've just done a lot of research and listened to a lot of interesting studies about the gut biome, western diet, insulin resistance, weight training, HIIT, noticing how I feel if I eat lots of sugar and carbs, and trying to eat a more health diet.

Maybe I'll be proved to be wrong, I'm just giving an opinion based on some research I've done.

Also by process I've definitely used the wrong word there. I definitely mean utilise.

[paulcole]

>Maybe I'll be proved to be wrong

That day has come

http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/it-true-ea...

[andy_ppp]

That doesn't disprove anything I've said; it says diabetes is probably caused by eating too much which spikes blood glucose which causes diabetes. What you are saying with your pithy comment is really great but what I've said is eating sugar and processed carbs spikes blood sugar, over time it leads to resistance to the insulin your body produces. If you eat too much your body (even some fats or protein) produce an insulin spike. If you spike your insulin 20 times per day with soda you will almost certainly at some point become diabetic. You simply won't be able to eat enough fat or protein let alone veggies to do this so we are back to my original point...

[paulcole]

> If you spike you insulin 20 times per day with diet soda

"the evidence that connects artificial sweeteners to “insulin spiking” is limited"

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/diet-s...

[andy_ppp]

Sorry I mistyped somehow (corrected) diet soda is a whole different discussion...

[rhinoceraptor]

So insulin resistance isn't in some way related to chronic elevated levels of insulin?

It's also interesting that insulin resistance is reversible by simply eating less carbs. But clearly, diabetes has nothing to do with carbs :-)

[andy_ppp]

I'm off to have a Jam sandwich on some nice white bread.

Edit: I applaud the downvoter of this comment.

[imdsm]

Make sure it's a brioche bun.

[mankyd]

I am curious. Did you really find his claim "offensive"? Or was it simply incorrect and over simplified?

[pascalmemories]

Every time I hear it, it is offensive. Let me explain why.

It's often quoted in the context of a relatively young person who has died and people discussing the young and sudden death as 'well, they were diabetic, so they died because they just kept eating donuts and didn't stop when they were told'. That brings no comfort to the family and it is often completely untrue. Most diabetics do try very hard to deal with their condition responsibly but simply stopping eating carbohydrate is not really a 'cure' or answer to the condition. Some may chose to deal with it, in part, by doing this because they feel that helps them specifically. But that is not the case for everyone.

Anyone who said a cancer patient died because they brought it upon themselves would rightfully expect to be ostracized (or worse) but, for some bizarre reason, people are happy to unquestioningly accept the point for diabetes, but not cancer (another disease with complex reasons behind it).

Addressing some other comments, insulin resistance can be a natural condition due to genetic factors and occur in the absence of excessive carbohydrate consumption. It can also develop in type 1 diabetes as a reaction to the artificial insulin introduced to control the condition (GM 'human' insulins can help but sometimes switching to Bovine/Pork insulins helps - again, it's complex and not well understood). Low carbohydrate consumption may mask the condition, but the person is still insulin resistant/diabetic regardless of whether they eat carbohydrate or not. Diabetes is not cure-able (yet - there are pioneering attempts).

I know diabetics devastated with guilt that they've somehow caused their diabetes and are responsible because someone told them it is because - based on no evidence at all - they eat too much sugar.

Perpetrating this myth and forcing guilt upon diabetics is potentially psychologically damaging, especially to a group know to have a higher propensity to depression because of the condition.

My final point on the matter, some diabetics have a form which is virtually impossible to manage manually and the only avenue for treatment is to use the new insulin pump technology which can combine continuous glucose monitoring with ultra-fine insulin control (complex time slot/insulin sensitivity/carbohydrate dosage calculations) in order to control the condition. This is showing excellent results but does come with considerable costs - although these are a small fraction of the cost of amputations, blindness or organ failure which can otherwise result.

[rhinoceraptor]

I see where you're coming from, but I don't think any low carb advocates are making a moral judgement against diabetics. It's not just diabetics who have suffered from the wrongheaded diet advice that's been given for the past 40 years.

Yes, a low carb diet is not a cure to diabetes, any more than a low peanut diet is a cure for peanut allergies. But I think the idea that people can eat whatever they want and use more and more insulin has lead to a lot of unnecessary human suffering.