Obese and diabetic patients lose more weight on a high fat diet compared to a high carbohydrate diet

This study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine 2004 May 18;140(10):778-85

Study title and authors:

The effects of low-carbohydrate versus conventional weight loss diets in severely obese adults: one-year follow-up of a randomized trial.

Stern L, Iqbal N, Seshadri P, Chicano KL, Daily DA, McGrory J, Williams M, Gracely EJ, Samaha FF.

Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15148064

This study, of one years duration, compared the effects of of either a high carbohydrate diet or high fat diet on 132 obese adults of whom 83% had diabetes or the metabolic syndrome.

After one year the composition of the two diets was:
(i) 50% carbohydrate, 16% protein, 34% fat (high carbohydrate diet).
(ii) 30% carbohydrate, 18% protein, 52% fat (high fat diet).

The study found:
(a) Those on the high fat diet lost an extra 2 kg compared to those on the high carbohydrate diet.
(b) The unhealthy triglyceride levels decreased by 28.2% on the high fat diet, whereas they increased by 2.7% on the high carbohydrate diet.
(c) The unhealthy high HbA1C levels decreased by an extra 9.6% in diabetic patients on the high fat diet compared to the high carbohydrate diet.

This study shows that a high fat diet had produced more favourable health outcomes for obese and diabetic patients compared with a high carbohydrate diet.

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Wheat may be the cause of nearly half of type I diabetes cases

This study was published in Diabetes 2009 Aug;58(8):1789-96

Study title and authors:
Diabetes-specific HLA-DR-restricted proinflammatory T-cell response to wheat polypeptides in tissue transglutaminase antibody-negative patients with type 1 diabetes.

Mojibian M, Chakir H, Lefebvre DE, Crookshank JA, Sonier B, Keely E, Scott FW.
Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19401421

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease (autoimmune disease is where something triggers an abnormal immune response which causes the immune system to attack its own healthy cells and tissues) that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin producing beta-cells in the pancreas, thereby stopping the production of insulin.

In this study, 42 individuals with type 1 diabetes were compared to 22 healthy individuals to discover if wheat protein produced an abnormal immune response.

Wheat protein may cause an abnormal immune response in about 0.4% of the general population.

The study found that almost half (47%) of the individuals with type I diabetes showed an abnormal response to wheat protein.

This study shows that wheat proteins provoke an abnormal immune response which may be responsible for nearly half of type 1 diabetes cases.

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Low vitamin B12 levels implicated in the development of diabetes

This study can be accessed in the Public Library of Science 2011;6(11):e26747

Study title and authors:

Status of B-vitamins and homocysteine in diabetic retinopathy: association with vitamin-B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia.

Satyanarayana A, Balakrishna N, Pitla S, Reddy PY, Mudili S, Lopamudra P, Suryanarayana P, Viswanath K, Ayyagari R, Reddy GB.

Biochemistry, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22069468

Diabetic retinopathy is retinopathy (damage to the retina) caused by complications of diabetes, which can eventually lead to blindness. Many studies have indicated an association between high levels of homocysteine (a non-protein amino acid) and diabetic retinopathy.

This study investigated the relationship of B-vitamins and homocysteine in diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. The study measured values of Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 and included 300 people with type two diabetes of which 200 had retinopathy and 100 did not. A further 100 healthy subjects were also included for analysis.

Other clinical measurements were also measured in the study, and it was revealed:
(i) Those with diabetes had 123% higher blood sugar levels than the healthy subjects.
(ii) Those with diabetes had 83% higher HbA1C levels than the healthy subjects.
(iii) Those with diabetes had 19% higher insulin levels than the healthy subjects.
(iv) Those with diabetes had 25% higher triglyceride levels than the healthy subjects.
(v) Those with diabetes had 18% lower (HDL) high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than the healthy subjects.

Regarding the relationship of B-vitamins and homocysteine in diabetes and diabetic retinopathy the study found:
(a) Homocysteine levels were higher in those with diabetes, (particularly in those with diabetic retinopathy), compared to the healthy subjects.
(b) Vitamin B6, B9 and B12 levels were lower in those with diabetes, (particularly vitamin B12), compared to the healthy subjects. (Vitamin B12 was also significantly lower in those with diabetic retinopathy compared to those with just diabetes).

The results of the study show that deficiencies of vitamins B6, B9 and B12 are associated with high homocysteine levels and the development of diabetes. Low levels of vitamin B12 were significantly associated with the incidence of diabetes and the development of diabetic retinopathy.

The best sources of vitamin B6 are: Tuna, beef liver, chicken liver, pork chops, salmon, halibut, beef and turkey.

Good sources of vitamin B9 include: Calf's liver, beef liver, other organ meats and chicken giblet's.

