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Diabetes |
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Diabetes |
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by Andrew W. Saul Introduction by Abram
Hoffer, M.D.: This article reports what can be done over and above the use of insulin and classical
dietetics. I am very familiar with Type I (insulin dependent diabetes or
juvenile diabetes), as two members of my family have it. As this is not a
medical text, the author does not describe the symptomatology and treatment
using insulin. (By the way, doctors who treat diabetes are practicing
orthomolecular medicine without knowing it, for they are using a hormone that
is naturally present in the body.) Dr. Saul lists and describes both positive
and negative factors in dealing with this condition. Thus for Type I, we have
on the positive side the B complex vitamins, especially vitamin B-3, and
vitamin C. The negative factors are diets which are too rich in free sugars
and not rich enough in the complex carbohydrates. Negative factors also
include milk, fluoride, coffee and vaccinations. When it is started at
an early age, niacinamide will prevent diabetes from developing in many
children born to families prone to the disease. I have also found niacin very
helpful in preventing patients from suffering the long term ravages of
diabetes, which are not directly due to high blood sugars, but to the side
effects involving the vascular system. Niacin lowers total cholesterol,
elevates HDL, and prevents the development of arteriosclerosis. Therefore
these patients are less apt to become blind and lose their legs. With medical
supervision, it may be used safely in dealing with diabetics, but you will
need to find a doctor who knows niacin. Dr. Saul provides supporting
references to the literature, which physicians will benefit from seeing. I was especially pleased to see that he cited my
friend Dr. Emanuel Cheraskin's seven papers on the subject.
Type II Non-insulin
dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) was formerly known as hyperinsulinism
or hypoglycemia. The term “hypoglycemia” turned the establishment
red with fury. But over time, many books and papers have been published
dealing with this very common condition. Positive factors listed are
magnesium, exercise, weight control, chromium, fiber, vitamin E, vanadium,
vitamin C, and complex carbohydrates. Negative factors are iatrogenic, such
as drugs that may actually cause this type of diabetes. I have been using the
positive factors for the past 40 years. When patients followed such a
program, the results are very good. This webpage provides
complementary physicians who are interested in treating diabetes with
information about nutrients that will make their treatment even better. I am
convinced that if this information were to be used preventively, it would
protect many persons from developing this disease. - A. Hoffer
Diabetes: General Considerations about Supplements Nearly 13% of American adults have diabetes, and 1 out of 3 adults has prediabetes. Close to 10 million Americans are on insulin. Much blindness, many
amputations, and many deaths result from the circulatory complications of the disease. The United States has the highest rate of diabetes among developed nations. Even if a singe natural measure can prevent this disease only in
part and in just some persons, it is still well worth doing. How much better
would be trying all these techniques together? Important note: Expect
success. This means that if you are on diabetic medication, you may need
to have your drug or insulin dosage adjusted DOWN. Is this bad? Is a
tax cut BAD? See your doctor frequently, and before you begin as
well, to plan and monitor your progress. B-Complex Vitamins Niacin/Niacinamide,
one of the B-complex vitamins Persons with vitamin B-3
(niacin) deficiency may show hypersensitivity to insulin, becoming
hypoglycemic more readily than normal subjects after an injection of insulin.
(p 342) Dr. R., a chiropractor in
Niacin helps most diabetics. However, niacin can sometimes raise blood sugar. The rise is not usually great, but common sense says always work with your physician, and monitor blood sugar.
It is not difficult to monitor your glucose at home. How to simply and safely self-test your blood
sugar is nicely described on p 154-155 of Balch, J.
F and Balch, P.A. (1990) Prescription for
Nutritional Healing (Avery Publishing). For more information
about vitamin B-3:
Type I (Juvenile Onset, Insulin Dependent) Diabetes
Vitamin C "So, what do the
experts tell us about a vitamin C connection in the control of sugar metabolism? We turned to five of the leading textbooks dealing with diabetes
mellitus published during the last five years. Would you believe? There was not one word indicating any connection or a lack of correlation
between ascorbic acid and carbohydrate metabolism! This is even more incomprehensible when one realizes that reviews of the literature as
far back as 1940 showed that blood sugar can be predictably reduced with
intravenous ascorbate." One case study suggests
that for each gram of vitamin C taken by mouth, the amount of insulin
required could be reduced by two units. (Dice, J. F. and Daniel, C. W.
(1973) The hypoglycemic effect of ascorbic acid in a juvenile-onset diabetic.
