The Natural Diabetes Cure
Curing Blood Sugar Disorders Without Drugs.
The most researched and comprehensive and complete book written on curing blood sugar disorders naturally with diet, supplements, hormones, and exercise.
by author Roger Mason
Seven Steps to Natural Health
With these seven steps you can cure “incurable”
illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and
others naturally without drugs, surgery, or
chemotherapy. These are seven vital steps to
take if you want optimum health and long life.
Do your best to do all of them. The only step to
add would be prayer or meditation.
• An American macrobiotic whole grain based diet
is central to everything. Diet cures disease;
everything else is secondary.
• Proven supplements are powerful when you’re
eating right. There are only about twenty
scientifically proven supplements for those over
forty, and eight for those under forty.
• Natural hormone balance is the third step. The
fourteen basic hormones are listed on the
previous page. You can do this inexpensively
without a doctor.
• Exercise is vital, even if it is just a half-hour of
walking a day. Whether it is aerobic or resistance
you need to exercise regularly.
• Fasting is the most powerful healing method
known to man. Just fast from dinner to dinner on
water one day a week. Join our monthly Young
Again two day fast. This is the last weekend of
every month.
• No prescription drugs, except temporary
antibiotics or pain medication during an
emergency. (There are rare exceptions such as
insulin for type 1 diabetics who have no operant
pancreas.)
• The last step is to limit or end any bad habits
such as alcohol, coffee, recreational drugs, or
desserts. You don’t have to be a saint, but you
do need to be sincere.
↑Page 4
(page 5 is intentionally blank)
↓Page 6
About This Book
All blood sugar conditions should be treated the
same way with diet and lifestyle- diet, proven
supplements, exercise, natural hormones,
avoiding prescription drugs, weekly fasting (if
possible), and avoiding bad habits.
As long as you have an intact pancreas, you can
cure yourself. Those whose pancreas has
irreversibly atrophied, or been surgically
removed, can still dramatically improve their
health, and reduce their insulin requirements.
Diabetes and other blood sugar disorders are
caused by what we eat and the way the live.
You can cure yourself by making healthier food
choices and living better. You can heal yourself
in less than a year if you are sincere.
Diabetes is the fastest growing epidemic in the
Western world. One in three American children
will grow up and needlessly develop diabetes.
24% of American adults are insulin resistant and
45% of adults over the age of 60 are insulin
resistant. In the last three decades diabetes and
other blood sugar problems have become
epidemics in all of the developed countries of the
world. It is estimated that about 18 million
Americans have diabetes, 16 million are
pre-diabetic, and a whopping 60 million (one in
five) have metabolic syndrome. America leads
the world in blood sugar dysmetabolism for a
very simple reason; we have the greatest
affluence, as well as the worst diets and
lifestyles. We are overfed and undernourished.
Changing your diet and lifestyle will both prevent
and cure blood sugar disorders. The medical
profession cannot help you; you must help
yourself. Treating the symptoms with toxic drugs
is the road to ruin. You have to be your own
doctor, and your own saviour. You must be
willing to eat better foods, get regular exercise,
and change your lifestyle. Please read my book
Zen Macrobiotics for Americans. The Natural
Diabetes Cure is the most researched, effective,
documented, comprehensive, and complete
book on diabetes and blood sugar problems
available. This research goes back over 30 years.
Everything is backed up by countless published
international clinical studies.
"Zen Macrobiotics for Americans" makes healthy
eating fun and delicious. Expanding upon the
Japanese macrobiotic tradition, this book offers a
diet that is not only fun, creative, and less
restrictive but also very tasty and effective. Learn
about the healthiest foods to eat, foods to avoid,
and the right supplements for you. A balanced
diet can be the most powerful healer.
↑Page 6
Page 7 (Blank)
↓Page 8
Chapter 1: About Diabetes
________________________________________
The fastest growing disease in the world! The
metabolic syndrome, or pre-diabetes, is the
fastest rising epidemic on the planet. This
condition is characterized by:
OBESITY
INSULIN RESISTANCE
DYSLIPIDEMIA (blood fats)
HYPERTENSION
HIGH INSULIN
Obesity may be responsible for 75% of the
problem. Insulin resistance most often goes un-
diagnosed. Hypertension is another epidemic, and
75% of such people have diabetes. High blood
cholesterol, and especially triglycerides, are
characteristic. High blood insulin levels also go
undiagnosed. Almost one in four American adults
suffer from metabolic syndrome, and will soon be
diagnosed with diabetes. Half of all diabetes goes
undiagnosed! According to the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) in Atlanta, one in three children
born today in the United States will develop type
2 diabetes. One in three American children will
be diabetic! Age is one of the biggest factors,
since one in four Americans over the age of 65 is
diabetic. Stress is also an important factor, and
most Westerners are under a good deal of self
imposed stress. No other country in the world will
approach these statistics. Blacks, Latins, Asians,
and Amerindians suffer disproportionately.
American Pima Indians, for example, have an
almost 50% rate of outright diabetes. Mexican
Pima Indians, on the other hand, follow their
traditional diet and lifestyle. They have a very
low rate of just a few percent. One fourth of
adult Navajo Indians are diabetic, according to
CDC statistics. Asian adults in America generally
have almost a 40% rate of diabetes, yet this is rare
in the rural areas of Asia. Many Asian cities have
now largely adopted the Western high-fat, high
sugar, refined foods diet, and their diabetes rates
are soaring. Latin adults in America generally
have a 15% diabetes rate, but not in their native
countries.
↓Page 9
In Papua New Guinea- possibly the least civilized
country in the world- diabetes is basically
unknown. Black American adults now have a
high overall 15% diabetes rate. Yet, this is rare in
Africa, where they eat their traditional diet.
Caucasian American adults have the lowest
overall rate.
We are only going to discuss blood sugar
metabolism in general, rather than the metabolic
syndrome, type 1, type 2, gestational,
hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, and other
conditions. These are all simply facets of the
same basic problem. Diabetes is the most serious
and deadly condition. Currently this is the fifth
leading cause of death in the U.S., and will soon
be the fourth leading cause. Almost twenty
million Americans now have actual diabetes,
which means about one in every fifteen. In
addition, there are probably about six million
more, mostly poor people, who have diabetes,
and simply haven’t been medically diagnosed. A
million more are newly diagnosed every year.
These are mostly the impoverished and elderly,
who can’t afford the medical care they need. All
in all, this would mean about one in twelve
Americans are diabetic, with the rates rising
every year! This is the fastest growing disease
of all worldwide plain and simple. India and
China are also coping with growing epidemics. In
the 1990s the diabetes rate in America increased
a full one third. Almost $150 billion a year is
spent directly and indirectly worldwide on
diabetes treatment. This money is basically
wasted on toxic, harmful prescription drugs such
as Metformin, Januvia, Onglyza, Amaryl,
Avandia, Glucotrol, and Actos. None of these
drug therapies are effective; actually they worsen
your health.
The situation gets worse when you consider
metabolic syndrome or Syndrome X. The CDC
recently studied 8,814 normal men and women.
They found that 22% of them exhibited at least
three of the six factors of metabolic syndrome.
People over 60, with three of the factors, had a
44% rate, or double the average. This means
almost half of Americans over the age of 60 are
prediabetic. This condition is called “pre-diabetes
”, since such people can plan on becoming
diabetic within ten years or less.
↑Page 9
↓Page10
Again, the basic indications are obesity
(especially abdominal), insulin resistance,
elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol and
triglycerides, and hypertension. There are three
main types of diabetes. Type 1(insulin dependent)
is due to the inability of the beta cells in the
pancreas to produce insulin. Only 5% to 10% of
people suffer from type 1. Surprisingly,
Caucasians are more susceptible to this form.
This usually happens in childhood or adolescence.
These patients have to inject insulin, since they
can’t produce it naturally. If the pancreas has
been removed, or is atrophied, the condition
cannot be cured. Quality of life can be improved
immensely, and insulin requirements can be
reduced dramatically, by following the advice in
this book. Pancreas transplants just don’t work
despite the claims. Transplanting a pancreas from
a cadaver to a type 1 diabetic requires dangerous
anti-rejection drugs, and causes countless
problems. Transplants of just the pancreatic beta
cells also promise much more than is delivered.
Within twenty years science may be able to
successfully perform this procedure, but that will
merely be allopathic. It will not deal with the cause!
[What is allopathic medicine?
Allopathic medicine is an expression commonly
used by homeopaths and proponents of other
forms of alternative medicine to refer to
mainstream medical use of pharmacologically
active agents or physical interventions to treat or
suppress symptoms or pathophysiologic processes
of diseases or conditions. Allopathic medicine
and allopathy (from the Greek prefix ἄλλος, állos,
"other", "different" + the suffix πάϑος, páthos,
"suffering") are terms coined in the early 19th
century by Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of
homeopathy, as a synonym for mainstream
medicine.]
Type 2 diabetics (non-insulin dependent) produce
insulin, but the cells simply don’t react well to it
anymore. This type is very curable, usually in a
year or less). Here,the pancreas not only
produces insulin, but usually overproduces it,
since the effectiveness is so reduced.
The third type is called “gestational diabetes”,
since it only affects pregnant women. For some
reason, pregnant women are more susceptible to
diabetes than anyone else.
The best way to understand the dysfunction of
insulin and blood sugar is the theory of oxidative
stress. Here free radicals run rampant through the
body, and use up our antioxidants– glutathione,
SOD (superoxide dismutase), beta carotene,
vitamin E, vitamin C, CoQ10, melatonin, lipoic
acid, and others. This is why it is so important to,
first of all, lower the oxidative stress with better
diet and exercise. Secondly, we need to take all
the known antioxidant supplements to neutralize
the excess free radicals. These supplements are
discussed in detail in chapters six and seven. The
high rates of alcohol and nicotine use add to
oxidative stress. Coffee (or any form of caffeine)
raises blood sugar, and has other very serious
health effects. The scientists of the world are in
basic agreement that free radical oxidative stress
is central to blood sugar conditions.
↑Page 10
↓Page 11
About a half million Americans die every year from
diabetes. If you are diabetic, you have about
three times the rate of strokes, about three times
the rate of heart attacks, and greatly increased
rates of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries). Remem-
ber that heart disease is the number one cause of
death, and the biggest killer by far. Blindness and
vision problems are called “diabetic retinopathy”,
and are epidemic for people with impaired blood
sugar metabolism. Amputation of limbs, due to
poor circulation, is common. Various cancers,
gastrointestinal infections, osteoporosis, erectile
dysfunction, poorly healing wounds, kidney
infections and failure, poor sleep, are all part and
parcel here. Psychology is affected including
depression, senility, Alzheimers, impaired
memory, and other problems. Any blood sugar
dysfunction means poor quality of life and early
death. The pancreas deteriorates, nerve damage
of various kinds can be expected, liver disease is
routine, and skin infections (especially
Staphylococcus) are common. Your liver is
central here since it produces the blood sugar
from the food you eat. Your kidneys are the
second most important organs. The list of side
effects is almost endless, since the total health
of the body is destroyed.
If you have type 1 diabetes, pancreas transplants
and beta cell (the insulin producing pancreatic
cells) transplants just don’t work at all. You can
dramatically reduce your insulin requirements,
reduce your medication, and improve your health
immensely, with the information in this book.
Even if your pancreas has been removed, or
atrophied beyond repair, you can still live a good
life with minimal insulin. Anyone with type 2
diabetes can cure themselves within a year, and
live a normal, healthy life.
↓Page 12
Chapter 2: Diagnosis
_________________________________________
What are the diagnostic indications of blood sugar
dysmetabolism? Look for any combination of
obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, low
HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, high
triglycerides, hypertension, high homocysteine,
elevated uric acid, increased C-reactive protein,
hypercoagulability of the blood, fasting blood
glucose over 85 mg/dL (European mmol/L is 4.7),
HbA1c over 4.7%, low white blood cell count, high
creatinine, and proteinuria (albumin in the urine).
Age is critical here. The older you are, the more
blood sugar problems you can expect to have.
Diabetes rates go up dramatically after the age
of 50. Genetics is obviously important, and any
family history of such problems increases your
chances. Obesity is one of the cornerstone factors,
and an entire chapter is devoted to this. Race is
very important. You are far more at risk if you are
of African, Asian, Amerindian, or Latin origin.
Caucasians have the lowest rates (except type 1).
Smokers get far more diabetes than others, as do
people who drink substantial amounts of alcohol,
or use caffeine.
What specific diagnostic tests can you get? When
you get your standard, basic blood analysis profile
you’ll test glucose, uric acid, white blood cell
count, total cholesterol, HDL (high density or
“good”), LDL (low density or “bad”), and
triglycerides. Total cholesterol should be about
150 ideally, and very definitely well under 200.
Triglycerides are very crucial here, and should
be under 100. Uric acid should be under 5 mg/dl
for men and under 4 mg/dl for women. The
white blood cell count should be in normal range.
CRP should be less than 1 mg/l. Proteinuria
(albumin) and creatinine tests will also reveal
kidney health. The liver is very important here
for a lot of reasons. Get both SGOT and SGPT
tests. Surprisingly, you do not need to get your
insulin tested. You should also have your
homocysteine (Hcy) tested and look for 10
mmol or less. This is a also good predictor of
coronary heart disease (CHD) in general.
Currently we do not have practical, inexpensive
tests to determine total oxidative stress or general free radical levels.
↓Page 13.
It is costly and unnecessary to test the basic status
of antioxidants such as SOD, glutathione, vitamin
C, beta carotene, and vitamin E. The anti-oxidant
supplements you should take are discussed in
great detail in Chapter 6: Supplements.
Blood pressure is basic here, and you should look
for a reading of 120/80 or better. Please read my
book Lower Blood Pressure Without Drugs to
see how to normalize your blood pressure
naturally. By following the advice in this book
you can have healthy blood pressure levels
within 90 days. Inexpensive home electronic
monitors are widely available in drugstores.
The most accurate test you can get is a glucose
tolerance test (GTT). This is more predictive
than testing your insulin level per se, as it shows
the sensitivity of your insulin. If your blood
sugar level is over 85 mg/dl you need to do this.
A GTT is the “gold standard”, accurate, well
known, inexpensive, but very under-utilized. It is
just not commonly done due to lack of
knowledge in the medical profession. Simply get
a one hour, one blood draw test (you should
already know your fasting blood glucose
level so you won’t need a draw before you drink
the glucose solution). You go to the doctor
fasting and drink a 50 g cup of glucose solution
and wait one hour. Your blood glucose will then
be tested to determine the effectiveness of your
insulin response. Use 20 points below the
accepted medical figure for your cutoff point. If
the medical figure is 140, then you want 120.
This tells you how your cells actually respond to
insulin, and not merely your blood sugar level.
This is the gold standard.
A HbA1c test is very accurate. This tests long
term glycation (sugar molecules attached to
hemoglobin), and the result should be 4.7%
(equals 85 mg/dL blood sugar) or less, and not
the 5.6% (100 mg/dL!) the doctors will tell you.
4.7% or less. There are exotic tests you can get
such as leptin, malondialdehyde,
thrombomodulin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha
(TNF), adoponectin, plasminogen, fibrinogen,
and others. These are simply not practical or
necessary; plus they can be expensive and hard
to obtain. It is very difficult to test the amount
of oxidative stress you suffer from, or your
antioxidant status in general. There just isn’t any
reason to spend the time and money on these
tests. Your attention needs to be on curing
yourself and changing your diet and
lifestyle, rather than getting exotic diagnostic
tests you don’t need.
↓Page 14.
Generally people can simply get their total
cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) tested.
Here you can also test your high density (“good”)
HDL and your low density (“bad”) LDL levels.
Your TC should ideally be about 150 mg/dl. The
media and medical profession will tell you that a
TC 200 level or less is good, but that’s just not
the case at all. Even if you have genetically high
cholesterol you can still keep your level well
under 200 with diet, supplements, hormones, and
exercise. Please read my book Lower Cholesterol
Without Drugs. The TG level is the most
important blood lipid marker of all for blood
sugar problems. Even vegans and ethical
vegetarians can (and usually do) have high levels
due to an inordinate intake of sweets. Your TG
means more than your TC, LDL, or HDL. You
should keep your triglyceride level below 100.
You can do this with the same means as for total
cholesterol. People with blood sugar problems
usually have low HDL and high LDL levels.
People with low cholestserol (e.g. about150) will
naturally have lower HDL levels. You can raise
your HDL and lower your LDL the same way
with diet and lifestyle.
Fasting blood plasma glucose is part of your basic
routine blood analysis. Again, your level should
be at 85 mg/dl or less (European 4.7 mmol/L).
Levels of 100 and higher are clearly prediabetic.
You need to have low blood sugar, and the usual
accepted level of 100 and less just isn’t good
enough. Doctors will tell you that any reading
under 100 is “normal”, but this just isn’t true.
This was proven at the Riks-hospitalet Hospital,
in Norway, with a 22 year follow-up study of
1,998 healthy men. Those with glucose
levels of 85 or less lived the longest, and had the
least cardiovascular disease - the biggest killer
of people in the world by far. Get an inexpensive
($10) blood sugar meter to monitor your blood
sugar if it is over 85.
↓ Page 15.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker for
inflammation, and a very important test for CHD
conditions. Keep this under 1.0. The best study
on this came from the Quebec Heart Institute.
CRP correlates with obesity, blood glucose
impairment, insulin resistance, hypertension,
triglycerides, and uric acid. It has been found the
CRP also accurately predicts blood sugar
disorders. CRP is positively associated with
obesity, impaired glucose function, the metabolic
syndrome generally, and outright type 2 diabetes
in otherwise healthy people. Everyone over the
age of 40 should annually get a CRP test with
their regular yearly checkup and blood analysis.
Even children and young people can benefit from a
CRP test.
Uric acid is part of a standard blood analysis. The
research is overwhelming that high uric acid is
clearly associated with type 2 diabetes and the
metabolic syndrome in general. Surprisingly, low
uric acid can be associated with type 1 diabetes.
This is not due to better diets in people with
type- 1, but rather excessive excretion of uric acid
in this condition. High uric acid levels are
associated with obesity, high triglycerides, high
systolic blood pressure, and a high total
cholesterol to low HDL ratio. High uric acid
comes from eating the animal proteins in meat
and other animal products (not from purines).
The widespread purine theory is just not correct.
Dairy foods have almost no purines, but raise uric
acid levels. The less meat, poultry, eggs, and
dairy products you eat the better. High uric acid
is basically found only in wealthy developed
countries where animal foods are staples.
There should be very low levels of albumin
(protein) in your urine. Excess albumin is called “microalbuminurea”.You can use urine test strips
from the drug store, instead of a urine analysis
from a physician. This is one very good indicator
of kidney health. Serum creatinine is another.
Eating a low protein diet is vital. Eat no more
than 10% seafood if you like. Americans eat
twice the protein they need, which causes many
health problems. Again, don’t get carried away
with diagnostic tests. Put your time and energy
into curing yourself.
↓ Page 16.
Chapter 3: Whole Grains: The Staff of Life
_______________________________________
Whole grains are literally “the staff of life”, and
have been the staple food of almost all
civilizations throughout history. Since man
started agriculture about 10,000 years ago,
whole grains have been the principal food of
most all people in the world. Rice and wheat are
the most consumed foods on earth. This
emancipated us from being mere primitive
hunters and gatherers. The “Paleolithic” people
on this diet had very short life spans. The
cultivation of whole grains parallels the very
evolution of mankind. Our grains are refined, and
we eat white rice, white bread, white pasta and
white flour. Americans eat a mere 1%
whole grains! Whole grains should
be the very basis of your diet.
The real cure for blood sugar dysfunction of any
kind is making better food choices, and eating
whole natural foods. Diet is everything! Read
Chapter 5: Diet, Diet, Diet. Eating fat, sugars,
refined foods, and just plain too much food, is
the basic cause of blood sugar problems. Eating
whole, natural, high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar
foods is the cure. Supplements, hormones, and
exercise are secondary to what you eat. You can
cure diabetes and other conditions with diet
alone, but that is difficult, takes longer, and is
simply not necessary. Please read my book Zen
Macrobiotics for Americans to learn more
about making the best food choices, proven
supplements, hormone balance, and sensible
fasting.
Whole grains such as wheat, rice, barley, corn,
rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, and millet should be
the basis of your diet. This is very easy to do by
eating such foods as whole grain pasta, whole
grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, steamed
barley, wholegrain breakfast cereals, polenta, and
unrefined grain products of all kinds. There are
so many human published clinical trials on these
we can’t begin to mention them all. We’ll stick to
some of the largest.
↓Page 17
At the Famous Harvard School of Nutrition
(PLoS Medicine v 4, 2007) 161,737 women
(aged 37 to 65) in the classic Nurses’ Health
Study were followed. Their dietary patterns
were studied. The researchers concluded: “Whole
grain intake is inversely associated with risk of
type 2 diabetes. Findings from prospective cohort
studies consistently support increasing whole
grain consumption for the prevention of type-2
diabetes.” You can just not debate the results
from this many people studied over years. The
more whole grains you eat, the less chance of
getting diabetes or any other blood sugar
disorder. More from Harvard (Annals of
Internal Medicine v 136, 2002) was done
with 42,504 men over a 12 year period.
This is 466,508 person years! A
stunning review with 24 references was
done at Harvard (American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition v 77, 2003) came to
the very same basic conclusions.
At the University of Minnesota (Proceedings of
the Nutrition Society v. 62, 2003) “Epidemio-
logical Support For the Protection of Whole
Grains Against Diabetes” was published. This
impressive review was based on 160,000 men
and women. “There is accumulating evidence to
support the hypothesis that wholegrain
consumption is associated with a reduced risk of
incident type-2 diabetes. It may also improve
glucose control in diabetic individuals”. They
went on further to say, “Observations in non-
diabetic individuals support an inverse relation-
ship between whole-grain consumption and
fasting insulin levels”. The more whole grains
you eat, the more effective your insulin is
metabolized in other words. “Glucose control
improved with diets rich in whole grain in
feeding studies of subjects with type 2 diabetes”.
You cannot argue with the results of 160,000
people.
In a collective study between the USDA, Harvard,
Tufts, and other institutions (American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition v.76, 2002) one of the
famous Framingham series of studies was used to
study whole grain intake for the prevention of
type 2 diabetes. “After adjustment for potential
confounding factors, whole grain intake was
inversely associated with body mass index,
waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol, LDL
cholesterol, and fasting insulin”.
↓Page 18
They said further, “The inverse association
between whole grain intake and fasting insulin
was most striking among overweight participants
”. Their conclusion was, “Increased intake of
whole grains may reduce disease risk by means
of favorable effects on metabolic risk factors”.