Vitamin B12 can only be found in foods of animal origin, the richest sources are: Oyster's, mussel's, clam's, beef liver, trout, salmon, beef, pork, egg and chicken.

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Every 15 gram per day increase in beef consumption leads to a 4% reduction in colon cancer

This study was published in Cancer Research 1994 Feb 1;54(3):718-23

Study title and authors:

A prospective cohort study on the relation between meat consumption and the risk of colon cancer.

Goldbohm RA, van den Brandt PA, van 't Veer P, Brants HA, Dorant E, Sturmans F, Hermus RJ.

Department of Nutrition, TNO-Toxicology and Nutrition Institute, Zeist, The Netherlands.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8306333

The study investigated the association of the consumption of meat and the intake of fat with risk of colon cancer. The study included 120,852 men and women, aged 55-69 and lasted 3.3 years.

The study found:
(a) Fat consumption had no bearing on colon cancer rates.
(b) Those who ate the most fresh meat had a 16% reduction in colon cancer.
(c) For every 15 gram per day increase in beef consumption there was a 4% reduction in colon cancer.
(d) For every 15 gram per day increase in liver consumption there was a 85% reduction in colon cancer.

This study shows that red meat protects against colon cancer.

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High C-reactive protein levels associated with higher death rates in type II diabetics

This study was published in Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes 2006 Mar;114(3):127-34

Study title and authors:

C-reactive protein is a strong independent predictor of death in type 2 diabetes: association with multiple facets of the metabolic syndrome.

Linnemann B, Voigt W, Nobel W, Janka HU.

Central Hospital of Bremen-Nord, Department of Internal Medicine, 2nd Medical Clinic, Bremen, Germany.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16636979

The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of C-reactive protein as a cardiovascular risk marker and predictor of death, as well as its relationship to other factors of the metabolic syndrome in type II diabetic patients at high risk of severe cardiovascular complications.

This five year study included 592 patients, aged 55 to 74 years (311 men, 281 women), with signs and symptoms of circulation problems.  At the start of the study 292 patients of the total group had type II diabetes (49.3%). Ischemic heart disease was present in 40.2%, internal carotid stenosis in 21.9% and peripheral arterial disease in 39.7% of the subjects.

The study found:
(a) The type II diabetics with the highest C-reactive protein levels had a 230% increased death rate compared to those with the lowest C-reactive protein levels.
(b) The type II diabetics with the highest C-reactive protein levels had a 440% increased death rate from cardiovascular causes compared to those with the lowest C-reactive protein levels.
(c) Those with higher levels of C-reactive protein had unhealthy higher triglyceride levels compared to those with lower levels of C-reactive protein.
(d) Those with higher levels of C-reactive protein had unhealthy higher post meal glucose levels compared to those with lower levels of C-reactive protein.
(e) Those with higher levels of C-reactive protein had lower levels of the healthy high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared to those with lower levels of C-reactive protein.

This study shows that high levels of C-reactive protein are associated with higher death rates from cardiovascular disease and higher total death rates in type II diabetics. Additionally, high levels of C-reactive protein are associated with increasing the risk factors for the metabolic syndrome, which is often the precursor to type II diabetes.

A high fat dietary regime is the most effective way to reduce dangerous levels of C-reactive protein see here.

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Atorvastatin induced multiple organ failure

This paper was published in the Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society 2010 May - Jun;162(3):159-60

Study title and authors:

Atorvastatin induced multiple organ failure.

Kandavar R, Sander GE.

Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20666169

A 71 year old woman with a past medical history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease was being treated with atorvastatin and verapamil (for blood pressure) in addition to a few other medications.

She complained of nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, generalized weakness and dark urine. An inspection revealed jaundice and mild mental confusion and features of multiple organ dysfunction. The patient died within 5 days of multiple organ failure.

Kandavar found that the cause of multiple organ failure could be the result increased blood levels of atorvastatin. 

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Both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks increase the risk type II diabetes

This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2011 Jun;93(6):1321-7

Study title and authors:

Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverage consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men.

de Koning L, Malik VS, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB.

Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21430119

The objective of the study was to examine the associations of sugar- and artificially sweetened drinks with  type II diabetes. A 20 year analysis of the  intakes of sugar-sweetened (sodas, fruit punches, lemonades, fruit drinks) and artificially sweetened (diet sodas, diet drinks) was performed on 40,389 men.

The study found:
(a) The men who consumed the most sugar-sweetened drinks had a 25% increased risk of developing type II diabetes compared with the men who consumed the least sugar-sweetened drinks.
(b) The men who consumed the most artificially sweetened drinks had a 91% increased risk of developing type II diabetes compared with the men who consumed the least artificially sweetened drinks.

This study shows that drinking both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks increase the risk of type II diabetes.

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