International Research Communications System, 1:41. Vitamin C has been shown
to reduce levels of complication-causing sorbitol
in diabetics. In a 58 day study carried out in 1994, researchers investigated
the effect of two different, and rather low, doses of vitamin C supplements
(100 or 600 mg) on young adults with Type I diabetes. Vitamin C
supplementation at either dose normalized sorbitol
levels in 30 days. (Cunningham JJ; Vitamin C may also help
to keep tiny blood vessels (capillaries) from bursting, a major cause of
diabetic complications. Vitamin C supplements increase the elasticity of
these smallest of blood vessels. (Timimi
FK; Ting HH; Haley EA; Roddy MA; Ganz P; Creager MA Vitamin C
improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in
patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Cardiol, 1998 Mar,
31:3, 552-7) Also of interest:: Pfleger R, Scholl F. (1937, note
the date) Diabetes und vitamin C. Wiener Archiv für Innere Medizin
31: 219-230. Setyaadmadja, A.T.S.H., Cheraskin, E. and Ringsdorf, W.M., Jr.
Som S, Basu
S, Mukherjee D, Deb S, Choudhury
PR, Mukherjee S, Chatterjee
SN, Chatterjee IB. (1981) Ascorbic acid metabolism
in diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 30: 572-577. If there are Musts to
Avoid for a diabetic, they may well include the following: ONE: Eliminate
Sugar Medical Evidence that
Sugar Causes Diabetes, among other things To begin with, this book
has nothing to do with the artificial sweetener known as saccharin. The
Saccharine Disease refers to excess sugar consumption as a key cause of
chronic disease in our time. Dr. Cleave, formerly a Surgeon-Captain of the
British Royal Navy, wishes us to pronounce it "saccar-RHINE,"
like the German river. That we can do. What we will have a harder
time doing is admitting that he is correct in ascribing colitis, peptic
ulcer, varicose veins, coronary heart disease, and diabetes to excess intake
of simple carbohydrates. A theory like that one needs a book to explain it
and a lifetime of experience as a doctor behind it. Here are both. It is party line medicine
(and dietetics) that sugar consumption is pretty much connected only with
tooth decay and obesity. Since the 1950's, Dr. Cleave has been a voice
in the wilderness, informing doctors of what they do not want to believe and
patients of what they do not want to do. Only the sturdiest readers
want to tangle with a book that relentlessly takes them to task one sweet
tooth at a time. References are provided with each chapter, and
suggestions for improved diet are compactly set forth in an Appendix. The
Saccharine Disease is somewhat dry reading, although this is compensated
for by its overwhelming scientific importance. If there is indeed a root
cause of illness, and that cause is our everyday use of sugar, it will take
plenty of straight science to convince us to change our ways. Even then,
really innovative science has a way of being kept from the public, not by
being disproved, but by being ignored. If Dr. Cleave has been largely
unsuccessful in influencing health policy so far, perhaps you will want to
take up the banner after reading this book. There was a time when the
director of the FDA (known then as the Bureau of Chemistry) was willing to
state that sugar consumption could indeed cause diabetes. (Wiley, H. A
History of a Crime Against the Food Law, 1929). TWO: Avoid Milk THREE: Avoid
Fluoride (T)he
concentration of fluoride recommended for fluoridation programs (the
sacrosanct "1.0 part-per-million") is deemed to be entirely safe.