The series of Framingham studies are the most
pretigious ever done. In the very same journal,
from Simmons College, a similar study was done.
“Whole Grain Intake and Risk of Type-2
Diabetes”. 51,529 men were followed for 12
years as part of the Health Professionals Study.
This study is one of the most famous and best
ever done. Their dietary patterns were examined
in detail. The men who ate the most whole grain
foods had the least diabetes. Their conclusion
was clear“. A diet high in whole grains is
associated with a reduced risk of type-2 diabetes.
Efforts should be made to replace refined-grain
with whole grain foods”. Other similar published
studies were done at Harvard with the very same
results.
At the University of Minnesota this same
phenomenon was found with 36,000 women for
six years (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
v. 71, 2000). This was a first rate study complete
with 48 references. The more whole grains they
ate, the less diabetes they suffered from. “These
data support a protective role for whole grains,
cereal fiber, and dietary magnesium in the
development of diabetes in older women”. They
found that, “Total grain, whole grain, total
dietary fiber, and dietary magnesium intakes
showed strong inverse correlations with
incidence of diabetes”. The more whole grains
the less diabetes.
Nathan Pritikin was a real natural health pioneer
back in the 1980s. He published two articles
(Diabetes Care v. 5, 1982 and v. 6, 1983) on
diabetes, diet and exercise. Diabetics on oral
medication got off the drugs
in just 26 days!, by simply eating a whole
grain based natural diet, and walking everyday.
In less than a month they were drug free! This is
nothing less than amazing. The supplements we
have today were not available at that time, nor
were natural hormones like melatonin and DHEA.
Eating better food, and taking a daily walk, got
most all of them off medication in less than a month.
↓Page 19
Imagine the results Nathan could get today by
adding proven supplements and natural
hormones! Beans and legumes are very closely
related to whole grains, Beans are high in protein,
minerals, lignans, and sterols, but low in fat and
calories. A four ounce serving of pinto beans, for
example, has a mere 117 calories and 1% fat
calories. Be sure to include beans and legumes in
your daily fare. When you learn to cook beans
and use them in stews, soup, dips, and spreads
you’ll come to enjoy them very much. At
Sun-Yatsen University in China (Ying Xue-bao v.
20, 1998) diabetics were fed legumes. This
lowered their glucose levels as well as their C-
peptide levels (a basic marker for heart disease).
Tofu, by the way, is a heavily refined product,
lacking in nutrition, and only to be used occasionally.
Fiber is one of the important factors here. Whole
grains and beans (legumes) have more soluble
and insoluble fiber than any other food groups.
Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are
completely lacking in fiber. There are many
studies showing the importance of fiber, not only
for blood sugar conditions, but for all major
diseases. The best way to get fiber is by eating
whole grains and beans every day. There are
many studies to show that merely adding fiber to
our diet improves glucose and insulin metabolism
dramatically. Fiber supplements are obviously
not the answer at all. Eating whole foods gives
you plenty of fiber, especially whole grains,
beans, vegetables, and fruits. Americans are
generally very fiber-deficient from eating
refined foods and too many fiber-less animal
products.
↓Page 20
Chapter 4: Fats and Oils
______________________________________
Americans eat about 42% of their calories as
saturated, artery clogging, animal fats You only
need about 8% unsaturated vegetable oils, so this
is more than 500% of what you need. These
saturated fats are the wrong kind of fats. This is a
major reason we lead the world in heart disease,
various cancers, diabetes, and other major
illnesses. We are addicted to animal fats. While
various sugars are the main cause of diabetic-type
conditions, saturated fats (and omega-6 from
vegetable oils) are another major factor. Fats and
sugars work together synergistically to cause
high insulin, high blood sugar, and increased
insulin resistance.The combination is devastating.
How do we know for a fact that high fat diets
cause diabetes and other blood sugar conditions?
Epidemiological studies have consistently shown
that countries like China, Vietnam,Thailand,
Korea, and Japan have far less diabetes rates.
Migration studies have shown that when these
people move to the U.S., and adopt the typical
Western diet, they get as much, and usually more,
blood sugar conditions than other Americans.
Studies of what people eat also prove the more
fats they consume the more diabetes they get.
When diabetics are given low-fat diets, they
improve dramatically. Lastly, studies of the
plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) in our blood give
irrefutable proof that fats, especially saturated
fats, cause blood sugar dysfunction. We must
discuss obesity in relation to fat intake. It is not
food that makes you fat; it is fat that makes you
fat. You simply cannot be overweight, or stay
overweight, if you take dairy products, meat,
poultry, and eggs out of your life. Overweight
people always eat more fat, and have much
higher levels of free fatty acids in their blood.
These fatty acids are mostly all those from
animal foods, and not those from vegetable
sources.
↓Page 21
It is not just the saturated fats that cause
problems, but also excess vegetable oils (due to
the omega-6 content). We eat far too many
omega-6 fatty acids, and far too few omega-3s.
This is why flax oil is recommended as a
supplement. Flax is the best source of omega-3
fatty acids known. Yes, the Mediterranean diet is
better than the Western European and American
diets, but is not the answer at all. Excessive
intake of olive oil is just as harmful as any other
vegetable oil. Vegetable oils are merely less
harmful than animal fats. The point here is to eat
a diet of less than 20% total fat- a 30% fat diet is
not “low.” There is also the problem of
hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated
“trans fatty acids”. These are made by forcing
hydrogen gas into vegetable oil, under extreme
pressure, with exotic catalysts. This “saturates”
the molecule, and gives the oil longer shelf life.
Hydrogenated fats are the worst possible choice,
and you should avoid them. Read your labels.
The published research, in just the last few years,
on the effect of dietary fats is far too volumous to
even attempt to cover. We certainly can mention
a few of the largest reviews to prove this very
clearly. The best evidence comes from an
analysis of the free fatty acids (FFAs) in our
plasma.
At the University of Richmond (Metabolism v 51
, 2002) The effect of dietary fats on diabetes was
reviewed. The Role of Plasma Fatty Acid
Composition in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
This was a lengthy review with a full 55
references. 14 different fatty acids were analyzed
from patients and controls. Overall plasma
saturated fatty acids (from animal fats) were 43%
higher in diabetics. Specifically, saturated fatty
acids like palmitic, oleic, and stearic were much
higher in the diabetic patients. “Total saturated
fatty acid (SFA) concentrations (350 v 231 umol/
L) were significantly increased in the diabetic
subjects.” Please note, this is 350 umol versus
only 231 umol. Vegetable oils did not play a part,
but there was a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids
, and an excess of omega-6. As usual, it was also
found diabetics had dramatically higher
triglycerides, higher cholesterol, lower HDL, as
well as higher insulin and blood sugar. A detailed
analysis of FFAs in human blood makes an
inarguable case against animal fats in your diet
causing blood sugar disorders.
↓Page 22
This same phenomenon was demonstrated at the
University of Minnesota (American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition v. 78, 2003).
2909 adults had the fatty acids in their blood
measured. This is a better means to determine
fat intake than mere dietary analysis. “Our
findings suggest that the dietary fat profile,
particularly that of saturated fat, may contribute
to the etiology of diabetes”. They further said, “…
diabetes incidence was significantly and
positively associated with the proportion of total
saturated fatty acids in plasma”. They specifically
found high levels of saturated (animal) fatty acids
such as palmitic, palmitoleic, and stearic in their
blood. Again, we find animal products in the diet
as the cause of diabetes.
The Women’s Health Study (Diabetes Care v. 27
, 2004) has been one of the largest and longest
ongoing studies of female health, and involved
more than 37,000 women over the age of 45. The
amount of red meat they consumed was
compared to their incidence of diabetes. “Our
data indicate that higher consumption of total red
meat, especially processed meats, may increase
risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women”.
They also found that consumption of cholesterol
and animal protein was also significantly
associated with high diabetes rates. These results
were carefully adjusted to exclude other possible
factors like dietary fiber. Always remember that
cholesterol is only found in animal foods, and not
any plant foods.
We can further prove the relation of fat intake to
blood sugar dysmetabolism by studies where
people change from highfat to low-fat diets. This
is especially true with regard to vegetable
oils instead of animal fats. At the University of
Otago in New Zealand (British Journal of
Nutrition v. 83 Supp, 2000) a heavily referenced
review of the literature in this area was published.
“Lifestyle changes can reduce the progression of
impaired glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes.
Insulin sensitivity is enhanced by a range of diet-
related changes, including reduction of visceral
adiposity, and a reduction in saturated fatty acids
”. Saturated fat intake causes diabetes- plain and
simple.
↓page 23
Another powerful review with 44 references from
the University of Uppsala in Sweden, in the same
journal (v 83, 2000), found high levels of
palmitic and palmitoleic fatty acids (from animal
foods) in the blood serum of diabetics. FFAs
were clearly related to both diabetes and obesity
as well. “A high level of dietary fat is associated
with impaired insulin sensitivity and risk of
diabetes.” Similar studies show significant
relationships between serum lipid fatty acid
composition- which mirrors the type and amount
of the fatty acids in the diet, and insulin
sensitivity. You are just not going to have high
levels of palmitic, palmoleic and stearic acids in
your blood when you eat whole grains,
vegetables, fruits, and seafood as your basic
sustenance, as these are basically from saturated
animal fats.
These results were verified by the Centre de
Recherche in France (Diabete & Metabolisme v
21, 1995) in a review with 89 refer-ences. FFA
levels were clearly and directly associated with
diabetes and other blood sugar problems. Also
from Temple University in Arizona (Diabetes v
46, 1997) in a review with 74 references. FFA
levels are elevated in obesity as well. At the
University of Napoli in Italy a 12 page review
with 131 references was done (European Journal
of Lipid Science v 103, 2001). They found
plasma FFAs to be strongly correlated with high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, high
triglycerides, obesity, insulin resistance,
coronary heart disease, and outright diabetes.
That’s pretty clear!
The literature is replete with studies such as
these, and the scientific community is in good
agreement that high-fat diets are one of the
major causes of the growing epidemic of type 2
diabetes and other blood sugar problems. We
won’t quote more. Remember that “low-fat”
means 20% or less, and mostly all unsaturated
vegetable oils. This is very easy to do by simply
taking animal products out of your diet, and
eating moderate (10%) amounts of seafood.
↓Page 24
Chapter 5: Diet, Diet, Diet
_______________________________________
It has been repeated over and over that diet,
lifestyle, and exercise are the way to cure blood
sugar conditions of all kinds. Americans eat 42%
fat calories (nearly all saturated animal fats),This
is five time the fat they need. They also eat twice
the protein, half the fiber, and twice the calories
they need- plus 160 pounds of various sugars
they don’t need at all. We are overfed and
undernourished.
This chapter will cover the basic points in my
book Zen Macrobiotics for Americans. Please
read this book to really understand how to make
the best food choices. Traditional Japanese
macrobiotics has a very limited selection of
foods, and does not use supplements, natural
hormones, rigorous exercise, or even fasting.
The word “macrobiotics”, simply means an
overall (macro) view of life (bios). You will be
eating the common foods you grew up with.
There is really nothing exotic about it.
One of the basic causes of blood sugar dys-
metabolism is a diet high in saturated animal fats.
This is documented in the previous chapter.
Americans eat over 500% of the fats they need,
and nearly all of these are saturated animal fats,
instead of vegetable oils. You do not have to be a
vegetarian to cure diabetes and similar illnesses,
as you can eat 10% seafood. Ideally you would
eat no beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, or dairy
foods. Technically, diabetics could eat, say, three
4 ounce portions of lean meat every week and
still cure themselves, but this would slow down
your progress. The best way to cure yourself is
to stop eating red meat, poultry, eggs, and all
dairy products. This includes low fat and lactose
reduced dairy products.
Milk and milk products are the most allergic
foods known. They contain lactose (milk sugar),
and cancer promoting casein. All adults of all
races are lactose intolerant, since they no longer
produce the enzyme lactase. Without lactase you
simply cannot digest lactose. Everyone over the
age of three years old is allergic to dairy
products. Fact. Nature provided cow milk for
calves, and goat milk for baby goats.
↓Page 25
Lactose-reduced milk is just not the answer here
at all, nor are lactase tablets like Lactaid®. Dairy
cheese is low in lactose, but is extremely high in
saturated animal fat, casein, and cholesterol. It is
a very poor food choice. You can use soy, rice,
almond, or oat milks instead of dairy milk. Very
good melt-able non-dairy cheeses are available at
any grocery store. You can even buy soy cream
cheese. Dairy yogurt has twice the amount of
milk sugar, since powdered milk is added to
thicken it. Soy yogurt and soy ice cream is readily
available, but contain quite a bit of sugar.
The studies proving dairy products cause
diabetes are numerous. At the Health Protection
Branch in Canada (American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition v. 51, 1995) the doctors said, “There is
a significant positive correlation between
consumption of milk protein and incidence of
IDDM in data from various countries”. They also
found that babies who were naturally breast fed
were protected from type 1 diabetes. At the A2
Corporation in New Zealand (Medical
Hypotheses v. 56, 2001) the researchers clearly
found milk proteins related to diabetes, heart
disease, and outright mortality. “Milk casein
consumption also correlates strongly with type-1
diabetes incidence”. At the University of
Helsinki in Finland (Experimental and Clinical
Endocrinology & Diabetes v. 105,1997), the
research showed clearly that milk consumption
both for mothers and children is a major cause of
type-1 diabetes. Again, at the University of
Helsinki (Diabetologia v. 41, 1998) they found
the children most allergic to dairy products
(based on blood antibodies) had the highest rates
of diabetes. At the University of Tampere in
Finland (Diabetes v. 49, 2000) they said, “In
conclusion, our results provide support for the
hypothesis that high consumption of cow’s milk
during childhood can be diabetogenic”. At NIZO
Research in the Netherlands (Nahrung v. 43,
1999) the same results were found. At the School
of Medicine in Auckland, New Zealand
(Diabetologica v. 42, 1999) it was clear that
consumption of dairy products were strongly
correlated with type-1 diabetes. The research is
clear on this: take dairy products completely out
of your life. Milk is not good food.
↓Page 26
Beans are an excellent food, and are very similar
to whole grains in their nutritional profile. There
are many delicious varieties of beans available,
especially in ethnic grocery stores. Beans, bean
soups, and bean dips should be a central part of
your daily fare. Get a good cookbook, and learn
how to make more gourmet bean dishes. If you
have problems with gas or bloating, this is not
due to the beans, but rather to your weakened
digestive system. Take Beano®, or a generic
version of alpha-galactosidase, temporarily until
your digestive system is stronger.
Fish and seafood can be eaten by people who do
not want to be vegetarians. If you look in your
mouth, you will see we have canine teeth.
Humans can eat about one-tenth animal food, and
the best choice is seafood. A few people are
allergic to fish and seafood, however, and will
not be able to eat them. Just limit seafood to
about 10% of your diet. If you want to be a
vegetarian or vegan, just don’t eat seafood.
There are no other animal products in the
American macrobiotic diet.
We eat twice the protein we need. This causes
many health problems, including obesity ,kidney,
and liver disease. Many studies prove a high
protein diet raises uric acid, and causes kidney
and liver problems. Anytime you hear an author
advocating a high protein diet, you will know
they are clueless, ignorant, and uninformed.
Whole grains, beans, and vegetables contain all
the high quality protein and fiber you need. There
are many studies to prove this. At Nara Medical
University (Nara Igaku Zasshi v. 46,1995) the
doctors concluded, “A protein-limited diet was
useful for prevention of diabetic nephropathy in
patients with early-stage diabetic nephropathy”.
At the University of Vermont (American Journal
of Physiology v. 27, 1996) they found the same
results. Decreased protein intake was found to
improve symptoms of type-1 diabetes. Limit
your protein intake.
↓Page 27
Most all green and yellow vegetables are a good
choice, if you avoid nightshades, most tropical
vegetables, and those high in oxalic acid.
Japanese macrobiotics does not include many
green and yellow vegetables, ironically. Actually,
frozen vegetables are very nutritious; only the
texture is harmed by the freezing process.
Canned vegetables should be avoided. Avoid the
nightshade family. This includes potatoes,
tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Nightshades
contain large amounts of toxic solanine.
Macrobiotics is about the only diet system to
warn against these nightshade vegetables. Also
avoid vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as
spinach, Swiss chard and others. Tropical
vegetables like taro, etc. are meant for tropical
peoples living in tropical climates. If you are of,
say, African or Indian descent living in southern
Florida or Arizona, you certainly can eat such
tropical foods. If you are of European descent
these foods were simply not meant for you.
People with blood sugar dysmetabolism of any
kind cannot eat fruit juice, dried fruits,
or sweeteners of any type until they are
well. Avoid sugar substitutes like stevia. If your
pancreas has atrophied, or been removed, this
means you have to take them out of your diet
permanently. You might think fruits provide
important nutrients, and your diet will be
incomplete without them.
This is not the case at all, since fruits are
basically made up of simple sugars, fiber, and
water with very few vitamins and minerals. You
cannot use sweeteners including honey, fructose,
fruit juice, dried fruit, maple syrup, stevia,lohan,
agave, molasses, rice syrup, corn syrup, or any
others. Sugar is sugar is sugar, and honey is
biologically no better than white sugar. Artificial
sweeteners are the worst, and none of them are
safe. The newest claim from sucralose to be,
“made from sugar, tastes like sugar,” is just not
true. They don’t tell you this is a man-made
halogenated (chlorine molecules are added),
synthetic, chemical, unnatural analog
that isn’t safe for human or animal use. Kick
the sugar habit, and take the concept of
“desserts” out of your life. You don’t need
desserts or sweets. The concept of desserts
basically doesn’t exist in Asia.
Scientists in Japan concluded, “The main reason
of recent increase of diabetic patients is ascribed
to increased sucrose intake”(Chiba Igaku Zasshi
72 (1996). Folks, Americans eat more than 160
pounds of various sugars and sweeteners every
year- which they don’t need at all.
↓Page 28
The worst offender of all is high fructose corn
syrup, since it is the cheapest to produce. At the
Diabetes Research Centre in India (Diabetologica
44, 2001) it was shown the urban (not rural)
Indians have an inordinate sugar intake. This
causes epidemic diabetes rates, even though they
are largely vegetarian, and eat a very low fat
diet. Eating sweets will raise your triglyceride
levels dramatically without eating fats.
It will be difficult for some people to simply give
up all sweets and fruits. You can go through a
transition period where you eat no cakes,
cookies, sodas, pies, candy, and the other high
sugar foods.
For a few months you can eat 10% fresh (not
dried or juiced) local fruit. No tropical fruits, as
these are meant for tropical peoples in tropical
lands- genetics and climate. You can also get a
macrobiotic dessert cookbook and make whole
grain desserts, lightly sweetened with whole fruit
only. You’ll come to enjoy these, and the subtle
sweetness will be enough for you. Remember
macrobiotic desserts are a temporary transition,
and the sooner you take all fruit and sweeteners
out of your diet, the faster you’ll get well. Your
body simply cannot handle simple sugars, regard-
less of how “natural” they are. Honey is still
sugar. When you are fully cured, you can eat
10% local fresh (or frozen) fruit if you want.
You should enjoy a wide variety of natural soups.
Eating soup will help you lose weight and stay
slim. That’s right, if you eat just two meals a day,
and start with a delicious bowl of soup at each
meal, you’ll actually feel full and eat less food.
Get some soup cookbooks, and learn to substitute
healthier ingredients where meat, poultry, eggs,
and dairy are called for. Traditional Japanese
macrobiotics restricted you to only 5% soup
daily, and almost always miso soup. There is just
no reason for these kinds of unnecessary
limitations. There is nothing magical or special
about fermented soybeans. There are countless
delicious soups you can make at home and freeze
for future use.
↓Page 29
You can eat a fresh, green salad every day, as
long as you use a low fat, non-dairy dressing.
Traditional Japanese macro-biotics had a bias
against fresh salads for some reason. In fact they
had a bias against any raw foods at all basically.
The best time to eat salads is in summer time,
since they are rather yin. You can still enjoy fresh
salads all year round. People who advocate a
100% raw food diet are irrationally neurotic, and
cannot stay on these very long as their health
deteriorates so badly.
What about real world, published studies that, 1)
show the difference it cultural diets and rates of
diabetes, and 2) diabetics who are given whole
food diets? At Pantox Laboratories in CA
(Medical Hypotheses v. 58, 2002) type 2
diabetics were given a natural vegan (no animal
products) diet, along with daily walking. This
study was backed up by a stunning 170
references. “The vegan diet/exercise strategy
represents a safe, low-tech approach to managing
diabetes that deserves far greater attention from
medical researchers and practitioners”. The
patients got very quick, dramatic improvements
and benefits including basic changes in their
very blood parameters. They were fed local and
tropical fruits, which should be omitted. You
don’t have to be a vegan to do this.
A cross-sectional study was done at the famous
Cambridge University (British Journal of
Nutrition v. 83, 2000) concluded,“Healthy
Balanced Diets as One of the Main Components
of Disease Prevention”. 802 people were given
GTTs (glucose tolerance tests). It was clear the
ones who made better food choices had far less
diabetes. The healthy people ate more vegetables,
salads, fish, fruits, pasta, and rice. Those with
poor GTT results ate more meat, dairy, eggs, and
fried foods generally. In another study 25,698
Seventh Day Adventist vegetarians were
examined. (American Journal of Public Health v.
75, 1985). Adventists are known to have far less
diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and other
conditions as a whole. The ones who did not eat
eggs or dairy products were the healthiest. You
can’t argue with the results of almost twenty six
thousand real men and women.
↓Page 30
Doctors at UCLA gave almost 5,000 male and
female diabetics a diet and exercise program
(Diabetes Care v. 17, 1994) for just three weeks.
Glucose levels fell dramatically. In just 21 days,
and 71% of the ones taking oral medication
discontinued their drugs! That is over 7 in 10 in
21 days! 39% of those on insulin stopped
injecting themselves! That is almost 4 in 10
getting off insulin in 21 days! They simply ate
better foods, and did some moderate exercise.
Imagine what would happen if they did this for a
whole year. These results are simply amazing!
We’ve got to mention the Pima Indians again.
Half the Pima Indians still live in Mexico, and
follow their ancient traditions of diet and lifestyle.
The others live in the southwestern U.S., and
have largely adopted the American lifestyle.
Many studies have been done here because they
are the same genetic stock. This one (Diabetes
Care v. 24, 2001), from the University of
Pittsburg, looked at their diabetes rates. The
Mexican Pimas ate more corn, beans, squash,
melons, and desert plants. They actually ate more
calories (they do more physical labor), but had
lower glucose levels and far less diabetes. The
American Pimas have a 50% (!) diabetes rate,
short lifespans, and many other diseases from
eating the usual high-fat, high sugar, refined food
diet. American Pimas given their native diet
decrease their disease rates immediately. This
also shows genetics is not the problem.
A fine review from the Helicon Foundation
(Medical Hypotheses v. 54, 2000), with 84
references, was titled, “Toward a Wholly
Nutritional Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes”. The
authors suggest preventing and treating type-2
diabetes with only diet, supplements, and
exercise, rather than toxic, ineffective drugs.
They also point out obesity, one of the most
important causes of all, would be basically
eradicated by such dietary means. We need more
such progressive doctors using natural means to
cure disease.
Another study from Harvard (Annals of Internal
Medicine v. 136, 2002) was titled, “Dietary
Patterns and Risk for Type-2 Diabetes in U.S.
Men”. Here over 42,000 men aged 40-75 were
studied for diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
for twelve years. It was clear the ones who ate
more whole grains, vegetables, fresh fruits, and
fish lived the longest, and had the lowest illness
rates. The ones who ate red meat, refined grains,
dairy products, fried foods, and desserts had far
higher disease rates, and much shorter lives.
Forty-two thousand real people prove the point
conclusively.
↓Page 31
The diet books in print are generally terrible, and
there are very few authors who have any idea of
what they’re talking about. If you go to a book-
store or library, you will see many books
claiming to tell you how to cure diabetes. Nearly
all of them are not only useless, but will actually
make you worse. You can always tell if the books
are spurious if the author suggests eating dairy
products, eggs, meat, poultry, sweeteners of any
kind (including honey, stevia, etc.), tropical foods
(like bananas and citrus), or nightshade
vegetables (like potatoes and tomatoes). It is not
considered “good form” in this business to
mention these pseudo-authorities by name, so
they won’t be named individually.
Susan Powter has written two good books, Stop
the Insanity and Food, on eating well, staying
slim, and calorie density. Susan practices what
she preaches, and looks great at 61. Neal Barnard
is a member of the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and is a very
sincere person. His books include Turn Off
the Fat Genes, Live Longer, Live Better, Food
for Life, and Eat Right, Live Longer. Gary
Null has written Get Healthy Now, Vegetarian
Handbook, and Seven Steps to Perfect Health.
Terry Shintani is a very committed man who
wrote The Hawaii Diet, and The Good
Carbohydrate Revolution. Dean Ornish is
also a member of the PCRM, and has written
Eat More, Weigh Less and Program for Reversing
Heart Disease. Robert Pritikin (Nathan Pritikin’s
son) has written a half dozen books on low-fat
vegetarian eating. The old Nathan Pritikin books
are still available in your public library. Michio
Kushi is a prolific writer on traditional Japanese
macrobiotics, as is George Ohsawa. You should
read both of these authors, and then take the
unnecessary, overly restrictive, limited, obsessive
-compulsive Japanese trappings out of their
writings. It seems that macrobiotic authors are
the only ones to understand such basic truths as
the toxicity of nightshade vegetables, and
the fact tropical foods aren’t meant for temperate
peoples. None of the aforementioned authors
really understand proven supplements, natural
hormone balance, and fasting to any degree,
however.
↓Page 32
The ridiculous “glycemic index” must be
mentioned. This pseudo-scientific silliness is
ridiculous on its face. To start with, their
standard of reference is white bread! Sadly
enough, this glycemic absurdity now appears in
medical journals! The glycemic theory says that
brown rice raises blood sugar as much as a
sugared donut, and that a bowl of hearty oatmeal
raises blood sugar as much as a Twinkie®. If
whole grains and beans raised blood sugar, the
Asian countries would have the highest rates of
diabetes in the world! The fact they have the
lowest rates proves otherwise. You’ll notice that
the advocates of the glycemic index suggest
eating red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products
- while warning against whole grains and
legumes generally. The logical conclusion here is
a deadly ketogenic diet.
Anyone promoting the glycemic index is
obviously ignorant and completely misguided.
Calorie restriction is an important part of curing
blood sugar conditions. Americans eat twice
the calories they need. We eat three meals a day,
when we only need two. Be sure to eat two meals
a day instead of three. You only need to eat twice
a day, and soon this will become perfectly normal
for you. Breakfast is not, “the most important
meal of the day”. The less calories you eat the
longer you live. Men can thrive on about 1,800
calories a day, and women on about 1,200
calories. Roy Walford is the only one who wrote
extensively on this subject. Please read his The
120 Year Diet, and Maximum Lifespan. Eat as
little as possible, and keep your caloric intake
down by eating low fat foods. It isn’t food that
makes you fat; it is fat that makes you fat. You
don’t need to walk around hungry, nor can you.
Willpower is an illusion. You can eat all you
want, and still take in fewer calories by simply
making better food choices. You can eat all you
want, never be hungry, and still stay slim, if you
just eat whole, natural foods. The answer is
eating lower fat foods and not less food. Please
take a good look at the calorie density chart in
Chapter 13: Obesity to convince yourself of this.
You can literally eat all you want, if you just
make better food choices. Americans eat twice
the calories they need.
↓Page 33
It would literally take 80 years to study humans
for the total benefits of calorie restriction, but
we have 1) shorter term human studies, and 2) full
term animal studies. Calorie restriction is
the most effective way to extend lifespan
and quality of life. At Heinrich-Heine University
in Germany a heavily referenced review was
published (Weiner Klinische Wochen v. 106,
1994). Real people greatly improved their insulin
sensitivity, and lost weight, by eating lower
calorie foods. At the Franco-Czech Laboratory
(Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &
Metabolism v. 89, 2002) obese women improved
their insulin resistance, and lost weight, by
simply eating lower calorie foods. At Alexandra Hospital (International Journal of Obesity v. 27,
2003) obese diabetic men were given lower
calorie foods for 12 weeks. They lost weight,
lost body fat, lowered their cholesterol,
and improved glycemic control with no other
intervention. At Nagasaki University
(International Congress Series v.1209, 2000)
diabetic women were fed a low calorie, low-fat
diet based on rice and vegetables. Their glycemic
status improved, and their glucose levels fell
significantly.
Fasting is always a part of any serious natural
health program. With most blood sugar disorders
it can be difficult to fast on water even for 24
hours dinner to dinner. If you want to know more,
the recommended books on fasting are listed in
Zen Macrobiotics for Americans. When you are
cured, it is important you fast one day a week on
water from dinner to dinner. This gives your body
52 times every year to rest, recuperate, and heal.
Once you see the great benefits, you’ll probably
choose to do longer fasts. If you can go 24 hours
on water only, without problems, then you should
do this every week from dinner to dinner.
↓Page 34
Chapter 6: Effective Supplements
_______________________________________
It cannot be repeated enough that what you eat is
the real cure for blood sugar and insulin
dysmetabolism. Your daily food is basically what
will cure you. Whole natural foods cure disease.
Proven supplements and natural hormones are
very powerful, but secondary to diet.
Supplements are only one of the Seven Steps to
Natural Health (p 4). People are understandably
confused about which supplements work, and
which are merely advertising promotions. This
confusion can be explained in one word -
advertising. To know which supplements
honestly have value, we merely need to look at
the published scientific literature, rather than the
very well written advertisements that inundate us.
Science tells us which supplements really benefit
us, not skillful ad writers. Please read my booklet
The Supplements You Need. People under 40
only need acidophilus, FOS, beta glucan, vitamin
D, vitamin E, flax oil, minerals and vitamins.
First, we need to understand the difference
between “endogenous” supplements and
“exogenous” ones. Endogenous supplements
exist in our bodies, and in the common foods we
eat. This would include all vitamins, all minerals,
all basic hormones, most amino acids, and such
supplements as CoQ10, beta sitosterol, lipoic
acid, DIM, PS, and beta glucan. You can, and
should, take the appropriate and needed
endogenous supplements the rest of your life for
your general health. This is especially true if you
are over forty. Exogenous supplements do not
exist naturally in our bodies, nor in our common
foods. This would include such things as herbs in
general (e.g. ginseng, echinacea, milk thistle,
golden seal, etc.), green tea, curcumin, guggul,
ellagic acid, and aloe vera. Even if any of these
supplements are appropriate for you, the effect
will only last for about six months to a year and
then cease. To continue taking them would be a
waste of time and money, and could even be
counterproductive. Many people are, in fact,
allergic to some of these exogenous products.
Therefore, we will stress long term endogenous
supplements, but still mention the temporary
exogenous ones for short term use.
↓Page 35
Lipoic acid has so much research on it there is a
separate chapter (Chapter 8: Lipoic Acid)
devoted to the many international published
studies on its benefits.
Vitamins and minerals are basic. There are only
thirteen vitamins. Never take megadoses of any
vitamin (or other supplement), as these overdoses
unbalance our metabolism. Regular vitamin B-12
is absorbed very poorly, so pick a supplement
with 1 mg of methylcobalamin as the preferred
form of B-12. Minerals are so important they are
covered in a separate chapter (Chapter 9:The
Minerals We Need).
Vitamin C is a very overrated and misunderstood
vitamin. Megadoses of this will acidify your
normally alkaline blood. Making the blood pH
acidic causes your entire system to be sickly.
Megadoses of anything - including oxygen, sun,
fun, food, sex, or whatever else - are harmful!
Understand this simple fact. Vitamin C is only
basically found in any quantity in tropical fruits,
such as citrus. These are meant for tropical
people in hot climates. You find very little
vitamin C in temperate climate fruits and
vegetables. Diabetics use up excessive vitamin C
due to the increased need for all antioxidants.
Therefore you should take 250 mg until you are
well. The RDA is only 60 mg. Again, do not take
more than 250 mg, as this is four times the RDA-
Linus Pauling was wrong! Short term studies of
megadoses of vitamin C may show limited
benefits, but never in the long term.
Beta glucan is a very important supplement to
take for all forms of sugar dysmetabolism. The
usual dosage is 200 mg, but you should take 400
mg for the first year to improve glycemic control.
Beta glucan is the most powerful immune
enhancer known to science, including interferon-
alpha. It doesn’t matter whether you use oat or
yeast glucan, as all are 1/3 true glucans. The
mushroom glucan is simply too expensive.
Please read my book What Is Beta Glucan? to
learn more. An entire chapter is devoted to
diabetes. A good number of human studies have
shown the benefits of beta glucan for all blood
sugar issues. Beta glucan also has powerful
cholesterol and triglyceride lowering activity
which, of course, is of great concern in blood
sugar dysmetabolism. This is a very important
supplement you must add to your regimen, and
even healthy children and people under 40
should routinely take this. Eat just a little oatmeal
and barley regularly and you won’t need to take
a supplement.
↓Page 36
Beta carotene has been shown to be deficient in
most diabetics, but not vitamin A. (Beta carotene
is the direct precursor to vitamin A.) Beta \
carotene is one of the most powerful antioxidants
in our diet. Some studies, such as the one done at
Jikei University in Japan, show high serum
vitamin A levels, but low levels of beta carotene.
You only need 10,000 IU here, although you can
take 25,000 for the first year if you want to. This
is a very effective antioxidant, and should
definitely be a part of your program. The Third
National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (Diabetes v. 52, 2003) showed low levels
of carotenoids (except lycopene) generally in
diabetics.
CoQ10 is a basic supplement here, and you must
take 100 mg of real Japanese ubiquinone a day.
Do not take ubiquinol! Ubiquinol is
unstable, and has no shelf life. Some
unscrupulous companies offer smaller
amounts of CoQ10 with “special
delivery systems”, that are all but worthless. 100
mg is what you need. Some “experts”
recommend 300 to 400 mg a day, but this is a
waste of money and not necessary at all. Real
Japanese bio-engineered can be found (60 X 100
mg) for under $20. Studies around the world
have shown the importance of this for diabetes.
For example, at Moradabad Hospital in India
(Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease
1999), a review with 59 references on the
benefits of CoQ10 for diabetes and CHD was
published. CoQ10 is a powerful and basic
supplement.
↓Page 37
Beta-sitosterol is found in every vegetable you
eat, but there just isn’t enough in our daily food.
It is estimated the average American eats about
300 mg daily, while vegetarians eat twice that
amount. Vegetarians have far less blood sugar
problems. Take 300 mg a day of mixed sterols
(mixed sterols is the only form available). You
should take 600 mg a day for the first year, and
then just 300 mg. Beta-sitosterol is the most
effective natural remedy known for both prostate
problems and high blood fats (cholesterol and
triglycerides). At the Gerontology Clinic (Vnitrni
Lekarstvi v. 50, 2004) blood levels of these plant
sterols were shown to be very important in
diabetic patients. “In diabetics the level of
disease compensation correlated negatively with
plant sterol values”. You can read more about
plant sterols in my book Lower Cholesterol
Without Drugs. All this is strongly related to
cholesterol and triglyceride dysmetabolism.
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is the preferred form
of L-carnitine, as it is more bio-available, and
passes into the brain more easily. 500 mg a day is
the appropriate dose. There are a number of
studies on both forms, but you will get all the
benefits of plain L-carnitine by taking the acetyl
derivative ALC. At the Instituto di Medicina in
Italy (Metabolism v. 49, 2000) type 2 diabetics
were given ALC. This effectively increased their
glucose disposal and utilization. They concluded
this was an important therapy. ALC is an
important supplement for anyone over 40 for
brain function, memory, and clarity of thought.
Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all, but rather a
hormone. It does not occur in our food, except
very small amounts in a few animal foods such
as eggs. This is the most important “vitamin” of
all for blood sugar problems. Your daily vitamin
supplement should have 400 IU, but you should
take another 400 to 800 IU for many reasons.
You should be getting a total of 800 to 1,200 IU
of vitamin D, unless you are out in the sun
regularly. In the summer, if you get regular
exposure to the sun, you can just take the 400 IU
in your vitamin supplement. Most Americans are
clearly deficient in “vitamin” D, as most of us do
not get out in the sun regularly, especially in
winter months. Science proves low serum levels
are epidemic, correlated with endless illnesses,
and clearly related to all-cause mortality and
length of life. The international research is very
strong here.
↓Page 38
Vitamin E is the second most important vitamin
for blood sugar problems. Vitamin E is also very
deficient in our diets, because we eat a mere 1%
whole grains (the main source). Always use the
natural mixed tocopherols for a few dollars more,
and not the inexpensive single tocopherol (d-
alpha). You should only use 200 IU a day (or 400
IU every other day). Do not exceed this, since the
RDA is only 30 IU. The international, published
research on this is simply overwhelming. Vitamin
E is one of the most powerful of all natural anti-
oxidants, and must be a part of your healing
program. This is very good for your heart and
arteries.
Hunan Medical University gave vitamin E to type 2
diabetics with dramatic benefits in only 30 days.
The University of Chieti in Italy showed
significant benefits in only 14 days in type 2
diabetics. Vitamin E supplementation should be
standard practice. The research here is obviously
overwhelming, and can’t possibly all be quoted.
People of all ages should use vitamin E since we
get so little in our diets.
Flaxseed oil is the best source of omega-3 fatty
acids, and better than fish oil for a lot of reasons.
All the studies on fish oil would be even more
effective with flax oil. Regardless of your age,
take a 1,000 mg flax oil capsule every day. Or ½
teaspoon of bulk flax oil. Buy and keep this
refrigerated- do not buy unrefrigerated flax oil,
as it easily oxidizes. We eat far too much omega-
6 fatty acids, and far too few omega-3s. The
research is overwhelming on the benefits of
omega-3 supplementation for health blood sugar
metabolism, as well as CHD health, and blood
lipids.
At North Dakota University (Nutrition Journal v
44, 2011) “Flaxseed supplementation improved
insulin resistance in obese glucose intolerant
people” was published. The results were no less
than dramatic. There are many such studies using
real flax seed to help cure diabetes and other
blood sugar issues. The research here is too much
to continue with. This is a definite!
↓Page 39
L-glutamine is a proven amino acid for good
intestinal health. You should take a gram (two
X 500 mg) in the AM and another gram in the
PM. You can also take a tablespoon of
inexpensive bulk glutamine powder every day
for even better results. This will also spike
(temporarily raise) your growth hormone levels.
While L-glutamine has shown no specific value
for blood sugar problems, always remember we
are treating the whole body, and not just our
glucose metabolism. Regardless of our age, our
digestive systems are generally in terrible shape
from our poor diets. Taking L-glutamine, with a
good brand of acidophilus and FOS, will help us
digest our food well. Strong digestion is an
important part of maintaining normal blood
sugar and insulin levels.
Fructooligosaccarides (FOS) are indigestible
sugars that feed the good bacteria in our
intestines, but not the “bad” bacteria. This will
not help blood sugar dysmetabolism directly, but
will help keep your intestines healthy to better
digest your food which helps normalize glucose
metabolism. Taking 750 mg once or twice a day
works very well with acidophilus and
L-glutamine to keep our digestive system strong
and healthy.
Acidophilus keeps the good bacteria in our
intestines alive. Find a good refrigerated brand
and keep it refrigerated. Take 6 billion units (with
8 strains) once or twice daily, and use FOS and
L-glutamine with it. This will help strengthen
your digestion.
Phosphatidyl serine (PS) is a relative of lecithin
or phosphatidyl choline. Only in the last few
years has inexpensive PS become available to the
public, and the human research verified its value.
Take 100 mg a day if you are over the age of 40
to support good brain function. This is not going
to help glycemic control per se, but you are
treating your total health, and not just glucose
metabolism. Pregnenolone and acetyl-L-carnitine
work very well with PS. You can also benefit
from taking a 1,200 mg soft-gel of lecithin for
both better brain metabolism and lower
cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
↓Page 40
Glucosamine will not specifically help your blood
sugar condition, but it is an important supplement
for anyone over the age of 40. Literally 95% of
Americans over the age of 65 suffer from
arthritis and joint inflammation. Glucosamine
500 -1,000 mg a day is a proven supplement for
bone and joint health. Do not take chondroitin,
as it is not absorbed by our intestines and is
therefore useless. Glucosamine cannot work
alone, and must have a complete supply of
minerals, flax oil, and vitamin D to be effective.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of our two main
antioxidant enzymes. Unfortunately, oral SOD
pills don’t work, nasal sprays are illegal,
sublingual SOD isn’t available, and the use of
DMSO transdermal solutions is prohibited. Oral
SOD tablets are worthless. Doctors don’t know
how to inject this, and it wouldn’t be practical
anyway. Nevertheless, SOD is very important to
blood sugar problems because of the antioxidant
stress. The University of Tiemcen in Algeria
found low SOD blood levels in type-2 (but not
in type-1) diabetics. Hyogo University, in Japan,
found low SOD in type-1.
What can we do? Fortunately, we can keep our
SOD levels elevated with diet, supplements,
exercise, lifestyle, and generally supporting our
antioxidant defense system. By eating well,
exercising, balancing your basic hormones, not
taking prescription drugs, and avoiding negative
habits (such as coffee, alcohol, cigarettes,
recreational drugs) you will have higher SOD levels.
Glutathione is our other basic antioxidant enzyme.
You can take oral glutathione, but it is not as
effective as NAC. NAC is N-acetyl cysteine,
and is a much more effective way to raise your
glutathione levels than glutathione itself. Take
600 mg a day. The other varied benefits of NAC
have been well documented in the last ten years.
In diabetic conditions glutathione has been shown
to be of great importance because it is so basic to
our antioxidant process. This is a vital
supplement for blood sugar conditions, and much
research has been done here.
↓Page 41
Soy isoflavones can be taken in 40 mg doses of
combined genestein and diadzein. It is unrealistic
to think we are going to get a sufficient intake of
these valuable isoflavones by eating a variety of
soy products. Tofu is the white bread of soybeans,
is highly refined, and lacking in nutrition.
Westerners rarely eat any amount of soy products
such as miso, seitan, soy flour, tempeh, or other
traditional Asian foods. Soy sauce is merely a
condiment. There is an overwhelming amount of
published research on the benefits of soy
supplementation. Anyone who tells you soy is
“bad” for you is mentally deficient. The dairy
and meat industries are very upset by the
popularity of soy products, especially soy milks.
Billions of Asians for centuries prove the value
of soy isoflavone intake. Okinawans eat more
soy than anyone, and live the longest of all.
DIM (di-indolylmethane) is a fine supplement,
and better than I3C (indole-3-carbinol) for
improving estrogen metabolism. Take 200 mg of
DIM daily. All “special delivery systems” are just
expensive advertising promotions.. DIM is oil
soluble, so just take it with your food or with
your flax oil. If you test your free estradiol and
estrone levels, and find them to be in the low
normal (the ideal) range, you won’t need to take
this. Men over the age of 50 generally have
higher estradiol and estrone levels than their
postmenopausal wives! Excess estrogen in men
or women is harmful, and low normal levels are
best. American and European women rarely have
insufficient estrogen levels due to their high-fat,
low fiber, nutrient deficient diets, obesity, lack of
exercise, and other factors. Asian women who
have lower estradiol and estrone (but not estriol)
levels have less heart disease, osteoporosis, and
menopausal problems. The idea that American
women generally are somehow “estrogen
deficient” after menopause is silly.
A complete program of natural supplements is
vital for healing, but will never compensate for
poor diet, lack of exercise, and other basic factors.
↓Page 42
Chapter 7: Temporary Supplements
___________________________________________
There are a variety of temporary supplements to
take for up to a year. Most of these are
“exogenous”, and not in our bodies or in our
common food. The rest are endogenous (in our
bodies and common food), but just not needed
after about a year. TMG (betaine) or
trimethylglycine is the most powerful liver
rejuvenator known. Taking 3 grams a day (6 X
500 mg capsules) for six months to a year will do
wonders to cleanse and strengthen your liver.
The liver is the largest internal organ, and vital to
blood sugar metabolism. Our livers supply
glycogen (blood sugar). Liver problems,
especially such conditions as fatty liver, are
central to blood sugar problems. While TMG is
endogenous, there is just no reason to use this
much for more than a year. You can take 1 gram
(2 X 500 mg) as a permanent supplement after
this. This is a very important addition to your healing
program. The human studies are excellent. To cure
diabetes you must have a strong healthy liver.
Vitamin C was covered in the previous chapter. It must
be emphasized that megadoses weaken your immunity
in the long run. It is not a dietary deficiency of vitamin
C here at all, but rather the fact the body is using up all
the vitamin C and other antioxidants it can get to
balance the free radicals. You should only take 250 mg
for a year, and then the 60 mg in your vitamin
supplement is enough as a permanent one. Never
overdose on this!