An examination of the scientific literature reveals that this is not the
case. Dr M A Roshal, in a 1965 issue of the journal
issued by the Leningrad Medical Institute, reported that intake of fluoride -
even at the apparently "safe" concentration of 1.0 part per million
- caused derangements in blood sugar balance. The Question of Fluoridation,
by J. R. Marier, Inorganic fluoride is a
persistent bioaccumulator, and the ever-increasing
use (and release) of fluoride compounds in the environment should be of
long-term concern in population sub-groups who are most susceptible, and
therefore, most at risk. One of these sub-groups consists of people with
impaired kidney function, including subjects with nephorphatic
diabetes. The diabetes factor is of particular relevance, not only because
the incidence of diabetes has increased by 6%/yr during the period 1965-1975,
but also because subjects with nephropathic
diabetes can exhibit a polydipsia-polyurea syndrome
that results in increased intake of fluoride, along with greater-than-normal
retention of a given fluoride dosage. People with inadequate dietary intakes
(particularly of Ca and/or Vitamin C) are also likely to be more at risk as a
consequence of low-dose long-term fluoride ingestion. Evidence is presented,
showing that there has been an escalation in daily fluoride intake via the
total human food-and-beverage chain, with the likelihood that this escalation
will continue in the future. Recent observations, relating
to an increasing incidence of chronic fluoride intoxication among humans, is
also emphasized. Dental Fluorosis Associated With Hereditary Diabetes Insipidus. Oral Surgery 40(6):736741, (1975) Existing data (1993)
indicate that subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the
toxic effects of fluoride and its compounds. These populations include the
elderly, people with deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and/or vitamin C,
and people with cardiovascular and kidney problems. ... Because fluoride is
excreted through the kidney, people with renal insufficiency would have
impaired renal clearance of fluoride ... Impaired renal clearance of fluoride
has also been found in people with diabetes mellitus. (Emphasis added) Toxicological
Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride, and Fluorine (F), (April 1993),
U.S. Dept. Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, p.112 (from Darlene Sherrell and Andreas Schuld, Fluoride is an acute
toxin with a rating slightly higher than that of lead. According to
"Clinical Toxicology of Commercial products," 5th Edition, 1984,
lead is given a toxicity rating of 3 to 4, and Fluoride is rated at 4 (3 =
moderately toxic, 4 = very toxic). On December 7, 1992, the new EPA Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCL) for lead was set at 0.015 ppm,
with a goal of 0.0ppm. The MCL for fluoride is currently set for 4.0ppm -
that's over 250 times the permissible level of lead. At the level of 0.4 ppm renal (kidney) impairment has been shown. (Junco,
L.I. et al, "Renal Failure and Fluorosis",
Fluorine & Dental Health, JAMA 222:783 - 785, 1972) Professor William R.
Stine of Children with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
or untreated pituitary diabetes have been found to develop severe dental fluorosis from drinking water containing only 1 or even
0.5 ppm fluoride Persons in poor health and those
who have allergy, asthma, kidney disease, diabetes, gastric ulcer, low
thyroid function, and deficient nutrition are especially susceptible to the
toxic effects of fluoride in drinking water. In addition, fluoride in
beverages (especially tea), food, air, drugs, tobacco,
toothpaste, and mouth rinses can also precipitate or contribute to such
intoxication. Add em
up: do you know your total daily fluoride consumption ? FOUR: Avoid
Caffeine Cheraskin, E., Ringsdorf, W.M., Jr., Setyaadmadji,
A.T.S.H. and Barrett, R.A. Effect of caffeine versus placebo supplementation
on blood glucose concentration. Lancet 1: 7503, 1299-1300, 17 June
1967. Cheraskin, E. and Ringsdorf, W.M., Jr. Blood glucose levels after
caffeine. Lancet 2: 7569, 689, 21 September 1968. FIVE: Question
Immunization The risk of Type I
diabetes may be increased if the Hepatitis B vaccine is given to babies at
about the age six weeks from birth. USA TODAYs
Anita Manning (Aug 3, 1999) discussed a possible connection between diabetes
and the Hib vaccine. More on this subject will
be found in Childhood immunization and diabetes mellitus, New Zealand
Medical Journal, May 1996 Corica, F., A. Allegra,
A. Di Benedetto, et al.
1994. Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on plasma lipid
concentrations in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Magnes. Res. 7:43-46. Mather HM et al. (1979) Hypomagnesemia in diabetes. Clinical and Chemical Acta 95: 235-242. McNair P et al. (1978) Hypomagnesemia, a risk factor in diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes
27: 1075-1077. Exercise Barnard, R.J., L. Lattimore, R.G. Holly, S. Cherny,
and N. Pritikin. 1982. Response of
non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients to an intensive programof
diet and exercise. Diabetes Care 5:370-374. Weight Control Bennett, P.H., W.C.