Aloe vera is a classic healing herb that helps our
digestive system, and our liver among, other
benefits. Taking 2 X 100 mg capsules of a 200:1
extract is easier than trying to drink the
equivalent of 40 grams of fresh gel. Aloe gel is
99.5% water. Just six to twelve months as it is
exogenous.
↓Page 43
Ellagic acid has no proof of efficacy for blood
sugar disorders per se, but has shown very
powerful anti-cancer and other effects. Taking
100 mg a day for six months to a year will help
your immunity in general.
Milk thistle is the most effective herb for liver
health. Taking 2 capsules of a good extract every
day for one year will work with the TMG to
strengthen your liver. Milk thistle is the most
researched herb for liver health, but is exogenous
and will not help you after a year. There are
many human studies on the active ingredient
silymarin.
Taurine finally has good human science behind it
for diabetes. Numerous animal studies showed
great promise here, and now real people verify
this. Take 500 mg of taurine daily for one year.
This inexpensive amino acid also has much value for
coronary heart conditions generally, and helps
lower blood fats and blood pressure. Beijing
Hospital in China, Cardiology Research Center
in Moscow, Bengbu Medical College in China,
and Research University in Italy all showed
improvement in glucose levels, insulin
sensitivity, blood parameters, and other benefits
in both type -1 and -2 diabetes. Studies at the
University of Messina, and the Diabetes Unit in
Italy, showed diabetics had low blood plasma
and platelet taurine levels. In 2004 an extensive
review of the literature with 114 references from
the University of Sassari in Italy showed that
taurine supplementation is valuable in treating
diabetes and insulin resistance. Take until you
are well.
Curcumin taken in 500 mg amounts daily for six
months to a year is a powerful and proven natural
antioxidant. Good studies.
Green tea extract is very worthwhile. Just take
two capsules daily. Green tea is simply regular
old tea (Thea sinensis) that is not fermented.
There is a lot of good research on green tea
polyphenols, but all of it is short term only. The
fact it must have the caffeine removed to be safe
is rather worrisome. This must be decaffeinated!
It is unlikely you will drink two cups of decaf
green tea every day, so the capsules are much
more practical.
↓Page 44
Quercetin is technically an endogenous antioxidant
although basically only found in apples and
onions. You can take100 mg daily for one year.
Only one study was found where diabetic
animals improved with quercetin
supplementation. There is good science on the
antioxidant benefits of quercetin.
Polysaccharide plant gums such as glucomannon,
guargum, pectin (citrus or apple), and sodium alginate
(from seaweed) are very valuable, inexpensive, and
safe temporary supplements. These gums have shown
value in lowering cholesterol, blood sugar
normalization, removing toxic metals, and other
benefits. Take at least 3 grams a day (6 X 500 mg
capsules) to get real benefits. Choose the one you
prefer, the one that is least expensive, or try each of the
four above for three month periods successively. The
added rewards of lowering cholesterol and triglycerides
will be an important factor in your healing. Some
people have lost weight using these, since the gums
swell up dramatically with water, and fill the stomach.
This gives you a feeling of having eaten when you
haven’t. The science here is very strong. “Modified”
citrus pectin is expensive and has no benefits at all..
Buy regular inexpensive fruit pectins.
At the 7th annual Gums and Stabilizers Conference, in
England, researchers reviewed the benefits of these
gums and found, “improved glycemic control and a
reduction in plasma cholesterol”, which, of course, are
precursors to diabetes. At the University of Helsinki a
review with 59 references was published showing
guar gum therapy had favorable long-term effects on
glycemic control and lipid levels in NIDDM subjects.
At St. Marianna University in Japan (Eiyogaku Zasshi
v. 56, 1998) galactomannon (from fenugreek) was
found to benefit by feeding five grams a day to type
2 diabetics. At the Institute of Investigations, in Cuba
guar, pectin and glucomannon were all shown to help
remove toxic heavy metals from the blood, improve
digestion generally, and lessen the effects of diabetes.
↓Page 45
L-arginine is an overrated and promoted amino acid
with little scientific evidence behind it. There are a few
possible studies, however, for blood sugar conditions.
You can use 3 grams (6 X 500 mg) daily for one year.
At the University of Vienna L-arginine was found to
inhibit lipid peroxidation in human diabetics. At the
Medical College of Wisconsin diabetic rats benefited
from L-arginine in their water. At Cumhuriyet
University in Turkey rabbits lowered blood glucose
levels with oral L-arginine. Arginine is commonly promoted without clinical backing. This is an optional
supplement, as it is not well clinically proven at all.
Asian or American ginseng can be used temporarily,
but not in hot weather, or in tropical climates, because
of its extreme yang (warm) nature. Find a reliable
brand, and take one or two capsules a day during the
coolest six months of the year (October thru March in
the Northern Hemisphere).
Nopal cactus has been promoted for normalizing blood
sugar levels, but where is the evidence? There are no
human or animal studies published in any of the
international medical journals. There is just no reason
to use something unproven like this, when you have so
many proven supplements to use. Bitter melon
(Momordica) has also been promoted for blood sugar
problems, but, again, where is the evidence? Banaba
leaf has corosolic acid in it, and has been promoted for
blood sugar problems. The published evidence is just
not convincing so far. Fenugreek herb (containing
galactomannon fiber) has been commercially promoted for diabetes, but the science is lacking here, too.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been promoted for
weight loss as well as diabetes, but, again, the evidence
isn’t there.
The herb most promoted for normalizing blood sugar is
Gymnema sylvestre. There are just no valid human
studies here. Remember that exogenous supplements
will not work for some people, and will be biologically incompatible (allergenic) in others. If you feel any of
these temporary supplements are not compatible with
your individual biochemistry then drop them. Some
people will get mild side effects from exogenous
supplements like these.
↓Page 46
Chapter 8: Alpha Lipoic Acid
____________________________________________
Lipoic acid (aka thioctic acid) or “LA” is a natural
antioxidant in our bodies. This is the most important
single supplement you can take for diabetes and blood
sugar disorders. There is no lipoic acid in our daily
food. It does not exist in the free form in our bodies,
but rather as dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA). You are not
going to get any from your diet. Do not think this is a
Magic Supplement that can work alone. Diet and
exercise is the basic cure for blood sugar dys-
metabolism, while supplements and hormones play a
secondary role. The research on lipoic acid is so
overwhelming, we are going to devote a separate
chapter to it.
Actually, lipoic acid is a disulfide (two sulfur atoms)
that is converted in the body to dihydrolipoic acid or
DHLA. The lipoic acid of commerce, and the one used
in nearly all the studies, is equally composed of two
mirror image (racemic) isomers R- and S-. Almost
every one of the published studies use the regular
racemic natural R/S form. You will see Internet
advertisements claiming that only the very expensive
R-isomer has biological value, while the S-isomer is
somehow ineffective. R-only lipoic acid is a promotion
for money, with no science behind it! Do not be taken
in by such unfounded unscientific promotions. Clinical
studies using these R- and S- forms separately found
that they equally convert to DHLA (General
Pharmacology v 29, 1997). Just use regular, normal,
everyday, inexpensive R,S-lipoic acid.
Anyone over the age of forty should take lipoic acid as
part of their basic supplement program for its powerful
antioxidant properties. For most people 400 mg a day
is sufficient. Clinical studies have used up to 1,000 mg,
but only in the short term. Injected lipoic acid is much
more effective than oral use, but very impractical
obviously. Overdoses of lipoic acid, or anything else,
merely unbalance our metabolism, and are
contraindicated. If you have a serious problem, you can
safely take 800 mg a day for one year, Just use 400 mg
in the AM, and another 400 mg in the PM, to maintain
maximum blood levels.
↓Page 47
Lipoic acid is safe, inexpensive, and non-toxic, but
there just isn’t any reason to take more than 400 mg for
the long term. Short term studies have used higher
doses, but you’ll be doing long term therapy.
At Eberhard-Karls University in Germany (BioFactors
10,1993) a study, “Thioctic Acid- Effects on Insulin
Sensitivity and Glucose Metabolism” was done. They
pointed out that, “Thioctic acid is a co-factor of key
mitochondrial enzymes, involved in the regulation of
glucose oxidation, such as the pyruvate dehydrogenase
and the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, both
enzyme complexes which are known to be diminished
in diabetes”. In plain words, this means lipoic acid
works with our body enzymes to prevent glucose from
being oxidized. Their conclusion was, “The clinical and experimental date indicate that this compound has
beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, correcting
several metabolic pathways known to be altered in
type 2 diabetes, such as insulin stimulated glucose
uptake, glucose oxidation, and glycogen synthesis”.
The authors quote two human studies published in
Diabetologica 1995 and Arzneimittelforschung 1995.
Here insulin sensitivity was increased from 27% to
51% in merely 10 days! This is nothing less than
incredible! No dangerous, synthetic, toxic prescription
drugs can even start to approach results like that.
At the University of Southern California (Nutrition v 17,
2001) “Molecular Aspects of Lipoic Acid in the
Prevention of Diabetes Complications” was published.
People with diabetes suffer from an endless list of
complications, eventually ending in premature death.
These include vascular (heart and artery) disease,
cataracts, retinopathy (vision loss), and neuropathy
(nerve deterioration).
“The available data strongly suggest that LA, because
of its antioxidant properties, is particularly suited to the
prevention and/or treatment of diabetic complications…
In addition to its antioxidant properties, LA increases
glucose uptake…Further, recent trials have
demonstrated that LA improves glucose disposal in
patients with type 2 diabetes. In experimental and
clinical studies, LA markedly reduced the symptoms of
diabetic pathologies, including cataract formation,
vascular damage, and polyneuropathy”. Rather
powerful statements from top doctors in the best
hospitals.
↓Page 48
Reviews are always best. A most impressive seventeen
page, heavily documented review, “The Pharmacology
of the Antioxidant Lipoic Acid”, from Vrije University
in Amsterdam (General Pharmacology v. 29, 1997)
leaves no doubt about the effectiveness. Here they
prove that the R- and S- isomers equally convert to
DHLA in humans. Do not waste your money on R-only
lipoic acid. This review is about the antioxidant
properties of LA for general health, rather than the
benefits for diabetes specifically. The language here is
highly technical, and refers to reactive oxygen species
(ROS), NADH, chelation, oxidative stress, and other
such topics. In plain English, they show LA
supplements to be a most powerful and proven
antioxidant, that has many benefits as we age. It is an
important overall anti-aging supplement everyone over
40 needs.
At the University of Arizona (Oxidative Stress and
Disease v. 8, 2002) a long, well documented review
was done on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.
They strongly suggest using LA as a therapy for both
conditions. Further, they discuss the underlying
mechanisms for using LA in diabetic and pre-diabetic
conditions, so we can better understand how it is so
effective. At Oregon State University (Current
Medicinal Chemistry v. 11, 2004) a 12 page review
with extensive references was done showing the power
of LA to help ameliorate the patho-physiologies of
many chronic diseases, and not just diabetes, and other
forms of blood sugar dysmetabolism. They found
lipoic acid therapy to have dramatic benefits in patients
in only 30 days. This was true, not only for diabetes,
but also other diseases associated with oxidative stress.
LA was found to be an effective agent to ameliorate
certain path-ophysiologies of many chronic diseases.
Here the evidence was examined for the effectiveness
of lipoic acid against such diverse age-related disorders as unwarranted apoptosis (programmed cell death),
cardiovascular disease, and cataract formation.
↓Page 49
The famous Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota, did a most
impressive 16 page review, complete with 77 references
(Antioxidants in Health and Disease v 6, 1997) on
lipoic acid. This study leaves no doubt as to the proven effectiveness on any disease associated with oxidative
stress- including blood sugar disorders generally. At the
University of California, in Los Angeles, a
sophisticated review, with an impressive 78 citations
(Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology v 182, 2002),
was done on the general antioxidant and pro-oxidant
properties of lipoic acid. They showed both lipoic acid
and dihydrolipoic acid exhibit direct free radical
scavenging properties. Other studies provide evidence
that lipoic acid supplementation has pro-oxidant
prop-erties, decreases oxidative stress, and restores
reduced levels of other antioxidants in real people.
Three different reviews were done at the
University of California, in Berkeley, another
good review with 34 references (Annals of the
NY Academy of Sciences v 738, 1994)was done
on the properties of lipoic acid in relation to
oxidative stress and disease. Another was
published in Environmental & Nutritional
Interactions v 3, 1999). This thorough 28 page
article showed the effectiveness of LA for
diabetes itself and the serious complications that
comes with it. Neuropathy is the worst side effect
of diabetes. Many dozens of studies show that
LA alone helps relieve the symptoms of mono-,
poly, autonomic- and peripheral neuropathy. A
third from Oxidative Stress and Disease v 4,
2000 had 38 references. This demonstrated the
dramatic antioxidant effects of LA.
There are many other published human studies
from around the world on the benefits of oral
lipoic acid supplementation for blood sugar and
insulin metabolism. Make this a part of your
supplement program to prevent and cure blood
sugar issues.
↓Page 50
Chapter 9: We All Need Minerals
_______________________________________
We’re all mineral deficient, every one of us. No
matter how well you eat, or what supplements
you take, you’re still lacking in some of the vital
elements you need. Every illness is due in part to
mineral deficiency of some kind. Our soils are
depleted of minerals. Our food lacks minerals.
We don’t eat well anyway. Please read my
booklet The Minerals You Need to learn about
the essential elements that science has shown us
we need in our bodies, but don’t get. This is the
most researched and comprehensive book ever
written on minerals, and is very easy to read.
There are 96 natural elements, but modern
medicine only recognizes ten of them as essential.
This is irrational and defies logic. While sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and sulfur are all
essential elements, we get enough of these in our
food. Let’s look at the twenty-one elements we
are known to need for optimal health.
Calcium is very misunderstood. The idea that we
need 1,000 mg a day is ridiculous, and the
official government RDA is not based on science
whatsoever. The only abundant source of calcium
is dairy products, and at least two thirds of the
world’s population does not include dairy foods
in their diet. Billions of Asians prove this. You
cannot possibly get 1,000 mg of calcium a day
without eating dairy foods. You should not eat
dairy foods because of the lactose (milk sugar)
and casein content. All adults of all races are
lactose intolerant- period. Americans and
Europeans eat more calcium than anyone on
earth, yet have the highest rates of bone and joint
disease, especially arthritis and osteoporosis.
Obviously, calcium intake isn’t the problem, but
rather calcium absorption. You need -at the
minimum- magnesium, boron, silicon, strontium,
omega-3s, and vitamin D in order to absorb the
calcium. You aren’t getting enough of these
nutrients. There are certainly other nutritional
factors in calcium absorption we haven’t
discovered yet. Taking 250 mg a day of any
common, inexpensive calcium salts such as
citrates and carbonates is sufficient. Overdosing
yourself on calcium is irresponsible, and won’t
benefit you. More is not better.
↓Page 51
Magnesium is the most studied and most
important element in diabetes. Magnesium is
vitally important for our total health since, we’re
generally deficient in it. One in seven Americans
is seriously deficient according to blood analysis
studies. The major source of magnesium is whole
grains, yet almost all of the grain we eat is
refined. Americans only eat 1% whole grains.
The RDA is 400 mg, so taking 200 mg is good.
Citrates, lactates, or oxides are good choices.
There is overwhelming evidence that magnesium
is critical to blood sugar and insulin metabolism,
as well as outright diabetes.
Iron is very important, as it is the “heme” in
blood hemoglobin. Women need more than men,
and studies consistently show that Americans are
generally iron deficient, especially women,
vegetarians, and the elderly. People with diabetes
may have a problem excreting iron, and end up
with excessive blood levels of it. This is a rare
condition, which is not due to excessive intake,
but rather inability to get rid of unneeded iron.
Just be careful not to take more than 18 mg a day.
Studies also prove iron from animal foods is the
real culprit. Men need about 10 mg a day, and
women about 18 mg. Common, inexpensive salts
such as sulfates, fumarates, and gluconates are
good. Again, diabetics often show a problem
with iron retention, and high blood ferritin (iron)
levels.
Zinc is also deficient in our diets generally. Whole
grains and beans again are the primary source, yet what
little grains we eat are almost all refined with the
nutrition removed. Eating whole grains and beans
(legumes) every day will go a long way in raising
your levels. The elderly, the poor, and people who
drink alcohol have the lowest levels generally. The
RDA is 15 mg. You have to be careful not to take too
much zinc, as amounts over 50 mg can cause side
effects. This is a heavy metal, and can accumulate in the
body. The problem in diabetes is poor zinc metabolism, rather than
deficient intake. There are many clinical studies showing poor zinc
metabolism in blood sugar conditions. Common, inexpensive salts
such as citrates, sulfates, or oxides are good.
↓Page 52
Boron is acknowledged as an essential element, but the
RDA has never been set. It was only in 1990 that boron was even
accepted as essential! A valid estimate is 3 mg a day, but Americans generally only eat about 1 mg. Our soils are boron deficient,
our food is boron deficient, and vitamin supplements rarely contain
what you need. Boron is necessary for calcium absorption, among
many other important processes. You would think that all widely
sold vitamin and mineral supplements would contain 3 mg of this
inexpensive and vital element, but very few actually do. Any common salt such as citrate, or even plain boric acid is fine. It must be
emphasized how important it is to get boron in your diet every day.
Our soils and foods are very deficient. You cannot absorb calcium
without sufficient boron. The published research here is overwhelming. Take 3 mg a day of boron.
Manganese has overwhelming research on it for its value
in human and animal nutrition. The RDA was only recently set at 2
mg. Many people do, in fact, get that much in their food. Whole
grains, beans, and leafy vegetables are the best sources. We only
have about 20 mg of manganese in our entire bodies. You can take
any normal form such as sulfates or oxides.
Copper also has an RDA of 2 mg. Common salts such as
citrates, oxides, or gluconates are good. Americans only get about
half this much in their food. Whole grains and beans are the best
source. Copper levels vary greatly in diabetics; some have low
blood levels, while others have high levels. Our bodies contain a
total of only about 150 mg. Anything over 15 mg daily could cause
side effects, as it is a heavy element. It is almost impossible to get
excessive copper in your diet, even with copper water pipes in your
home. Inexpensive salts such as citrates, gluconates, or oxides are
very bioavailable.
↓Page 53
Silicon is a vital, yet ignored, element with no
RDA set, even though it has been proven
essential in human and animal health. You will
almost never find this in any vitamin supplement.
A good dose is 10 mg, although you probably don’t need that
much. It isn’t toxic, so 10 mg would be a safe and effective
amount. Silicon levels in common foods vary so greatly, it is hard
to be more precise. Plain silica gel (silicic acid) is the best form to
take. Do not use horsetail herb. Make sure the label says silicic
acid. One major need for silicon (not to be confused with silicone which is a polymer of silicon and oxygen) is for bone and joint
metabolism, and calcium absorption. Why aren’t vitamin companies putting this inexpensive, essential element in their formulas? Be sure to get silicon in your mineral supplement.
Iodine is most needed for thyroid metabolism. The RDA is
150 mcg, and most mineral supplements have this. There are only
about 30 mg (30,000 mcg) of iodine in your body, and three
fourths of this is in your thyroid gland. If you have low T3
(triiodothyronine) or low T4 (L-thyroxine), you should take bioidentical hormones to raise them. Iodine supplements will not raise your hormone levels. Seaweed and kelp are the best sources, but the problem here is that they are too good! While Asians often eat sea vegetables as a staple, a mere teaspoon of kelp powder can
contain twenty times the RDA. This can cause side effects such as
skin problems. Megadoses of any mineral are clearly contraindicated. You do not need iodized salt, by the way.
Chromium has finally gotten an RDA of 120 mcg. This is
toxic in high amounts, so don’t exceed 400 mcg. The research is
most impressive here. Chromium has dozens of published studies
showing that people with diabetes usually have deficient levels.
This is due to lack of chromium in their food. It must always be
emphasized that we need all the known essential elements, and not
just ones like chromium that are proven to benefit glucose metabolism. Again, whole grains are the best source, and the refined grains we eat lack any significant amounts. You can take inexpensive chelates (a metal ion bound to non-metal ions) here. Do not listen to advertising telling you that a certain patented form is the “best”, or “only”, form that works. The research on chromium and blood sugar metabolism is overwhelming. This must be in your supplement program.
↓Page 54
Vanadium has finally been accepted as an
essential element (not a mere trace element), but
no RDA has been set. There is overwhelming
recent research on blood sugar metabolism and
vanadium in the last decade. Scientists around
the world have studied this for diabetes and
Syndrome X in dozens of published studies and
reviews. Therefore, vanadium becomes over-
emphasized as a diabetes mineral, and the other
supporting minerals that work with it are ignored.
While there is no RDA, a daily dose 1,000 mcg
(1 mg) is sufficient. It is not a good idea to take
more than this, although short term studies have
used more. Using more than one milligram is
very irresponsible, and will result in vanadium
toxicity eventually. Take only 1 mg daily.
Inexpensive chelates, or vanadyl sulfate, are both
good choices. You will almost never find this in
vitamin supplements. This must be in your
supplement program, as it is proven to be
essential, not only for blood sugar metabolism,
but your general health.
Molybdenum has an official RDA of 75 mcg, but
some scientists feel this is too low. This in most
vitamin-mineral supplements. Inexpensive
common salts are all good sources. Molybdenum
is safe and non-toxic, even though it is a very
heavy metal. Research on molybdenum is
extensive, and goes back decades. Progressive
farmers use this to fertilize their soils, and
ranchers to insure the health of their livestock.
Deficiency is not widespread here, but taking a
mere 75 mcg a day is good insurance, especially
since dietary intake varies so greatly.
↓Page 55
Selenium has an official RDA of 70 mcg, which
was only recently established. Deficiency is
common, because the main source is whole
grains, and most all our grains are heavily refined.
Chelates are the best form here. Taking 200 IU of
natural mixed tocopherol vitamin E works
synergistically, and helps selenium metabolism.
Do not take more than 200 mcg, as toxicity can
occur over this amount. It is a heavy metal, and
will accumulate in the body if overdoses are
used. This is a very important antioxidant
element, and fights free radicals. Studies have
shown people with low selenium intakes have
more cancer, heart and artery disease, diabetes,
and other illnesses. Generally, most vitamin
formulas contain the 70 mcg you need.
Germanium is something you almost never find
in anyvitamin-mineral supplement. There is no
RDA here. Science has proven this is, in fact,
essential. 100 micrograms would be a good dose,
as it is an ultra-trace element. In 1988 a very
impressive review was published in the journal
Medical Hypothesis complete with 72 references.
This showed the importance of germanium in
human and animal nutrition. Very irresponsible
promoters offer 100 mg (100,000 mcg!) doses.
This is one thousand times what you need - a
three year supply every day! Germanium
sesquoxide is safe, but germanium dioxide is not.
You will almost never find a supplement with
100 mcg of germanium for a complete minerals
program. This is an essential element.
Strontium has no RDA, but is definitely
essential, and needed for calcium absorption.
Do not confuse this with radioactive strontium-
90! A good dose would be 1,000 mcg (1 mg) a
day. A chelate or aspartate is a good choice.
There is no need to take more than this, although
some irresponsible natural health “experts”
recommend much more. Food and blood analysis
studies around this world show that 1,000 mcg
(1 mg) a day is certainly enough. Doctors
prescribing 250 mg of strontium ranelate is
outright insanity! Make sure this is in your
supplement.
Nickel has no RDA, but is definitely an essential
element. This is an ultra-trace element, and 100
mcg would be a reasonable dosage based on
various analyses of human dietary intake and
blood analyses. The published research has
concentrated on animals rather than humans.
The few human studies we have are most
impressive however. You’ll almost never find
meaningful amounts in any supplements, so
look for one with 100 mcg.
↓Page 56
Tin has no RDA, but is definitely an essential
ultra-trace element. A reasonable dosage would
be 100 mcg, but the FDA irrationally limits this
to 30 mcg. The same comments apply regarding
research on tin as to that of nickel. Human
research has found low tin levels in various
pathological conditions and diseases. We need
more human research on tin. You’ll almost never
find meaningful amounts in any of the
supplements currently in the marketplace.
Cobalt is a very neglected element, although it is
the central atom for chlorophyll in plants and
vitamin B-12 in animals. Humans cannot
synthesize B-12 without available cobalt, and
oral vitamin B-12 supplements are barely
absorbed. (Use 1 mg of methyl cobalamin as
your B-12 source.) We probably only need about
25 mcg of cobalt a day, but it is not toxic and
you could certainly take up to 100 mcg. This is
a very important ultra-trace element, even though
it is needed in such tiny amounts. Almost no
mineral supplements contain cobalt.
Cesium has no RDA, but is certainly essential.
This ultratrace element has proven value from
extensive research, especially in human blood. It
is almost impossible to find in any supplements.
100 mcg would be a reasonable dose, although
irresponsible promoters have been recommending
much larger, toxic quantities supposedly to cure
cancer and “alkalinize” the body. This is an
ultratrace element, and 100 mcg is an ideal dose.
Rubidium has no RDA, is not a mere trace
element, and is definitely essential. 500 mcg
would be a reasonable dose. Why is an element
that is needed in such large amounts and found in
large amounts in common foods misnamed a
“trace” element? Rubidium is very ignored for
some reason. No deficiency has been shown for
this however. This is found rather abundantly in
common foods.
Gallium is an important, but ignored, ultra-trace
element. 100 mcg of gallium nitrate is a good
dose. Human blood studies, as well as animal and
food studies prove this is essential. It is found in
all our organs. The earth’s crust has an amazing
10 mg per kg of gallium. A Japanese study
showed people were only taking in a mere 12
mcg a day. Other human blood and organ studies
indicate common deficiency.
↓Page 57.
Let’s talk about other essential, and possibly
essential, ultra-trace elements. Tungsten is
definitely needed. Barium is definitely essential.
Lithium is definitely essential, but we seem to get
sufficient amounts in our food. Doctors giving
people 1,000 times the needed amount for
depression is irresponsible and very dangerous.
Titanium has evidence showing it to be essential.
Europium seems to be essential, and research
will probably validate this within the next ten
years. Lanthanum has considerable research
behind it, and is probably essential. Indium is
claimed to have numerous benefits on Internet
sites, but published research simply doesn’t
verify any of this. Neodymium has shown
potential in animal as well as human metabolism.
Thulium (not thallium) has soil and edible plant
studies to indicate its importance, and animal
studies will soon tell us more. Praseodymium has
some animal and human research that indicates
value for our health. Gandolium may also be
shown to be essential eventually. Samarium is
found in our blood in significant amounts.
Yttrium may be essential. Cerium has evidence it
may be needed. Erbium is found in our blood and
food. Dysprosium may be essential as well.
We need all the known essential elements and not
just some of them. All elements work
synergistically and harmoniously together, in
concert, as a team. You must get all of them, and
not just some of them. We know there are at least
twenty-one we need. Look up “mineral
supplements” on the Internet to find one that has
the minerals you are known to need.
http://www.youngagain.org/books/diabetes.pdf
Curing Blood Sugar Disorders Without Drugs.
The most researched and comprehensive and complete book written on curing blood sugar disorders naturally with diet, supplements, hormones, and exercise.
by author Roger Mason
Seven Steps to Natural Health
With these seven steps you can cure “incurable”
illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and
others naturally without drugs, surgery, or
chemotherapy. These are seven vital steps to
take if you want optimum health and long life.
Do your best to do all of them. The only step to
add would be prayer or meditation.
• An American macrobiotic whole grain based diet
is central to everything. Diet cures disease;
everything else is secondary.
• Proven supplements are powerful when you’re
eating right. There are only about twenty
scientifically proven supplements for those over
forty, and eight for those under forty.
• Natural hormone balance is the third step. The
fourteen basic hormones are listed on the
previous page. You can do this inexpensively
without a doctor.
• Exercise is vital, even if it is just a half-hour of
walking a day. Whether it is aerobic or resistance
you need to exercise regularly.
• Fasting is the most powerful healing method
known to man. Just fast from dinner to dinner on
water one day a week. Join our monthly Young
Again two day fast. This is the last weekend of
every month.
• No prescription drugs, except temporary
antibiotics or pain medication during an
emergency. (There are rare exceptions such as
insulin for type 1 diabetics who have no operant
pancreas.)
• The last step is to limit or end any bad habits
such as alcohol, coffee, recreational drugs, or
desserts. You don’t have to be a saint, but you
do need to be sincere.
↑Page 4
(page 5 is intentionally blank)
↓Page 6
About This Book
All blood sugar conditions should be treated the
same way with diet and lifestyle- diet, proven
supplements, exercise, natural hormones,
avoiding prescription drugs, weekly fasting (if
possible), and avoiding bad habits.
As long as you have an intact pancreas, you can
cure yourself. Those whose pancreas has
irreversibly atrophied, or been surgically
removed, can still dramatically improve their
health, and reduce their insulin requirements.
Diabetes and other blood sugar disorders are
caused by what we eat and the way the live.
You can cure yourself by making healthier food
choices and living better. You can heal yourself
in less than a year if you are sincere.
Diabetes is the fastest growing epidemic in the
Western world. One in three American children
will grow up and needlessly develop diabetes.
24% of American adults are insulin resistant and
45% of adults over the age of 60 are insulin
resistant. In the last three decades diabetes and
other blood sugar problems have become
epidemics in all of the developed countries of the
world. It is estimated that about 18 million
Americans have diabetes, 16 million are
pre-diabetic, and a whopping 60 million (one in
five) have metabolic syndrome. America leads
the world in blood sugar dysmetabolism for a
very simple reason; we have the greatest
affluence, as well as the worst diets and
lifestyles. We are overfed and undernourished.
Changing your diet and lifestyle will both prevent
and cure blood sugar disorders. The medical
profession cannot help you; you must help
yourself. Treating the symptoms with toxic drugs
is the road to ruin. You have to be your own
doctor, and your own saviour. You must be
willing to eat better foods, get regular exercise,
and change your lifestyle. Please read my book
Zen Macrobiotics for Americans. The Natural
Diabetes Cure is the most researched, effective,
documented, comprehensive, and complete
book on diabetes and blood sugar problems
available. This research goes back over 30 years.
Everything is backed up by countless published
international clinical studies.
"Zen Macrobiotics for Americans" makes healthy
eating fun and delicious. Expanding upon the
Japanese macrobiotic tradition, this book offers a
diet that is not only fun, creative, and less
restrictive but also very tasty and effective. Learn
about the healthiest foods to eat, foods to avoid,
and the right supplements for you. A balanced
diet can be the most powerful healer.
↑Page 6
Page 7 (Blank)
↓Page 8
Chapter 1: About Diabetes
________________________________________
The fastest growing disease in the world! The
metabolic syndrome, or pre-diabetes, is the
fastest rising epidemic on the planet. This
condition is characterized by:
OBESITY
INSULIN RESISTANCE
DYSLIPIDEMIA (blood fats)
HYPERTENSION
HIGH INSULIN
Obesity may be responsible for 75% of the
problem. Insulin resistance most often goes un-
diagnosed. Hypertension is another epidemic, and
75% of such people have diabetes. High blood
cholesterol, and especially triglycerides, are
characteristic. High blood insulin levels also go
undiagnosed. Almost one in four American adults
suffer from metabolic syndrome, and will soon be
diagnosed with diabetes. Half of all diabetes goes
undiagnosed! According to the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) in Atlanta, one in three children
born today in the United States will develop type
2 diabetes. One in three American children will
be diabetic! Age is one of the biggest factors,
since one in four Americans over the age of 65 is
diabetic. Stress is also an important factor, and
most Westerners are under a good deal of self
imposed stress. No other country in the world will
approach these statistics. Blacks, Latins, Asians,
and Amerindians suffer disproportionately.
American Pima Indians, for example, have an
almost 50% rate of outright diabetes. Mexican
Pima Indians, on the other hand, follow their
traditional diet and lifestyle. They have a very
low rate of just a few percent. One fourth of
adult Navajo Indians are diabetic, according to
CDC statistics. Asian adults in America generally
have almost a 40% rate of diabetes, yet this is rare
in the rural areas of Asia. Many Asian cities have
now largely adopted the Western high-fat, high
sugar, refined foods diet, and their diabetes rates
are soaring. Latin adults in America generally
have a 15% diabetes rate, but not in their native
countries.
↓Page 9
In Papua New Guinea- possibly the least civilized
country in the world- diabetes is basically
unknown. Black American adults now have a
high overall 15% diabetes rate. Yet, this is rare in
Africa, where they eat their traditional diet.
Caucasian American adults have the lowest
overall rate.
We are only going to discuss blood sugar
metabolism in general, rather than the metabolic
syndrome, type 1, type 2, gestational,
hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, and other
conditions. These are all simply facets of the
same basic problem. Diabetes is the most serious
and deadly condition. Currently this is the fifth
leading cause of death in the U.S., and will soon
be the fourth leading cause. Almost twenty
million Americans now have actual diabetes,
which means about one in every fifteen. In
addition, there are probably about six million
more, mostly poor people, who have diabetes,
and simply haven’t been medically diagnosed. A
million more are newly diagnosed every year.
These are mostly the impoverished and elderly,
who can’t afford the medical care they need. All
in all, this would mean about one in twelve
Americans are diabetic, with the rates rising
every year! This is the fastest growing disease
of all worldwide plain and simple. India and
China are also coping with growing epidemics. In
the 1990s the diabetes rate in America increased
a full one third. Almost $150 billion a year is
spent directly and indirectly worldwide on
diabetes treatment. This money is basically
wasted on toxic, harmful prescription drugs such
as Metformin, Januvia, Onglyza, Amaryl,
Avandia, Glucotrol, and Actos. None of these
drug therapies are effective; actually they worsen
your health.
The situation gets worse when you consider
metabolic syndrome or Syndrome X. The CDC
recently studied 8,814 normal men and women.
They found that 22% of them exhibited at least
three of the six factors of metabolic syndrome.
People over 60, with three of the factors, had a
44% rate, or double the average. This means
almost half of Americans over the age of 60 are
prediabetic. This condition is called “pre-diabetes
”, since such people can plan on becoming
diabetic within ten years or less.
↑Page 9
↓Page10
Again, the basic indications are obesity
(especially abdominal), insulin resistance,
elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol and
triglycerides, and hypertension. There are three
main types of diabetes. Type 1(insulin dependent)
is due to the inability of the beta cells in the
pancreas to produce insulin. Only 5% to 10% of
people suffer from type 1. Surprisingly,
Caucasians are more susceptible to this form.
This usually happens in childhood or adolescence.
These patients have to inject insulin, since they
can’t produce it naturally. If the pancreas has
been removed, or is atrophied, the condition
cannot be cured. Quality of life can be improved
immensely, and insulin requirements can be
reduced dramatically, by following the advice in
this book. Pancreas transplants just don’t work
despite the claims. Transplanting a pancreas from
a cadaver to a type 1 diabetic requires dangerous
anti-rejection drugs, and causes countless
problems. Transplants of just the pancreatic beta
cells also promise much more than is delivered.
Within twenty years science may be able to
successfully perform this procedure, but that will
merely be allopathic. It will not deal with the cause!
[What is allopathic medicine?
Allopathic medicine is an expression commonly
used by homeopaths and proponents of other
forms of alternative medicine to refer to
mainstream medical use of pharmacologically
active agents or physical interventions to treat or
suppress symptoms or pathophysiologic processes
of diseases or conditions. Allopathic medicine
and allopathy (from the Greek prefix ἄλλος, állos,
"other", "different" + the suffix πάϑος, páthos,
"suffering") are terms coined in the early 19th
century by Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of
homeopathy, as a synonym for mainstream
medicine.]
Type 2 diabetics (non-insulin dependent) produce
insulin, but the cells simply don’t react well to it
anymore. This type is very curable, usually in a
year or less). Here,the pancreas not only
produces insulin, but usually overproduces it,
since the effectiveness is so reduced.
The third type is called “gestational diabetes”,
since it only affects pregnant women. For some
reason, pregnant women are more susceptible to
diabetes than anyone else.
The best way to understand the dysfunction of
insulin and blood sugar is the theory of oxidative
stress. Here free radicals run rampant through the
body, and use up our antioxidants– glutathione,
SOD (superoxide dismutase), beta carotene,
vitamin E, vitamin C, CoQ10, melatonin, lipoic
acid, and others. This is why it is so important to,
first of all, lower the oxidative stress with better
diet and exercise. Secondly, we need to take all
the known antioxidant supplements to neutralize
the excess free radicals. These supplements are
discussed in detail in chapters six and seven. The
high rates of alcohol and nicotine use add to
oxidative stress. Coffee (or any form of caffeine)
raises blood sugar, and has other very serious
health effects. The scientists of the world are in
basic agreement that free radical oxidative stress
is central to blood sugar conditions.
↑Page 10
↓Page 11
About a half million Americans die every year from
diabetes. If you are diabetic, you have about
three times the rate of strokes, about three times
the rate of heart attacks, and greatly increased
rates of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries). Remem-
ber that heart disease is the number one cause of
death, and the biggest killer by far. Blindness and
vision problems are called “diabetic retinopathy”,
and are epidemic for people with impaired blood
sugar metabolism. Amputation of limbs, due to
poor circulation, is common. Various cancers,
gastrointestinal infections, osteoporosis, erectile
dysfunction, poorly healing wounds, kidney
infections and failure, poor sleep, are all part and
parcel here. Psychology is affected including
depression, senility, Alzheimers, impaired
memory, and other problems. Any blood sugar
dysfunction means poor quality of life and early
death. The pancreas deteriorates, nerve damage
of various kinds can be expected, liver disease is
routine, and skin infections (especially
Staphylococcus) are common. Your liver is
central here since it produces the blood sugar
from the food you eat. Your kidneys are the
second most important organs. The list of side
effects is almost endless, since the total health
of the body is destroyed.
If you have type 1 diabetes, pancreas transplants
and beta cell (the insulin producing pancreatic
cells) transplants just don’t work at all. You can
dramatically reduce your insulin requirements,
reduce your medication, and improve your health
immensely, with the information in this book.
Even if your pancreas has been removed, or
atrophied beyond repair, you can still live a good
life with minimal insulin. Anyone with type 2
diabetes can cure themselves within a year, and
live a normal, healthy life.
↓Page 12
Chapter 2: Diagnosis
_________________________________________
What are the diagnostic indications of blood sugar
dysmetabolism? Look for any combination of
obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, low
HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, high
triglycerides, hypertension, high homocysteine,
elevated uric acid, increased C-reactive protein,
hypercoagulability of the blood, fasting blood
glucose over 85 mg/dL (European mmol/L is 4.7),
HbA1c over 4.7%, low white blood cell count, high
creatinine, and proteinuria (albumin in the urine).
Age is critical here. The older you are, the more
blood sugar problems you can expect to have.
Diabetes rates go up dramatically after the age
of 50. Genetics is obviously important, and any
family history of such problems increases your
chances. Obesity is one of the cornerstone factors,
and an entire chapter is devoted to this. Race is
very important. You are far more at risk if you are
of African, Asian, Amerindian, or Latin origin.
Caucasians have the lowest rates (except type 1).
Smokers get far more diabetes than others, as do
people who drink substantial amounts of alcohol,
or use caffeine.
What specific diagnostic tests can you get? When
you get your standard, basic blood analysis profile
you’ll test glucose, uric acid, white blood cell
count, total cholesterol, HDL (high density or
“good”), LDL (low density or “bad”), and
triglycerides. Total cholesterol should be about
150 ideally, and very definitely well under 200.
Triglycerides are very crucial here, and should
be under 100. Uric acid should be under 5 mg/dl
for men and under 4 mg/dl for women. The
white blood cell count should be in normal range.
CRP should be less than 1 mg/l. Proteinuria
(albumin) and creatinine tests will also reveal
kidney health. The liver is very important here
for a lot of reasons. Get both SGOT and SGPT
tests. Surprisingly, you do not need to get your
insulin tested. You should also have your
homocysteine (Hcy) tested and look for 10
mmol or less. This is a also good predictor of
coronary heart disease (CHD) in general.
Currently we do not have practical, inexpensive
tests to determine total oxidative stress or general free radical levels.
↓Page 13.
It is costly and unnecessary to test the basic status
of antioxidants such as SOD, glutathione, vitamin
C, beta carotene, and vitamin E. The anti-oxidant
supplements you should take are discussed in
great detail in Chapter 6: Supplements.
Blood pressure is basic here, and you should look
for a reading of 120/80 or better. Please read my
book Lower Blood Pressure Without Drugs to
see how to normalize your blood pressure
naturally. By following the advice in this book
you can have healthy blood pressure levels
within 90 days. Inexpensive home electronic
monitors are widely available in drugstores.
The most accurate test you can get is a glucose
tolerance test (GTT). This is more predictive
than testing your insulin level per se, as it shows
the sensitivity of your insulin. If your blood
sugar level is over 85 mg/dl you need to do this.
A GTT is the “gold standard”, accurate, well
known, inexpensive, but very under-utilized. It is
just not commonly done due to lack of
knowledge in the medical profession. Simply get
a one hour, one blood draw test (you should
already know your fasting blood glucose
level so you won’t need a draw before you drink
the glucose solution). You go to the doctor
fasting and drink a 50 g cup of glucose solution
and wait one hour. Your blood glucose will then
be tested to determine the effectiveness of your
insulin response. Use 20 points below the
accepted medical figure for your cutoff point. If
the medical figure is 140, then you want 120.
This tells you how your cells actually respond to
insulin, and not merely your blood sugar level.
This is the gold standard.
A HbA1c test is very accurate. This tests long
term glycation (sugar molecules attached to
hemoglobin), and the result should be 4.7%
(equals 85 mg/dL blood sugar) or less, and not
the 5.6% (100 mg/dL!) the doctors will tell you.
4.7% or less. There are exotic tests you can get
such as leptin, malondialdehyde,
thrombomodulin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha
(TNF), adoponectin, plasminogen, fibrinogen,
and others. These are simply not practical or
necessary; plus they can be expensive and hard
to obtain. It is very difficult to test the amount
of oxidative stress you suffer from, or your
antioxidant status in general. There just isn’t any
reason to spend the time and money on these
tests. Your attention needs to be on curing
yourself and changing your diet and
lifestyle, rather than getting exotic diagnostic
tests you don’t need.
↓Page 14.
Generally people can simply get their total
cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) tested.
Here you can also test your high density (“good”)
HDL and your low density (“bad”) LDL levels.
Your TC should ideally be about 150 mg/dl. The
media and medical profession will tell you that a
TC 200 level or less is good, but that’s just not
the case at all. Even if you have genetically high
cholesterol you can still keep your level well
under 200 with diet, supplements, hormones, and
exercise. Please read my book Lower Cholesterol
Without Drugs. The TG level is the most
important blood lipid marker of all for blood
sugar problems. Even vegans and ethical
vegetarians can (and usually do) have high levels
due to an inordinate intake of sweets. Your TG
means more than your TC, LDL, or HDL. You
should keep your triglyceride level below 100.
You can do this with the same means as for total
cholesterol. People with blood sugar problems
usually have low HDL and high LDL levels.
People with low cholestserol (e.g. about150) will
naturally have lower HDL levels. You can raise
your HDL and lower your LDL the same way
with diet and lifestyle.
Fasting blood plasma glucose is part of your basic
routine blood analysis. Again, your level should
be at 85 mg/dl or less (European 4.7 mmol/L).
Levels of 100 and higher are clearly prediabetic.
You need to have low blood sugar, and the usual
accepted level of 100 and less just isn’t good
enough. Doctors will tell you that any reading
under 100 is “normal”, but this just isn’t true.
This was proven at the Riks-hospitalet Hospital,
in Norway, with a 22 year follow-up study of
1,998 healthy men. Those with glucose
levels of 85 or less lived the longest, and had the
least cardiovascular disease - the biggest killer
of people in the world by far. Get an inexpensive
($10) blood sugar meter to monitor your blood
sugar if it is over 85.
↓ Page 15.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker for
inflammation, and a very important test for CHD
conditions. Keep this under 1.0. The best study
on this came from the Quebec Heart Institute.
CRP correlates with obesity, blood glucose
impairment, insulin resistance, hypertension,
triglycerides, and uric acid. It has been found the
CRP also accurately predicts blood sugar
disorders. CRP is positively associated with
obesity, impaired glucose function, the metabolic
syndrome generally, and outright type 2 diabetes
in otherwise healthy people. Everyone over the
age of 40 should annually get a CRP test with
their regular yearly checkup and blood analysis.
Even children and young people can benefit from a
CRP test.
Uric acid is part of a standard blood analysis. The
research is overwhelming that high uric acid is
clearly associated with type 2 diabetes and the
metabolic syndrome in general. Surprisingly, low
uric acid can be associated with type 1 diabetes.
This is not due to better diets in people with
type- 1, but rather excessive excretion of uric acid
in this condition. High uric acid levels are
associated with obesity, high triglycerides, high
systolic blood pressure, and a high total
cholesterol to low HDL ratio. High uric acid
comes from eating the animal proteins in meat
and other animal products (not from purines).
The widespread purine theory is just not correct.