Knowles, N.B. Rushforth, R.F. Hammon,
and P.J. Savage. 1979. The role of obesity in the development of diabetes of
the Pima Indians. In J. Vague and P.H. Vague, eds. Diabetes and Obesity. Excerpta Medica, Williams, S. R. Nutrition
and Diet Therapy, 6th ed., Ch 19. Stress
Reduction/Meditation Chromium Chromium as GTF improves
glucose tolerance in diabetics whether they are children, adults or
elderly (Williams, S. R. Nutrition and Diet Therapy, Ch. 9, p. 301)
"Deficiency signs include resistance to insulin AND OTHER SIGNS OF
DIABETES." (p 313, emphasis added)
Food Sources of
Chromium Aside from teaching them
when to lead the left bower, one of the best things you can do is give your
family a teaspoon or two of this stuff every day. It is a good source
of B-12 and other B-vitamins, as well as protein. Way too much, by the way,
may cause temporary and harmless skin irritation in some especially sensitive
people. If you start low and increase slow, this will probably not occur. Other food sources of
chromium include nuts, prunes, mushrooms, most whole grains and many
fermented foods including beer and wine. (Now those last two are
certainly popular supplements!) Please remember the negative social,
and negative nutritional, aspects of alcohol, and instead go for the yeast.
Or if you simply must tip a few, at least try to select additive-free,
organically grown beverages and use them in moderation. If you are a teetotaler,
and if your interest in yeast is rapidly waning, the best supplements usually
complex Cr with niacin, which seems to greatly enhance uptake. An example is
chromium polynicotinate, which has been
demonstrated to be especially well absorbed and retained. Chromium picolinate is a good second choice. I would ALWAYS supplement
with 200 to 400 micrograms (mcg) Cr daily if there is any breath of a hint of
hypoglycemia (that’s most of us). In fact, I take (and recommend) that
much every day for those in good health. The US RDA is between 50 and 200 mcg
of Cr daily. Even traditional dieticians textbooks admit that the
conventional Fiber Want to know more
about fiber? At the end of this article is a listing of publications by Dr.
Anderson, an excellent researcher, whose work is also well-written and easy
to understand. Many of his papers are reviews, which neatly summarize this
large topic, and are especially helpful reading. In The Cancer Chronicles
(No 30, Dec, 1995), Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. mentioned that soluble fiber, such
as pectin (a thickener used to make jelly) may help diabetics. It appears
that even the delightful over-the-counter Kaopectate
has been used medically in the treatment of diabetes. Fibers like pectin are
found in the cell walls of all fruits and vegetables. Diabetics can and
should certainly eat a lot more vegetables, along with the beneficial extra
fiber they provide. Vitamin E This was a crossover
study on 36 patients who have Type I diabetes for less than 10 years. The
dose evaluated was 1800 I.U. per day. Before
taking vitamin E, retinal blood flows in these subjects was significantly
lower than in the non-diabetic population. Both retinal blood flow and creatinine clearance were significantly normalized when
subjects received vitamin E. The patients with the worst reading
improved the most. The vitamin had no effect on blood glucose
levels, and therefore would not interfere with insulin therapy. (The following is from Stichting Orthomoleculaire Educatie (Orthomolecular Education Foundation) Antwerpsestraat 1a, 2587 AE Den Haag, The
Netherlands. A poor vitamin-E status
(lipid standardized plasma-vitamin E below the median) was associated with an
almost quadruple risk of NIDDM (relative risk 3.9). The strong protective
influence of vitamin E, as shown in these findings, supports the hypothesis
that free-radical damage is a causal factor in the development of NIDDM. (Increased risk of
non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus at low plasma vitamin E
concentrations: a four year follow up study in men.
(Salonen JT et al (1995); BMJ,
311:1124-1127, Oct. 28) Further references to
vitamin E and diabetes will be found in the books of Drs. Evan and Wilfrid Shute (listed at http://doctoryourself.com/bibliography.html
), especially Shute, Wilfrid E. Vitamin E for
Ailing and Healthy Hearts (1969) New York: Pyramid Books. Vanadium Eat Complex
Carbohydrates, not Sugary or Fatty Junk Food Hoffer, A. and Walker, M.
(1978) Orthomolecular Nutrition ( See also: Vitamin C for Type II
Diabetes Also of interest: Kapeghian, J. C. et al., "The effects
of glucose on ascorbic acid uptake in heart, endothelial cells: Possible
pathogenesis of diabetic angiopathies," Life
Sci. 34:577 (1984). Sinclair AJ; Taylor PB; Lunec J; Girling AJ; Barnett AH
Low plasma ascorbate levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
consuming adequate dietary vitamin C. Diabet Med,
1994 Nov, 11:9, 893-8 Stone, Irwin. The Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease
(1972) And if you want to go
back in time a bit: Iatrogenic
(Doctor-Caused) Diabetes Remember that with diabetes,
supplements REDUCE the danger. Alpha-Lipoic acid and flaxseed oil are also worth considering.
Copyright 2003 and prior
years by Andrew W. Saul. Revisions copyright 2021. Additional
References: Papers by Dr. J. W.