Dairy foods have almost no purines, but raise uric
acid levels. The less meat, poultry, eggs, and
dairy products you eat the better. High uric acid
is basically found only in wealthy developed
countries where animal foods are staples.
There should be very low levels of albumin
(protein) in your urine. Excess albumin is called “microalbuminurea”.You can use urine test strips
from the drug store, instead of a urine analysis
from a physician. This is one very good indicator
of kidney health. Serum creatinine is another.
Eating a low protein diet is vital. Eat no more
than 10% seafood if you like. Americans eat
twice the protein they need, which causes many
health problems. Again, don’t get carried away
with diagnostic tests. Put your time and energy
into curing yourself.
↓ Page 16.
Chapter 3: Whole Grains: The Staff of Life
_______________________________________
Whole grains are literally “the staff of life”, and
have been the staple food of almost all
civilizations throughout history. Since man
started agriculture about 10,000 years ago,
whole grains have been the principal food of
most all people in the world. Rice and wheat are
the most consumed foods on earth. This
emancipated us from being mere primitive
hunters and gatherers. The “Paleolithic” people
on this diet had very short life spans. The
cultivation of whole grains parallels the very
evolution of mankind. Our grains are refined, and
we eat white rice, white bread, white pasta and
white flour. Americans eat a mere 1%
whole grains! Whole grains should
be the very basis of your diet.
The real cure for blood sugar dysfunction of any
kind is making better food choices, and eating
whole natural foods. Diet is everything! Read
Chapter 5: Diet, Diet, Diet. Eating fat, sugars,
refined foods, and just plain too much food, is
the basic cause of blood sugar problems. Eating
whole, natural, high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar
foods is the cure. Supplements, hormones, and
exercise are secondary to what you eat. You can
cure diabetes and other conditions with diet
alone, but that is difficult, takes longer, and is
simply not necessary. Please read my book Zen
Macrobiotics for Americans to learn more
about making the best food choices, proven
supplements, hormone balance, and sensible
fasting.
Whole grains such as wheat, rice, barley, corn,
rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, and millet should be
the basis of your diet. This is very easy to do by
eating such foods as whole grain pasta, whole
grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, steamed
barley, wholegrain breakfast cereals, polenta, and
unrefined grain products of all kinds. There are
so many human published clinical trials on these
we can’t begin to mention them all. We’ll stick to
some of the largest.
↓Page 17
At the Famous Harvard School of Nutrition
(PLoS Medicine v 4, 2007) 161,737 women
(aged 37 to 65) in the classic Nurses’ Health
Study were followed. Their dietary patterns
were studied. The researchers concluded: “Whole
grain intake is inversely associated with risk of
type 2 diabetes. Findings from prospective cohort
studies consistently support increasing whole
grain consumption for the prevention of type-2
diabetes.” You can just not debate the results
from this many people studied over years. The
more whole grains you eat, the less chance of
getting diabetes or any other blood sugar
disorder. More from Harvard (Annals of
Internal Medicine v 136, 2002) was done
with 42,504 men over a 12 year period.
This is 466,508 person years! A
stunning review with 24 references was
done at Harvard (American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition v 77, 2003) came to
the very same basic conclusions.
At the University of Minnesota (Proceedings of
the Nutrition Society v. 62, 2003) “Epidemio-
logical Support For the Protection of Whole
Grains Against Diabetes” was published. This
impressive review was based on 160,000 men
and women. “There is accumulating evidence to
support the hypothesis that wholegrain
consumption is associated with a reduced risk of
incident type-2 diabetes. It may also improve
glucose control in diabetic individuals”. They
went on further to say, “Observations in non-
diabetic individuals support an inverse relation-
ship between whole-grain consumption and
fasting insulin levels”. The more whole grains
you eat, the more effective your insulin is
metabolized in other words. “Glucose control
improved with diets rich in whole grain in
feeding studies of subjects with type 2 diabetes”.
You cannot argue with the results of 160,000
people.
In a collective study between the USDA, Harvard,
Tufts, and other institutions (American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition v.76, 2002) one of the
famous Framingham series of studies was used to
study whole grain intake for the prevention of
type 2 diabetes. “After adjustment for potential
confounding factors, whole grain intake was
inversely associated with body mass index,
waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol, LDL
cholesterol, and fasting insulin”.
↓Page 18
They said further, “The inverse association
between whole grain intake and fasting insulin
was most striking among overweight participants
”. Their conclusion was, “Increased intake of
whole grains may reduce disease risk by means
of favorable effects on metabolic risk factors”.
The series of Framingham studies are the most
pretigious ever done. In the very same journal,
from Simmons College, a similar study was done.
“Whole Grain Intake and Risk of Type-2
Diabetes”. 51,529 men were followed for 12
years as part of the Health Professionals Study.
This study is one of the most famous and best
ever done. Their dietary patterns were examined
in detail. The men who ate the most whole grain
foods had the least diabetes. Their conclusion
was clear“. A diet high in whole grains is
associated with a reduced risk of type-2 diabetes.
Efforts should be made to replace refined-grain
with whole grain foods”. Other similar published
studies were done at Harvard with the very same
results.
At the University of Minnesota this same
phenomenon was found with 36,000 women for
six years (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
v. 71, 2000). This was a first rate study complete
with 48 references. The more whole grains they
ate, the less diabetes they suffered from. “These
data support a protective role for whole grains,
cereal fiber, and dietary magnesium in the
development of diabetes in older women”. They
found that, “Total grain, whole grain, total
dietary fiber, and dietary magnesium intakes
showed strong inverse correlations with
incidence of diabetes”. The more whole grains
the less diabetes.
Nathan Pritikin was a real natural health pioneer
back in the 1980s. He published two articles
(Diabetes Care v. 5, 1982 and v. 6, 1983) on
diabetes, diet and exercise. Diabetics on oral
medication got off the drugs
in just 26 days!, by simply eating a whole
grain based natural diet, and walking everyday.
In less than a month they were drug free! This is
nothing less than amazing. The supplements we
have today were not available at that time, nor
were natural hormones like melatonin and DHEA.
Eating better food, and taking a daily walk, got
most all of them off medication in less than a month.
↓Page 19
Imagine the results Nathan could get today by
adding proven supplements and natural
hormones! Beans and legumes are very closely
related to whole grains, Beans are high in protein,
minerals, lignans, and sterols, but low in fat and
calories. A four ounce serving of pinto beans, for
example, has a mere 117 calories and 1% fat
calories. Be sure to include beans and legumes in
your daily fare. When you learn to cook beans
and use them in stews, soup, dips, and spreads
you’ll come to enjoy them very much. At
Sun-Yatsen University in China (Ying Xue-bao v.
20, 1998) diabetics were fed legumes. This
lowered their glucose levels as well as their C-
peptide levels (a basic marker for heart disease).
Tofu, by the way, is a heavily refined product,
lacking in nutrition, and only to be used occasionally.
Fiber is one of the important factors here. Whole
grains and beans (legumes) have more soluble
and insoluble fiber than any other food groups.
Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are
completely lacking in fiber. There are many
studies showing the importance of fiber, not only
for blood sugar conditions, but for all major
diseases. The best way to get fiber is by eating
whole grains and beans every day. There are
many studies to show that merely adding fiber to
our diet improves glucose and insulin metabolism
dramatically. Fiber supplements are obviously
not the answer at all. Eating whole foods gives
you plenty of fiber, especially whole grains,
beans, vegetables, and fruits. Americans are
generally very fiber-deficient from eating
refined foods and too many fiber-less animal
products.
↓Page 20
Chapter 4: Fats and Oils
______________________________________
Americans eat about 42% of their calories as
saturated, artery clogging, animal fats You only
need about 8% unsaturated vegetable oils, so this
is more than 500% of what you need. These
saturated fats are the wrong kind of fats. This is a
major reason we lead the world in heart disease,
various cancers, diabetes, and other major
illnesses. We are addicted to animal fats. While
various sugars are the main cause of diabetic-type
conditions, saturated fats (and omega-6 from
vegetable oils) are another major factor. Fats and
sugars work together synergistically to cause
high insulin, high blood sugar, and increased
insulin resistance.The combination is devastating.
How do we know for a fact that high fat diets
cause diabetes and other blood sugar conditions?
Epidemiological studies have consistently shown
that countries like China, Vietnam,Thailand,
Korea, and Japan have far less diabetes rates.
Migration studies have shown that when these
people move to the U.S., and adopt the typical
Western diet, they get as much, and usually more,
blood sugar conditions than other Americans.
Studies of what people eat also prove the more
fats they consume the more diabetes they get.
When diabetics are given low-fat diets, they
improve dramatically. Lastly, studies of the
plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) in our blood give
irrefutable proof that fats, especially saturated
fats, cause blood sugar dysfunction. We must
discuss obesity in relation to fat intake. It is not
food that makes you fat; it is fat that makes you
fat. You simply cannot be overweight, or stay
overweight, if you take dairy products, meat,
poultry, and eggs out of your life. Overweight
people always eat more fat, and have much
higher levels of free fatty acids in their blood.
These fatty acids are mostly all those from
animal foods, and not those from vegetable
sources.
↓Page 21
It is not just the saturated fats that cause
problems, but also excess vegetable oils (due to
the omega-6 content). We eat far too many
omega-6 fatty acids, and far too few omega-3s.
This is why flax oil is recommended as a
supplement. Flax is the best source of omega-3
fatty acids known. Yes, the Mediterranean diet is
better than the Western European and American
diets, but is not the answer at all. Excessive
intake of olive oil is just as harmful as any other
vegetable oil. Vegetable oils are merely less
harmful than animal fats. The point here is to eat
a diet of less than 20% total fat- a 30% fat diet is
not “low.” There is also the problem of
hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated
“trans fatty acids”. These are made by forcing
hydrogen gas into vegetable oil, under extreme
pressure, with exotic catalysts. This “saturates”
the molecule, and gives the oil longer shelf life.
Hydrogenated fats are the worst possible choice,
and you should avoid them. Read your labels.
The published research, in just the last few years,
on the effect of dietary fats is far too volumous to
even attempt to cover. We certainly can mention
a few of the largest reviews to prove this very
clearly. The best evidence comes from an
analysis of the free fatty acids (FFAs) in our
plasma.
At the University of Richmond (Metabolism v 51
, 2002) The effect of dietary fats on diabetes was
reviewed. The Role of Plasma Fatty Acid
Composition in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
This was a lengthy review with a full 55
references. 14 different fatty acids were analyzed
from patients and controls. Overall plasma
saturated fatty acids (from animal fats) were 43%
higher in diabetics. Specifically, saturated fatty
acids like palmitic, oleic, and stearic were much
higher in the diabetic patients. “Total saturated
fatty acid (SFA) concentrations (350 v 231 umol/
L) were significantly increased in the diabetic
subjects.” Please note, this is 350 umol versus
only 231 umol. Vegetable oils did not play a part,
but there was a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids
, and an excess of omega-6. As usual, it was also
found diabetics had dramatically higher
triglycerides, higher cholesterol, lower HDL, as
well as higher insulin and blood sugar. A detailed
analysis of FFAs in human blood makes an
inarguable case against animal fats in your diet
causing blood sugar disorders.
↓Page 22
This same phenomenon was demonstrated at the
University of Minnesota (American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition v. 78, 2003).
2909 adults had the fatty acids in their blood
measured. This is a better means to determine
fat intake than mere dietary analysis. “Our
findings suggest that the dietary fat profile,
particularly that of saturated fat, may contribute
to the etiology of diabetes”. They further said, “…
diabetes incidence was significantly and
positively associated with the proportion of total
saturated fatty acids in plasma”. They specifically
found high levels of saturated (animal) fatty acids
such as palmitic, palmitoleic, and stearic in their
blood. Again, we find animal products in the diet
as the cause of diabetes.
The Women’s Health Study (Diabetes Care v. 27
, 2004) has been one of the largest and longest
ongoing studies of female health, and involved
more than 37,000 women over the age of 45. The
amount of red meat they consumed was
compared to their incidence of diabetes. “Our
data indicate that higher consumption of total red
meat, especially processed meats, may increase
risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women”.
They also found that consumption of cholesterol
and animal protein was also significantly
associated with high diabetes rates. These results
were carefully adjusted to exclude other possible
factors like dietary fiber. Always remember that
cholesterol is only found in animal foods, and not
any plant foods.
We can further prove the relation of fat intake to
blood sugar dysmetabolism by studies where
people change from highfat to low-fat diets. This
is especially true with regard to vegetable
oils instead of animal fats. At the University of
Otago in New Zealand (British Journal of
Nutrition v. 83 Supp, 2000) a heavily referenced
review of the literature in this area was published.
“Lifestyle changes can reduce the progression of
impaired glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes.
Insulin sensitivity is enhanced by a range of diet-
related changes, including reduction of visceral
adiposity, and a reduction in saturated fatty acids
”. Saturated fat intake causes diabetes- plain and
simple.
↓page 23
Another powerful review with 44 references from
the University of Uppsala in Sweden, in the same
journal (v 83, 2000), found high levels of
palmitic and palmitoleic fatty acids (from animal
foods) in the blood serum of diabetics. FFAs
were clearly related to both diabetes and obesity
as well. “A high level of dietary fat is associated
with impaired insulin sensitivity and risk of
diabetes.” Similar studies show significant
relationships between serum lipid fatty acid
composition- which mirrors the type and amount
of the fatty acids in the diet, and insulin
sensitivity. You are just not going to have high
levels of palmitic, palmoleic and stearic acids in
your blood when you eat whole grains,
vegetables, fruits, and seafood as your basic
sustenance, as these are basically from saturated
animal fats.
These results were verified by the Centre de
Recherche in France (Diabete & Metabolisme v
21, 1995) in a review with 89 refer-ences. FFA
levels were clearly and directly associated with
diabetes and other blood sugar problems. Also
from Temple University in Arizona (Diabetes v
46, 1997) in a review with 74 references. FFA
levels are elevated in obesity as well. At the
University of Napoli in Italy a 12 page review
with 131 references was done (European Journal
of Lipid Science v 103, 2001). They found
plasma FFAs to be strongly correlated with high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, high
triglycerides, obesity, insulin resistance,
coronary heart disease, and outright diabetes.
That’s pretty clear!
The literature is replete with studies such as
these, and the scientific community is in good
agreement that high-fat diets are one of the
major causes of the growing epidemic of type 2
diabetes and other blood sugar problems. We
won’t quote more. Remember that “low-fat”
means 20% or less, and mostly all unsaturated
vegetable oils. This is very easy to do by simply
taking animal products out of your diet, and
eating moderate (10%) amounts of seafood.
↓Page 24
Chapter 5: Diet, Diet, Diet
_______________________________________
It has been repeated over and over that diet,
lifestyle, and exercise are the way to cure blood
sugar conditions of all kinds. Americans eat 42%
fat calories (nearly all saturated animal fats),This
is five time the fat they need. They also eat twice
the protein, half the fiber, and twice the calories
they need- plus 160 pounds of various sugars
they don’t need at all. We are overfed and
undernourished.
This chapter will cover the basic points in my
book Zen Macrobiotics for Americans. Please
read this book to really understand how to make
the best food choices. Traditional Japanese
macrobiotics has a very limited selection of
foods, and does not use supplements, natural
hormones, rigorous exercise, or even fasting.
The word “macrobiotics”, simply means an
overall (macro) view of life (bios). You will be
eating the common foods you grew up with.
There is really nothing exotic about it.
One of the basic causes of blood sugar dys-
metabolism is a diet high in saturated animal fats.
This is documented in the previous chapter.
Americans eat over 500% of the fats they need,
and nearly all of these are saturated animal fats,
instead of vegetable oils. You do not have to be a
vegetarian to cure diabetes and similar illnesses,
as you can eat 10% seafood. Ideally you would
eat no beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, or dairy
foods. Technically, diabetics could eat, say, three
4 ounce portions of lean meat every week and
still cure themselves, but this would slow down
your progress. The best way to cure yourself is
to stop eating red meat, poultry, eggs, and all
dairy products. This includes low fat and lactose
reduced dairy products.
Milk and milk products are the most allergic
foods known. They contain lactose (milk sugar),
and cancer promoting casein. All adults of all
races are lactose intolerant, since they no longer
produce the enzyme lactase. Without lactase you
simply cannot digest lactose. Everyone over the
age of three years old is allergic to dairy
products. Fact. Nature provided cow milk for
calves, and goat milk for baby goats.
↓Page 25
Lactose-reduced milk is just not the answer here
at all, nor are lactase tablets like Lactaid®. Dairy
cheese is low in lactose, but is extremely high in
saturated animal fat, casein, and cholesterol. It is
a very poor food choice. You can use soy, rice,
almond, or oat milks instead of dairy milk. Very
good melt-able non-dairy cheeses are available at
any grocery store. You can even buy soy cream
cheese. Dairy yogurt has twice the amount of
milk sugar, since powdered milk is added to
thicken it. Soy yogurt and soy ice cream is readily
available, but contain quite a bit of sugar.
The studies proving dairy products cause
diabetes are numerous. At the Health Protection
Branch in Canada (American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition v. 51, 1995) the doctors said, “There is
a significant positive correlation between
consumption of milk protein and incidence of
IDDM in data from various countries”. They also
found that babies who were naturally breast fed
were protected from type 1 diabetes. At the A2
Corporation in New Zealand (Medical
Hypotheses v. 56, 2001) the researchers clearly
found milk proteins related to diabetes, heart
disease, and outright mortality. “Milk casein
consumption also correlates strongly with type-1
diabetes incidence”. At the University of
Helsinki in Finland (Experimental and Clinical
Endocrinology & Diabetes v. 105,1997), the
research showed clearly that milk consumption
both for mothers and children is a major cause of
type-1 diabetes. Again, at the University of
Helsinki (Diabetologia v. 41, 1998) they found
the children most allergic to dairy products
(based on blood antibodies) had the highest rates
of diabetes. At the University of Tampere in
Finland (Diabetes v. 49, 2000) they said, “In
conclusion, our results provide support for the
hypothesis that high consumption of cow’s milk
during childhood can be diabetogenic”. At NIZO
Research in the Netherlands (Nahrung v. 43,
1999) the same results were found. At the School
of Medicine in Auckland, New Zealand
(Diabetologica v. 42, 1999) it was clear that
consumption of dairy products were strongly
correlated with type-1 diabetes. The research is
clear on this: take dairy products completely out
of your life. Milk is not good food.
↓Page 26
Beans are an excellent food, and are very similar
to whole grains in their nutritional profile. There
are many delicious varieties of beans available,
especially in ethnic grocery stores. Beans, bean
soups, and bean dips should be a central part of
your daily fare. Get a good cookbook, and learn
how to make more gourmet bean dishes. If you
have problems with gas or bloating, this is not
due to the beans, but rather to your weakened
digestive system. Take Beano®, or a generic
version of alpha-galactosidase, temporarily until
your digestive system is stronger.
Fish and seafood can be eaten by people who do
not want to be vegetarians. If you look in your
mouth, you will see we have canine teeth.
Humans can eat about one-tenth animal food, and
the best choice is seafood. A few people are
allergic to fish and seafood, however, and will
not be able to eat them. Just limit seafood to
about 10% of your diet. If you want to be a
vegetarian or vegan, just don’t eat seafood.
There are no other animal products in the
American macrobiotic diet.
We eat twice the protein we need. This causes
many health problems, including obesity ,kidney,
and liver disease. Many studies prove a high
protein diet raises uric acid, and causes kidney
and liver problems. Anytime you hear an author
advocating a high protein diet, you will know
they are clueless, ignorant, and uninformed.
Whole grains, beans, and vegetables contain all
the high quality protein and fiber you need. There
are many studies to prove this. At Nara Medical
University (Nara Igaku Zasshi v. 46,1995) the
doctors concluded, “A protein-limited diet was
useful for prevention of diabetic nephropathy in
patients with early-stage diabetic nephropathy”.
At the University of Vermont (American Journal
of Physiology v. 27, 1996) they found the same
results. Decreased protein intake was found to
improve symptoms of type-1 diabetes. Limit
your protein intake.
↓Page 27
Most all green and yellow vegetables are a good
choice, if you avoid nightshades, most tropical
vegetables, and those high in oxalic acid.
Japanese macrobiotics does not include many
green and yellow vegetables, ironically. Actually,
frozen vegetables are very nutritious; only the
texture is harmed by the freezing process.
Canned vegetables should be avoided. Avoid the
nightshade family. This includes potatoes,
tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Nightshades
contain large amounts of toxic solanine.
Macrobiotics is about the only diet system to
warn against these nightshade vegetables. Also
avoid vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as
spinach, Swiss chard and others. Tropical
vegetables like taro, etc. are meant for tropical
peoples living in tropical climates. If you are of,
say, African or Indian descent living in southern
Florida or Arizona, you certainly can eat such
tropical foods. If you are of European descent
these foods were simply not meant for you.
People with blood sugar dysmetabolism of any
kind cannot eat fruit juice, dried fruits,
or sweeteners of any type until they are
well. Avoid sugar substitutes like stevia. If your
pancreas has atrophied, or been removed, this
means you have to take them out of your diet
permanently. You might think fruits provide
important nutrients, and your diet will be
incomplete without them.
This is not the case at all, since fruits are
basically made up of simple sugars, fiber, and
water with very few vitamins and minerals. You
cannot use sweeteners including honey, fructose,
fruit juice, dried fruit, maple syrup, stevia,lohan,
agave, molasses, rice syrup, corn syrup, or any
others. Sugar is sugar is sugar, and honey is
biologically no better than white sugar. Artificial
sweeteners are the worst, and none of them are
safe. The newest claim from sucralose to be,
“made from sugar, tastes like sugar,” is just not
true. They don’t tell you this is a man-made
halogenated (chlorine molecules are added),
synthetic, chemical, unnatural analog
that isn’t safe for human or animal use. Kick
the sugar habit, and take the concept of
“desserts” out of your life. You don’t need
desserts or sweets. The concept of desserts
basically doesn’t exist in Asia.
Scientists in Japan concluded, “The main reason
of recent increase of diabetic patients is ascribed
to increased sucrose intake”(Chiba Igaku Zasshi
72 (1996). Folks, Americans eat more than 160
pounds of various sugars and sweeteners every
year- which they don’t need at all.
↓Page 28
The worst offender of all is high fructose corn
syrup, since it is the cheapest to produce. At the
Diabetes Research Centre in India (Diabetologica
44, 2001) it was shown the urban (not rural)
Indians have an inordinate sugar intake. This
causes epidemic diabetes rates, even though they
are largely vegetarian, and eat a very low fat
diet. Eating sweets will raise your triglyceride
levels dramatically without eating fats.
It will be difficult for some people to simply give
up all sweets and fruits. You can go through a
transition period where you eat no cakes,
cookies, sodas, pies, candy, and the other high
sugar foods.
For a few months you can eat 10% fresh (not
dried or juiced) local fruit. No tropical fruits, as
these are meant for tropical peoples in tropical
lands- genetics and climate. You can also get a
macrobiotic dessert cookbook and make whole
grain desserts, lightly sweetened with whole fruit
only. You’ll come to enjoy these, and the subtle
sweetness will be enough for you. Remember
macrobiotic desserts are a temporary transition,
and the sooner you take all fruit and sweeteners
out of your diet, the faster you’ll get well. Your
body simply cannot handle simple sugars, regard-
less of how “natural” they are. Honey is still
sugar. When you are fully cured, you can eat
10% local fresh (or frozen) fruit if you want.
You should enjoy a wide variety of natural soups.
Eating soup will help you lose weight and stay
slim. That’s right, if you eat just two meals a day,
and start with a delicious bowl of soup at each
meal, you’ll actually feel full and eat less food.
Get some soup cookbooks, and learn to substitute
healthier ingredients where meat, poultry, eggs,
and dairy are called for. Traditional Japanese
macrobiotics restricted you to only 5% soup
daily, and almost always miso soup. There is just
no reason for these kinds of unnecessary
limitations. There is nothing magical or special
about fermented soybeans. There are countless
delicious soups you can make at home and freeze
for future use.
↓Page 29
You can eat a fresh, green salad every day, as
long as you use a low fat, non-dairy dressing.
Traditional Japanese macro-biotics had a bias
against fresh salads for some reason. In fact they
had a bias against any raw foods at all basically.
The best time to eat salads is in summer time,
since they are rather yin. You can still enjoy fresh
salads all year round. People who advocate a
100% raw food diet are irrationally neurotic, and
cannot stay on these very long as their health
deteriorates so badly.
What about real world, published studies that, 1)
show the difference it cultural diets and rates of
diabetes, and 2) diabetics who are given whole
food diets? At Pantox Laboratories in CA
(Medical Hypotheses v. 58, 2002) type 2
diabetics were given a natural vegan (no animal
products) diet, along with daily walking. This
study was backed up by a stunning 170
references. “The vegan diet/exercise strategy
represents a safe, low-tech approach to managing
diabetes that deserves far greater attention from
medical researchers and practitioners”. The
patients got very quick, dramatic improvements
and benefits including basic changes in their
very blood parameters. They were fed local and
tropical fruits, which should be omitted. You
don’t have to be a vegan to do this.
A cross-sectional study was done at the famous
Cambridge University (British Journal of
Nutrition v. 83, 2000) concluded,“Healthy
Balanced Diets as One of the Main Components
of Disease Prevention”. 802 people were given
GTTs (glucose tolerance tests). It was clear the
ones who made better food choices had far less
diabetes. The healthy people ate more vegetables,
salads, fish, fruits, pasta, and rice. Those with
poor GTT results ate more meat, dairy, eggs, and
fried foods generally. In another study 25,698
Seventh Day Adventist vegetarians were
examined. (American Journal of Public Health v.
75, 1985). Adventists are known to have far less
diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and other
conditions as a whole. The ones who did not eat
eggs or dairy products were the healthiest. You
can’t argue with the results of almost twenty six
thousand real men and women.
↓Page 30
Doctors at UCLA gave almost 5,000 male and
female diabetics a diet and exercise program
(Diabetes Care v. 17, 1994) for just three weeks.
Glucose levels fell dramatically. In just 21 days,
and 71% of the ones taking oral medication
discontinued their drugs! That is over 7 in 10 in
21 days! 39% of those on insulin stopped
injecting themselves! That is almost 4 in 10
getting off insulin in 21 days! They simply ate
better foods, and did some moderate exercise.
Imagine what would happen if they did this for a
whole year. These results are simply amazing!
We’ve got to mention the Pima Indians again.
Half the Pima Indians still live in Mexico, and
follow their ancient traditions of diet and lifestyle.
The others live in the southwestern U.S., and
have largely adopted the American lifestyle.
Many studies have been done here because they
are the same genetic stock. This one (Diabetes
Care v. 24, 2001), from the University of
Pittsburg, looked at their diabetes rates. The
Mexican Pimas ate more corn, beans, squash,
melons, and desert plants. They actually ate more
calories (they do more physical labor), but had
lower glucose levels and far less diabetes. The
American Pimas have a 50% (!) diabetes rate,
short lifespans, and many other diseases from
eating the usual high-fat, high sugar, refined food
diet. American Pimas given their native diet
decrease their disease rates immediately. This
also shows genetics is not the problem.
A fine review from the Helicon Foundation
(Medical Hypotheses v. 54, 2000), with 84
references, was titled, “Toward a Wholly
Nutritional Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes”. The
authors suggest preventing and treating type-2
diabetes with only diet, supplements, and
exercise, rather than toxic, ineffective drugs.
They also point out obesity, one of the most
important causes of all, would be basically
eradicated by such dietary means. We need more
such progressive doctors using natural means to
cure disease.
Another study from Harvard (Annals of Internal
Medicine v. 136, 2002) was titled, “Dietary
Patterns and Risk for Type-2 Diabetes in U.S.
Men”. Here over 42,000 men aged 40-75 were
studied for diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
for twelve years. It was clear the ones who ate
more whole grains, vegetables, fresh fruits, and
fish lived the longest, and had the lowest illness
rates. The ones who ate red meat, refined grains,
dairy products, fried foods, and desserts had far
higher disease rates, and much shorter lives.
Forty-two thousand real people prove the point
conclusively.
↓Page 31
The diet books in print are generally terrible, and
there are very few authors who have any idea of
what they’re talking about. If you go to a book-
store or library, you will see many books
claiming to tell you how to cure diabetes. Nearly
all of them are not only useless, but will actually
make you worse. You can always tell if the books
are spurious if the author suggests eating dairy
products, eggs, meat, poultry, sweeteners of any
kind (including honey, stevia, etc.), tropical foods
(like bananas and citrus), or nightshade
vegetables (like potatoes and tomatoes). It is not
considered “good form” in this business to
mention these pseudo-authorities by name, so
they won’t be named individually.
Susan Powter has written two good books, Stop
the Insanity and Food, on eating well, staying
slim, and calorie density. Susan practices what
she preaches, and looks great at 61. Neal Barnard
is a member of the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and is a very
sincere person. His books include Turn Off
the Fat Genes, Live Longer, Live Better, Food
for Life, and Eat Right, Live Longer. Gary
Null has written Get Healthy Now, Vegetarian
Handbook, and Seven Steps to Perfect Health.
Terry Shintani is a very committed man who
wrote The Hawaii Diet, and The Good
Carbohydrate Revolution. Dean Ornish is
also a member of the PCRM, and has written
Eat More, Weigh Less and Program for Reversing
Heart Disease. Robert Pritikin (Nathan Pritikin’s
son) has written a half dozen books on low-fat
vegetarian eating. The old Nathan Pritikin books
are still available in your public library. Michio
Kushi is a prolific writer on traditional Japanese
macrobiotics, as is George Ohsawa. You should
read both of these authors, and then take the
unnecessary, overly restrictive, limited, obsessive
-compulsive Japanese trappings out of their
writings. It seems that macrobiotic authors are
the only ones to understand such basic truths as
the toxicity of nightshade vegetables, and
the fact tropical foods aren’t meant for temperate
peoples. None of the aforementioned authors
really understand proven supplements, natural
hormone balance, and fasting to any degree,
however.
↓Page 32
The ridiculous “glycemic index” must be
mentioned. This pseudo-scientific silliness is
ridiculous on its face. To start with, their
standard of reference is white bread! Sadly
enough, this glycemic absurdity now appears in
medical journals! The glycemic theory says that
brown rice raises blood sugar as much as a
sugared donut, and that a bowl of hearty oatmeal
raises blood sugar as much as a Twinkie®. If
whole grains and beans raised blood sugar, the
Asian countries would have the highest rates of
diabetes in the world! The fact they have the
lowest rates proves otherwise. You’ll notice that
the advocates of the glycemic index suggest
eating red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products
- while warning against whole grains and
legumes generally. The logical conclusion here is
a deadly ketogenic diet.
Anyone promoting the glycemic index is
obviously ignorant and completely misguided.
Calorie restriction is an important part of curing
blood sugar conditions. Americans eat twice
the calories they need. We eat three meals a day,
when we only need two. Be sure to eat two meals
a day instead of three. You only need to eat twice
a day, and soon this will become perfectly normal
for you. Breakfast is not, “the most important
meal of the day”. The less calories you eat the
longer you live. Men can thrive on about 1,800
calories a day, and women on about 1,200
calories. Roy Walford is the only one who wrote
extensively on this subject. Please read his The
120 Year Diet, and Maximum Lifespan. Eat as
little as possible, and keep your caloric intake
down by eating low fat foods. It isn’t food that
makes you fat; it is fat that makes you fat. You
don’t need to walk around hungry, nor can you.
Willpower is an illusion. You can eat all you
want, and still take in fewer calories by simply
making better food choices. You can eat all you
want, never be hungry, and still stay slim, if you
just eat whole, natural foods. The answer is
eating lower fat foods and not less food. Please
take a good look at the calorie density chart in
Chapter 13: Obesity to convince yourself of this.
You can literally eat all you want, if you just
make better food choices. Americans eat twice
the calories they need.
↓Page 33
It would literally take 80 years to study humans
for the total benefits of calorie restriction, but
we have 1) shorter term human studies, and 2) full
term animal studies. Calorie restriction is
the most effective way to extend lifespan
and quality of life. At Heinrich-Heine University
in Germany a heavily referenced review was
published (Weiner Klinische Wochen v. 106,
1994). Real people greatly improved their insulin
sensitivity, and lost weight, by eating lower
calorie foods. At the Franco-Czech Laboratory
(Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &
Metabolism v. 89, 2002) obese women improved
their insulin resistance, and lost weight, by
simply eating lower calorie foods. At Alexandra Hospital (International Journal of Obesity v. 27,
2003) obese diabetic men were given lower
calorie foods for 12 weeks. They lost weight,
lost body fat, lowered their cholesterol,
and improved glycemic control with no other
intervention. At Nagasaki University
(International Congress Series v.1209, 2000)
diabetic women were fed a low calorie, low-fat
diet based on rice and vegetables. Their glycemic
status improved, and their glucose levels fell
significantly.
Fasting is always a part of any serious natural
health program. With most blood sugar disorders
it can be difficult to fast on water even for 24
hours dinner to dinner. If you want to know more,
the recommended books on fasting are listed in
Zen Macrobiotics for Americans. When you are
cured, it is important you fast one day a week on
water from dinner to dinner. This gives your body
52 times every year to rest, recuperate, and heal.
Once you see the great benefits, you’ll probably
choose to do longer fasts. If you can go 24 hours
on water only, without problems, then you should
do this every week from dinner to dinner.
↓Page 34
Chapter 6: Effective Supplements
_______________________________________
It cannot be repeated enough that what you eat is
the real cure for blood sugar and insulin
dysmetabolism. Your daily food is basically what
will cure you. Whole natural foods cure disease.
Proven supplements and natural hormones are
very powerful, but secondary to diet.
Supplements are only one of the Seven Steps to
Natural Health (p 4). People are understandably
confused about which supplements work, and
which are merely advertising promotions. This
confusion can be explained in one word -
advertising. To know which supplements
honestly have value, we merely need to look at
the published scientific literature, rather than the
very well written advertisements that inundate us.
Science tells us which supplements really benefit
us, not skillful ad writers. Please read my booklet
The Supplements You Need. People under 40
only need acidophilus, FOS, beta glucan, vitamin
D, vitamin E, flax oil, minerals and vitamins.
First, we need to understand the difference
between “endogenous” supplements and
“exogenous” ones. Endogenous supplements
exist in our bodies, and in the common foods we
eat. This would include all vitamins, all minerals,
all basic hormones, most amino acids, and such
supplements as CoQ10, beta sitosterol, lipoic
acid, DIM, PS, and beta glucan. You can, and
should, take the appropriate and needed
endogenous supplements the rest of your life for
your general health. This is especially true if you
are over forty. Exogenous supplements do not
exist naturally in our bodies, nor in our common
foods. This would include such things as herbs in
general (e.g. ginseng, echinacea, milk thistle,
golden seal, etc.), green tea, curcumin, guggul,
ellagic acid, and aloe vera. Even if any of these
supplements are appropriate for you, the effect
will only last for about six months to a year and
then cease. To continue taking them would be a
waste of time and money, and could even be
counterproductive. Many people are, in fact,
allergic to some of these exogenous products.
Therefore, we will stress long term endogenous
supplements, but still mention the temporary
exogenous ones for short term use.
↓Page 35
Lipoic acid has so much research on it there is a
separate chapter (Chapter 8: Lipoic Acid)
devoted to the many international published
studies on its benefits.
Vitamins and minerals are basic. There are only
thirteen vitamins. Never take megadoses of any
vitamin (or other supplement), as these overdoses
unbalance our metabolism. Regular vitamin B-12
is absorbed very poorly, so pick a supplement
with 1 mg of methylcobalamin as the preferred
form of B-12. Minerals are so important they are
covered in a separate chapter (Chapter 9:The
Minerals We Need).
Vitamin C is a very overrated and misunderstood
vitamin. Megadoses of this will acidify your
normally alkaline blood. Making the blood pH
acidic causes your entire system to be sickly.
Megadoses of anything - including oxygen, sun,
fun, food, sex, or whatever else - are harmful!
Understand this simple fact. Vitamin C is only
basically found in any quantity in tropical fruits,
such as citrus. These are meant for tropical
people in hot climates. You find very little
vitamin C in temperate climate fruits and
vegetables. Diabetics use up excessive vitamin C
due to the increased need for all antioxidants.
Therefore you should take 250 mg until you are
well. The RDA is only 60 mg. Again, do not take
more than 250 mg, as this is four times the RDA-
Linus Pauling was wrong! Short term studies of
megadoses of vitamin C may show limited
benefits, but never in the long term.
Beta glucan is a very important supplement to
take for all forms of sugar dysmetabolism. The
usual dosage is 200 mg, but you should take 400
mg for the first year to improve glycemic control.
Beta glucan is the most powerful immune
enhancer known to science, including interferon-
alpha. It doesn’t matter whether you use oat or
yeast glucan, as all are 1/3 true glucans. The
mushroom glucan is simply too expensive.
Please read my book What Is Beta Glucan? to
learn more. An entire chapter is devoted to
diabetes. A good number of human studies have
shown the benefits of beta glucan for all blood
sugar issues. Beta glucan also has powerful
cholesterol and triglyceride lowering activity
which, of course, is of great concern in blood
sugar dysmetabolism. This is a very important
supplement you must add to your regimen, and
even healthy children and people under 40
should routinely take this. Eat just a little oatmeal
and barley regularly and you won’t need to take
a supplement.
↓Page 36
Beta carotene has been shown to be deficient in
most diabetics, but not vitamin A. (Beta carotene
is the direct precursor to vitamin A.) Beta \
carotene is one of the most powerful antioxidants
in our diet. Some studies, such as the one done at
Jikei University in Japan, show high serum
vitamin A levels, but low levels of beta carotene.
You only need 10,000 IU here, although you can
take 25,000 for the first year if you want to. This
is a very effective antioxidant, and should
definitely be a part of your program. The Third
National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (Diabetes v. 52, 2003) showed low levels
of carotenoids (except lycopene) generally in
diabetics.
CoQ10 is a basic supplement here, and you must
take 100 mg of real Japanese ubiquinone a day.
Do not take ubiquinol! Ubiquinol is
unstable, and has no shelf life. Some
unscrupulous companies offer smaller
amounts of CoQ10 with “special
delivery systems”, that are all but worthless. 100
mg is what you need. Some “experts”
recommend 300 to 400 mg a day, but this is a
waste of money and not necessary at all. Real
Japanese bio-engineered can be found (60 X 100
mg) for under $20. Studies around the world
have shown the importance of this for diabetes.
For example, at Moradabad Hospital in India
(Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease
1999), a review with 59 references on the
benefits of CoQ10 for diabetes and CHD was
published. CoQ10 is a powerful and basic
supplement.
↓Page 37
Beta-sitosterol is found in every vegetable you
eat, but there just isn’t enough in our daily food.
It is estimated the average American eats about
300 mg daily, while vegetarians eat twice that
amount. Vegetarians have far less blood sugar
problems. Take 300 mg a day of mixed sterols
(mixed sterols is the only form available). You
should take 600 mg a day for the first year, and
then just 300 mg. Beta-sitosterol is the most
effective natural remedy known for both prostate
problems and high blood fats (cholesterol and
triglycerides). At the Gerontology Clinic (Vnitrni
Lekarstvi v. 50, 2004) blood levels of these plant
sterols were shown to be very important in
diabetic patients. “In diabetics the level of
disease compensation correlated negatively with
plant sterol values”. You can read more about
plant sterols in my book Lower Cholesterol
Without Drugs. All this is strongly related to
cholesterol and triglyceride dysmetabolism.
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is the preferred form
of L-carnitine, as it is more bio-available, and
passes into the brain more easily. 500 mg a day is
the appropriate dose. There are a number of
studies on both forms, but you will get all the
benefits of plain L-carnitine by taking the acetyl
derivative ALC. At the Instituto di Medicina in
Italy (Metabolism v. 49, 2000) type 2 diabetics
were given ALC. This effectively increased their
glucose disposal and utilization. They concluded
this was an important therapy. ALC is an
important supplement for anyone over 40 for
brain function, memory, and clarity of thought.
Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all, but rather a
hormone. It does not occur in our food, except
very small amounts in a few animal foods such
as eggs. This is the most important “vitamin” of
all for blood sugar problems. Your daily vitamin
supplement should have 400 IU, but you should
take another 400 to 800 IU for many reasons.
You should be getting a total of 800 to 1,200 IU
of vitamin D, unless you are out in the sun
regularly. In the summer, if you get regular
exposure to the sun, you can just take the 400 IU
in your vitamin supplement. Most Americans are
clearly deficient in “vitamin” D, as most of us do
not get out in the sun regularly, especially in
winter months. Science proves low serum levels
are epidemic, correlated with endless illnesses,
and clearly related to all-cause mortality and
length of life. The international research is very
strong here.
↓Page 38
Vitamin E is the second most important vitamin
for blood sugar problems. Vitamin E is also very
deficient in our diets, because we eat a mere 1%
whole grains (the main source). Always use the
natural mixed tocopherols for a few dollars more,
and not the inexpensive single tocopherol (d-
alpha). You should only use 200 IU a day (or 400
IU every other day). Do not exceed this, since the
RDA is only 30 IU. The international, published
research on this is simply overwhelming. Vitamin
E is one of the most powerful of all natural anti-
oxidants, and must be a part of your healing
program. This is very good for your heart and
arteries.
Hunan Medical University gave vitamin E to type 2
diabetics with dramatic benefits in only 30 days.
The University of Chieti in Italy showed
significant benefits in only 14 days in type 2
diabetics. Vitamin E supplementation should be
standard practice. The research here is obviously
overwhelming, and can’t possibly all be quoted.
People of all ages should use vitamin E since we
get so little in our diets.
Flaxseed oil is the best source of omega-3 fatty
acids, and better than fish oil for a lot of reasons.
All the studies on fish oil would be even more
effective with flax oil. Regardless of your age,
take a 1,000 mg flax oil capsule every day. Or ½
teaspoon of bulk flax oil. Buy and keep this
refrigerated- do not buy unrefrigerated flax oil,
as it easily oxidizes. We eat far too much omega-
6 fatty acids, and far too few omega-3s. The
research is overwhelming on the benefits of
omega-3 supplementation for health blood sugar
metabolism, as well as CHD health, and blood
lipids.
At North Dakota University (Nutrition Journal v
44, 2011) “Flaxseed supplementation improved
insulin resistance in obese glucose intolerant
people” was published. The results were no less
than dramatic. There are many such studies using
real flax seed to help cure diabetes and other
blood sugar issues. The research here is too much
to continue with. This is a definite!
↓Page 39
L-glutamine is a proven amino acid for good
intestinal health. You should take a gram (two
X 500 mg) in the AM and another gram in the
PM. You can also take a tablespoon of
inexpensive bulk glutamine powder every day
for even better results. This will also spike
(temporarily raise) your growth hormone levels.
While L-glutamine has shown no specific value
for blood sugar problems, always remember we
are treating the whole body, and not just our
glucose metabolism. Regardless of our age, our
digestive systems are generally in terrible shape
from our poor diets. Taking L-glutamine, with a
good brand of acidophilus and FOS, will help us
digest our food well. Strong digestion is an
important part of maintaining normal blood
sugar and insulin levels.
Fructooligosaccarides (FOS) are indigestible
sugars that feed the good bacteria in our
intestines, but not the “bad” bacteria. This will
not help blood sugar dysmetabolism directly, but
will help keep your intestines healthy to better
digest your food which helps normalize glucose
metabolism. Taking 750 mg once or twice a day
works very well with acidophilus and
L-glutamine to keep our digestive system strong
and healthy.
Acidophilus keeps the good bacteria in our
intestines alive. Find a good refrigerated brand
and keep it refrigerated. Take 6 billion units (with
8 strains) once or twice daily, and use FOS and
L-glutamine with it. This will help strengthen
your digestion.
Phosphatidyl serine (PS) is a relative of lecithin
or phosphatidyl choline. Only in the last few
years has inexpensive PS become available to the
public, and the human research verified its value.
Take 100 mg a day if you are over the age of 40
to support good brain function. This is not going
to help glycemic control per se, but you are
treating your total health, and not just glucose
metabolism. Pregnenolone and acetyl-L-carnitine
work very well with PS. You can also benefit
from taking a 1,200 mg soft-gel of lecithin for
both better brain metabolism and lower
cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
↓Page 40
Glucosamine will not specifically help your blood
sugar condition, but it is an important supplement
for anyone over the age of 40. Literally 95% of
Americans over the age of 65 suffer from
arthritis and joint inflammation. Glucosamine
500 -1,000 mg a day is a proven supplement for
bone and joint health. Do not take chondroitin,
as it is not absorbed by our intestines and is
therefore useless. Glucosamine cannot work
alone, and must have a complete supply of
minerals, flax oil, and vitamin D to be effective.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of our two main
antioxidant enzymes. Unfortunately, oral SOD
pills don’t work, nasal sprays are illegal,
sublingual SOD isn’t available, and the use of
DMSO transdermal solutions is prohibited. Oral
SOD tablets are worthless. Doctors don’t know
how to inject this, and it wouldn’t be practical
anyway. Nevertheless, SOD is very important to
blood sugar problems because of the antioxidant
stress. The University of Tiemcen in Algeria
found low SOD blood levels in type-2 (but not
in type-1) diabetics. Hyogo University, in Japan,
found low SOD in type-1.