Anderson Anderson JW, Allgood LD, Turner J, Oeltgen
PR, Daggy BP. Effects of psyllium
on glucose and serum lipid responses in men with type 2
diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Am J Clin
Nutr. 1999 Oct;70(4):466-73. Anderson JW, O'Neal DS,
Riddell-Mason S, Floore TL, Dillon DW, Oeltgen PR. Postprandial serum glucose, insulin, and
lipoprotein responses to high- and low-fiber diets. Metabolism. 1995 Jul;44(7):848-54. Geil PB, Anderson JW. Nutrition and
health implications of dry beans: a review. J Am Coll
Nutr. 1994 Dec;13(6):549-58.
Review. Anderson JW, Zeigler JA, Deakins DA, Floore TL, Dillon
DW, Wood CL, Oeltgen PR, Whitley
RJ. Metabolic effects of high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets for insulin-dependent
diabetic individuals. Am J Clin Nutr.
1991 Nov;54(5):936-43. Fukagawa NK, Anderson JW, Hageman G, Young
VR, Minaker KL. High-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets
increase peripheral insulin sensitivity in healthy young and old adults. Am J
Clin Nutr. 1990 Sep;52(3):524-8. Anderson JW, Bridges SR.
Dietary fiber content of selected foods. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Mar;47(3):440-7. Anderson JW, Anderson JW, Bryant CA.
Dietary fiber: diabetes and obesity. Am J Gastroenterol.
1986 Oct;81(10):898-906. Review. Story L, Anderson JW,
Chen WJ, Karounos D, Jefferson B. Adherence to
high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets: long-term studies of non-obese diabetic
men. J Am Diet Assoc. 1985 Sep;85(9):1105-10. Anderson JW, Sieling B. High-fiber diets for diabetics: unconventional
but effective. Geriatrics. 1981 May;36(5):64-72. Anderson JW, Chandler C.
High fiber diet benefits for diabetics. Diabetes Educ.
1981 Summer;7(2):34-8. Anderson JW, Ward K.
High-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets for insulin-treated men with diabetes
mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr.
1979 Nov;32(11):2312-21. Anderson JW, Midgley WR, Wedman B. Fiber and
diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1979 Jul-Aug;2(4):369-77. Anderson JW, Lin WJ, Ward
K. Composition of foods commonly used in diets for persons with diabetes.
Diabetes Care. 1978 Sep-Oct;1(5):293-302. Anderson JW, Ward K.
Long-term effects of high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets on glucose and lipid
metabolism: a preliminary report on patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care.
1978 Mar-Apr;1(2):77-82. Lin WJ, Anderson JW.
Effects of high sucrose or starch-bran diets on glucose and lipid metabolism
of normal and diabetic rats. J Nutr. 1977 Apr;107(4):584-95. Kiehm TG, Anderson JW, Ward K.
Beneficial effects of a high carbohydrate, high fiber diet on hyperglycemic
diabetic men. Am J Clin Nutr.
1976 Aug;29(8):895-9. Papers by Dr. Emanuel
Cheraskin Cheraskin, E. et al The
Birmingham, Alabama Cheraskin, E., Ringsdorf, W.M., Jr., Setyaadmadja,
A.T.S.H., Barrett, R.A., Sibley, G.T. and Reid, R.W. Environmental
factors in blood glucose regulation. Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society 16: #7, 823-825, July 1968
Cheraskin, E. The
role of diabetes mellitus in dental practice. Journal of Dental
Medicine 15: #2, 67-69, April 1960 Cheraskin, E., Ringsdorf, WY., Jr., Setyaadmadja,
A.T.S.H. and Thielens, K.B. The Cheraskin, E.
Vitamin C: Who needs it? 8. Diabetes and scurvy: Are they cousins?
Health and Nutrition Update 7: #4, 5-8, Winter 1992 Andrew Saul is the author
of the books FIRE YOUR DOCTOR! How to be
Independently Healthy (reader reviews at http://www.doctoryourself.com/review.html
) and DOCTOR YOURSELF: Natural Healing that Works. (reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html
)
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This page is not in any way offered as prescription, diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision. Neither the author nor the webmaster has authorized the use of their names or the use of any material contained within in connection with the sale, promotion or advertising of any product or apparatus. Single-copy reproduction for individual, non-commercial use is permitted providing no alterations of content are made, and credit is given. |
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