What can we do? Fortunately, we can keep our
SOD levels elevated with diet, supplements,
exercise, lifestyle, and generally supporting our
antioxidant defense system. By eating well,
exercising, balancing your basic hormones, not
taking prescription drugs, and avoiding negative
habits (such as coffee, alcohol, cigarettes,
recreational drugs) you will have higher SOD levels.
Glutathione is our other basic antioxidant enzyme.
You can take oral glutathione, but it is not as
effective as NAC. NAC is N-acetyl cysteine,
and is a much more effective way to raise your
glutathione levels than glutathione itself. Take
600 mg a day. The other varied benefits of NAC
have been well documented in the last ten years.
In diabetic conditions glutathione has been shown
to be of great importance because it is so basic to
our antioxidant process. This is a vital
supplement for blood sugar conditions, and much
research has been done here.
↓Page 41
Soy isoflavones can be taken in 40 mg doses of
combined genestein and diadzein. It is unrealistic
to think we are going to get a sufficient intake of
these valuable isoflavones by eating a variety of
soy products. Tofu is the white bread of soybeans,
is highly refined, and lacking in nutrition.
Westerners rarely eat any amount of soy products
such as miso, seitan, soy flour, tempeh, or other
traditional Asian foods. Soy sauce is merely a
condiment. There is an overwhelming amount of
published research on the benefits of soy
supplementation. Anyone who tells you soy is
“bad” for you is mentally deficient. The dairy
and meat industries are very upset by the
popularity of soy products, especially soy milks.
Billions of Asians for centuries prove the value
of soy isoflavone intake. Okinawans eat more
soy than anyone, and live the longest of all.
DIM (di-indolylmethane) is a fine supplement,
and better than I3C (indole-3-carbinol) for
improving estrogen metabolism. Take 200 mg of
DIM daily. All “special delivery systems” are just
expensive advertising promotions.. DIM is oil
soluble, so just take it with your food or with
your flax oil. If you test your free estradiol and
estrone levels, and find them to be in the low
normal (the ideal) range, you won’t need to take
this. Men over the age of 50 generally have
higher estradiol and estrone levels than their
postmenopausal wives! Excess estrogen in men
or women is harmful, and low normal levels are
best. American and European women rarely have
insufficient estrogen levels due to their high-fat,
low fiber, nutrient deficient diets, obesity, lack of
exercise, and other factors. Asian women who
have lower estradiol and estrone (but not estriol)
levels have less heart disease, osteoporosis, and
menopausal problems. The idea that American
women generally are somehow “estrogen
deficient” after menopause is silly.
A complete program of natural supplements is
vital for healing, but will never compensate for
poor diet, lack of exercise, and other basic factors.
↓Page 42
Chapter 7: Temporary Supplements
___________________________________________
There are a variety of temporary supplements to
take for up to a year. Most of these are
“exogenous”, and not in our bodies or in our
common food. The rest are endogenous (in our
bodies and common food), but just not needed
after about a year. TMG (betaine) or
trimethylglycine is the most powerful liver
rejuvenator known. Taking 3 grams a day (6 X
500 mg capsules) for six months to a year will do
wonders to cleanse and strengthen your liver.
The liver is the largest internal organ, and vital to
blood sugar metabolism. Our livers supply
glycogen (blood sugar). Liver problems,
especially such conditions as fatty liver, are
central to blood sugar problems. While TMG is
endogenous, there is just no reason to use this
much for more than a year. You can take 1 gram
(2 X 500 mg) as a permanent supplement after
this. This is a very important addition to your healing
program. The human studies are excellent. To cure
diabetes you must have a strong healthy liver.
Vitamin C was covered in the previous chapter. It must
be emphasized that megadoses weaken your immunity
in the long run. It is not a dietary deficiency of vitamin
C here at all, but rather the fact the body is using up all
the vitamin C and other antioxidants it can get to
balance the free radicals. You should only take 250 mg
for a year, and then the 60 mg in your vitamin
supplement is enough as a permanent one. Never
overdose on this!
Aloe vera is a classic healing herb that helps our
digestive system, and our liver among, other
benefits. Taking 2 X 100 mg capsules of a 200:1
extract is easier than trying to drink the
equivalent of 40 grams of fresh gel. Aloe gel is
99.5% water. Just six to twelve months as it is
exogenous.
↓Page 43
Ellagic acid has no proof of efficacy for blood
sugar disorders per se, but has shown very
powerful anti-cancer and other effects. Taking
100 mg a day for six months to a year will help
your immunity in general.
Milk thistle is the most effective herb for liver
health. Taking 2 capsules of a good extract every
day for one year will work with the TMG to
strengthen your liver. Milk thistle is the most
researched herb for liver health, but is exogenous
and will not help you after a year. There are
many human studies on the active ingredient
silymarin.
Taurine finally has good human science behind it
for diabetes. Numerous animal studies showed
great promise here, and now real people verify
this. Take 500 mg of taurine daily for one year.
This inexpensive amino acid also has much value for
coronary heart conditions generally, and helps
lower blood fats and blood pressure. Beijing
Hospital in China, Cardiology Research Center
in Moscow, Bengbu Medical College in China,
and Research University in Italy all showed
improvement in glucose levels, insulin
sensitivity, blood parameters, and other benefits
in both type -1 and -2 diabetes. Studies at the
University of Messina, and the Diabetes Unit in
Italy, showed diabetics had low blood plasma
and platelet taurine levels. In 2004 an extensive
review of the literature with 114 references from
the University of Sassari in Italy showed that
taurine supplementation is valuable in treating
diabetes and insulin resistance. Take until you
are well.
Curcumin taken in 500 mg amounts daily for six
months to a year is a powerful and proven natural
antioxidant. Good studies.
Green tea extract is very worthwhile. Just take
two capsules daily. Green tea is simply regular
old tea (Thea sinensis) that is not fermented.
There is a lot of good research on green tea
polyphenols, but all of it is short term only. The
fact it must have the caffeine removed to be safe
is rather worrisome. This must be decaffeinated!
It is unlikely you will drink two cups of decaf
green tea every day, so the capsules are much
more practical.
↓Page 44
Quercetin is technically an endogenous antioxidant
although basically only found in apples and
onions. You can take100 mg daily for one year.
Only one study was found where diabetic
animals improved with quercetin
supplementation. There is good science on the
antioxidant benefits of quercetin.
Polysaccharide plant gums such as glucomannon,
guargum, pectin (citrus or apple), and sodium alginate
(from seaweed) are very valuable, inexpensive, and
safe temporary supplements. These gums have shown
value in lowering cholesterol, blood sugar
normalization, removing toxic metals, and other
benefits. Take at least 3 grams a day (6 X 500 mg
capsules) to get real benefits. Choose the one you
prefer, the one that is least expensive, or try each of the
four above for three month periods successively. The
added rewards of lowering cholesterol and triglycerides
will be an important factor in your healing. Some
people have lost weight using these, since the gums
swell up dramatically with water, and fill the stomach.
This gives you a feeling of having eaten when you
haven’t. The science here is very strong. “Modified”
citrus pectin is expensive and has no benefits at all..
Buy regular inexpensive fruit pectins.
At the 7th annual Gums and Stabilizers Conference, in
England, researchers reviewed the benefits of these
gums and found, “improved glycemic control and a
reduction in plasma cholesterol”, which, of course, are
precursors to diabetes. At the University of Helsinki a
review with 59 references was published showing
guar gum therapy had favorable long-term effects on
glycemic control and lipid levels in NIDDM subjects.
At St. Marianna University in Japan (Eiyogaku Zasshi
v. 56, 1998) galactomannon (from fenugreek) was
found to benefit by feeding five grams a day to type
2 diabetics. At the Institute of Investigations, in Cuba
guar, pectin and glucomannon were all shown to help
remove toxic heavy metals from the blood, improve
digestion generally, and lessen the effects of diabetes.
↓Page 45
L-arginine is an overrated and promoted amino acid
with little scientific evidence behind it. There are a few
possible studies, however, for blood sugar conditions.
You can use 3 grams (6 X 500 mg) daily for one year.
At the University of Vienna L-arginine was found to
inhibit lipid peroxidation in human diabetics. At the
Medical College of Wisconsin diabetic rats benefited
from L-arginine in their water. At Cumhuriyet
University in Turkey rabbits lowered blood glucose
levels with oral L-arginine. Arginine is commonly promoted without clinical backing. This is an optional
supplement, as it is not well clinically proven at all.
Asian or American ginseng can be used temporarily,
but not in hot weather, or in tropical climates, because
of its extreme yang (warm) nature. Find a reliable
brand, and take one or two capsules a day during the
coolest six months of the year (October thru March in
the Northern Hemisphere).
Nopal cactus has been promoted for normalizing blood
sugar levels, but where is the evidence? There are no
human or animal studies published in any of the
international medical journals. There is just no reason
to use something unproven like this, when you have so
many proven supplements to use. Bitter melon
(Momordica) has also been promoted for blood sugar
problems, but, again, where is the evidence? Banaba
leaf has corosolic acid in it, and has been promoted for
blood sugar problems. The published evidence is just
not convincing so far. Fenugreek herb (containing
galactomannon fiber) has been commercially promoted for diabetes, but the science is lacking here, too.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been promoted for
weight loss as well as diabetes, but, again, the evidence
isn’t there.
The herb most promoted for normalizing blood sugar is
Gymnema sylvestre. There are just no valid human
studies here. Remember that exogenous supplements
will not work for some people, and will be biologically incompatible (allergenic) in others. If you feel any of
these temporary supplements are not compatible with
your individual biochemistry then drop them. Some
people will get mild side effects from exogenous
supplements like these.
↓Page 46
Chapter 8: Alpha Lipoic Acid
____________________________________________
Lipoic acid (aka thioctic acid) or “LA” is a natural
antioxidant in our bodies. This is the most important
single supplement you can take for diabetes and blood
sugar disorders. There is no lipoic acid in our daily
food. It does not exist in the free form in our bodies,
but rather as dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA). You are not
going to get any from your diet. Do not think this is a
Magic Supplement that can work alone. Diet and
exercise is the basic cure for blood sugar dys-
metabolism, while supplements and hormones play a
secondary role. The research on lipoic acid is so
overwhelming, we are going to devote a separate
chapter to it.
Actually, lipoic acid is a disulfide (two sulfur atoms)
that is converted in the body to dihydrolipoic acid or
DHLA. The lipoic acid of commerce, and the one used
in nearly all the studies, is equally composed of two
mirror image (racemic) isomers R- and S-. Almost
every one of the published studies use the regular
racemic natural R/S form. You will see Internet
advertisements claiming that only the very expensive
R-isomer has biological value, while the S-isomer is
somehow ineffective. R-only lipoic acid is a promotion
for money, with no science behind it! Do not be taken
in by such unfounded unscientific promotions. Clinical
studies using these R- and S- forms separately found
that they equally convert to DHLA (General
Pharmacology v 29, 1997). Just use regular, normal,
everyday, inexpensive R,S-lipoic acid.
Anyone over the age of forty should take lipoic acid as
part of their basic supplement program for its powerful
antioxidant properties. For most people 400 mg a day
is sufficient. Clinical studies have used up to 1,000 mg,
but only in the short term. Injected lipoic acid is much
more effective than oral use, but very impractical
obviously. Overdoses of lipoic acid, or anything else,
merely unbalance our metabolism, and are
contraindicated. If you have a serious problem, you can
safely take 800 mg a day for one year, Just use 400 mg
in the AM, and another 400 mg in the PM, to maintain
maximum blood levels.
↓Page 47
Lipoic acid is safe, inexpensive, and non-toxic, but
there just isn’t any reason to take more than 400 mg for
the long term. Short term studies have used higher
doses, but you’ll be doing long term therapy.
At Eberhard-Karls University in Germany (BioFactors
10,1993) a study, “Thioctic Acid- Effects on Insulin
Sensitivity and Glucose Metabolism” was done. They
pointed out that, “Thioctic acid is a co-factor of key
mitochondrial enzymes, involved in the regulation of
glucose oxidation, such as the pyruvate dehydrogenase
and the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, both
enzyme complexes which are known to be diminished
in diabetes”. In plain words, this means lipoic acid
works with our body enzymes to prevent glucose from
being oxidized. Their conclusion was, “The clinical and experimental date indicate that this compound has
beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, correcting
several metabolic pathways known to be altered in
type 2 diabetes, such as insulin stimulated glucose
uptake, glucose oxidation, and glycogen synthesis”.
The authors quote two human studies published in
Diabetologica 1995 and Arzneimittelforschung 1995.
Here insulin sensitivity was increased from 27% to
51% in merely 10 days! This is nothing less than
incredible! No dangerous, synthetic, toxic prescription
drugs can even start to approach results like that.
At the University of Southern California (Nutrition v 17,
2001) “Molecular Aspects of Lipoic Acid in the
Prevention of Diabetes Complications” was published.
People with diabetes suffer from an endless list of
complications, eventually ending in premature death.
These include vascular (heart and artery) disease,
cataracts, retinopathy (vision loss), and neuropathy
(nerve deterioration).
“The available data strongly suggest that LA, because
of its antioxidant properties, is particularly suited to the
prevention and/or treatment of diabetic complications…
In addition to its antioxidant properties, LA increases
glucose uptake…Further, recent trials have
demonstrated that LA improves glucose disposal in
patients with type 2 diabetes. In experimental and
clinical studies, LA markedly reduced the symptoms of
diabetic pathologies, including cataract formation,
vascular damage, and polyneuropathy”. Rather
powerful statements from top doctors in the best
hospitals.
↓Page 48
Reviews are always best. A most impressive seventeen
page, heavily documented review, “The Pharmacology
of the Antioxidant Lipoic Acid”, from Vrije University
in Amsterdam (General Pharmacology v. 29, 1997)
leaves no doubt about the effectiveness. Here they
prove that the R- and S- isomers equally convert to
DHLA in humans. Do not waste your money on R-only
lipoic acid. This review is about the antioxidant
properties of LA for general health, rather than the
benefits for diabetes specifically. The language here is
highly technical, and refers to reactive oxygen species
(ROS), NADH, chelation, oxidative stress, and other
such topics. In plain English, they show LA
supplements to be a most powerful and proven
antioxidant, that has many benefits as we age. It is an
important overall anti-aging supplement everyone over
40 needs.
At the University of Arizona (Oxidative Stress and
Disease v. 8, 2002) a long, well documented review
was done on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.
They strongly suggest using LA as a therapy for both
conditions. Further, they discuss the underlying
mechanisms for using LA in diabetic and pre-diabetic
conditions, so we can better understand how it is so
effective. At Oregon State University (Current
Medicinal Chemistry v. 11, 2004) a 12 page review
with extensive references was done showing the power
of LA to help ameliorate the patho-physiologies of
many chronic diseases, and not just diabetes, and other
forms of blood sugar dysmetabolism. They found
lipoic acid therapy to have dramatic benefits in patients
in only 30 days. This was true, not only for diabetes,
but also other diseases associated with oxidative stress.
LA was found to be an effective agent to ameliorate
certain path-ophysiologies of many chronic diseases.
Here the evidence was examined for the effectiveness
of lipoic acid against such diverse age-related disorders as unwarranted apoptosis (programmed cell death),
cardiovascular disease, and cataract formation.
↓Page 49
The famous Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota, did a most
impressive 16 page review, complete with 77 references
(Antioxidants in Health and Disease v 6, 1997) on
lipoic acid. This study leaves no doubt as to the proven effectiveness on any disease associated with oxidative
stress- including blood sugar disorders generally. At the
University of California, in Los Angeles, a
sophisticated review, with an impressive 78 citations
(Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology v 182, 2002),
was done on the general antioxidant and pro-oxidant
properties of lipoic acid. They showed both lipoic acid
and dihydrolipoic acid exhibit direct free radical
scavenging properties. Other studies provide evidence
that lipoic acid supplementation has pro-oxidant
prop-erties, decreases oxidative stress, and restores
reduced levels of other antioxidants in real people.
Three different reviews were done at the
University of California, in Berkeley, another
good review with 34 references (Annals of the
NY Academy of Sciences v 738, 1994)was done
on the properties of lipoic acid in relation to
oxidative stress and disease. Another was
published in Environmental & Nutritional
Interactions v 3, 1999). This thorough 28 page
article showed the effectiveness of LA for
diabetes itself and the serious complications that
comes with it. Neuropathy is the worst side effect
of diabetes. Many dozens of studies show that
LA alone helps relieve the symptoms of mono-,
poly, autonomic- and peripheral neuropathy. A
third from Oxidative Stress and Disease v 4,
2000 had 38 references. This demonstrated the
dramatic antioxidant effects of LA.
There are many other published human studies
from around the world on the benefits of oral
lipoic acid supplementation for blood sugar and
insulin metabolism. Make this a part of your
supplement program to prevent and cure blood
sugar issues.
↓Page 50
Chapter 9: We All Need Minerals
_______________________________________
We’re all mineral deficient, every one of us. No
matter how well you eat, or what supplements
you take, you’re still lacking in some of the vital
elements you need. Every illness is due in part to
mineral deficiency of some kind. Our soils are
depleted of minerals. Our food lacks minerals.
We don’t eat well anyway. Please read my
booklet The Minerals You Need to learn about
the essential elements that science has shown us
we need in our bodies, but don’t get. This is the
most researched and comprehensive book ever
written on minerals, and is very easy to read.
There are 96 natural elements, but modern
medicine only recognizes ten of them as essential.
This is irrational and defies logic. While sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and sulfur are all
essential elements, we get enough of these in our
food. Let’s look at the twenty-one elements we
are known to need for optimal health.
Calcium is very misunderstood. The idea that we
need 1,000 mg a day is ridiculous, and the
official government RDA is not based on science
whatsoever. The only abundant source of calcium
is dairy products, and at least two thirds of the
world’s population does not include dairy foods
in their diet. Billions of Asians prove this. You
cannot possibly get 1,000 mg of calcium a day
without eating dairy foods. You should not eat
dairy foods because of the lactose (milk sugar)
and casein content. All adults of all races are
lactose intolerant- period. Americans and
Europeans eat more calcium than anyone on
earth, yet have the highest rates of bone and joint
disease, especially arthritis and osteoporosis.
Obviously, calcium intake isn’t the problem, but
rather calcium absorption. You need -at the
minimum- magnesium, boron, silicon, strontium,
omega-3s, and vitamin D in order to absorb the
calcium. You aren’t getting enough of these
nutrients. There are certainly other nutritional
factors in calcium absorption we haven’t
discovered yet. Taking 250 mg a day of any
common, inexpensive calcium salts such as
citrates and carbonates is sufficient. Overdosing
yourself on calcium is irresponsible, and won’t
benefit you. More is not better.
↓Page 51
Magnesium is the most studied and most
important element in diabetes. Magnesium is
vitally important for our total health since, we’re
generally deficient in it. One in seven Americans
is seriously deficient according to blood analysis
studies. The major source of magnesium is whole
grains, yet almost all of the grain we eat is
refined. Americans only eat 1% whole grains.
The RDA is 400 mg, so taking 200 mg is good.
Citrates, lactates, or oxides are good choices.
There is overwhelming evidence that magnesium
is critical to blood sugar and insulin metabolism,
as well as outright diabetes.
Iron is very important, as it is the “heme” in
blood hemoglobin. Women need more than men,
and studies consistently show that Americans are
generally iron deficient, especially women,
vegetarians, and the elderly. People with diabetes
may have a problem excreting iron, and end up
with excessive blood levels of it. This is a rare
condition, which is not due to excessive intake,
but rather inability to get rid of unneeded iron.
Just be careful not to take more than 18 mg a day.
Studies also prove iron from animal foods is the
real culprit. Men need about 10 mg a day, and
women about 18 mg. Common, inexpensive salts
such as sulfates, fumarates, and gluconates are
good. Again, diabetics often show a problem
with iron retention, and high blood ferritin (iron)
levels.
Zinc is also deficient in our diets generally. Whole
grains and beans again are the primary source, yet what
little grains we eat are almost all refined with the
nutrition removed. Eating whole grains and beans
(legumes) every day will go a long way in raising
your levels. The elderly, the poor, and people who
drink alcohol have the lowest levels generally. The
RDA is 15 mg. You have to be careful not to take too
much zinc, as amounts over 50 mg can cause side
effects. This is a heavy metal, and can accumulate in the
body. The problem in diabetes is poor zinc metabolism, rather than
deficient intake. There are many clinical studies showing poor zinc
metabolism in blood sugar conditions. Common, inexpensive salts
such as citrates, sulfates, or oxides are good.
↓Page 52
Boron is acknowledged as an essential element, but the
RDA has never been set. It was only in 1990 that boron was even
accepted as essential! A valid estimate is 3 mg a day, but Americans generally only eat about 1 mg. Our soils are boron deficient,
our food is boron deficient, and vitamin supplements rarely contain
what you need. Boron is necessary for calcium absorption, among
many other important processes. You would think that all widely
sold vitamin and mineral supplements would contain 3 mg of this
inexpensive and vital element, but very few actually do. Any common salt such as citrate, or even plain boric acid is fine. It must be
emphasized how important it is to get boron in your diet every day.
Our soils and foods are very deficient. You cannot absorb calcium
without sufficient boron. The published research here is overwhelming. Take 3 mg a day of boron.
Manganese has overwhelming research on it for its value
in human and animal nutrition. The RDA was only recently set at 2
mg. Many people do, in fact, get that much in their food. Whole
grains, beans, and leafy vegetables are the best sources. We only
have about 20 mg of manganese in our entire bodies. You can take
any normal form such as sulfates or oxides.
Copper also has an RDA of 2 mg. Common salts such as
citrates, oxides, or gluconates are good. Americans only get about
half this much in their food. Whole grains and beans are the best
source. Copper levels vary greatly in diabetics; some have low
blood levels, while others have high levels. Our bodies contain a
total of only about 150 mg. Anything over 15 mg daily could cause
side effects, as it is a heavy element. It is almost impossible to get
excessive copper in your diet, even with copper water pipes in your
home. Inexpensive salts such as citrates, gluconates, or oxides are
very bioavailable.
↓Page 53
Silicon is a vital, yet ignored, element with no
RDA set, even though it has been proven
essential in human and animal health. You will
almost never find this in any vitamin supplement.
A good dose is 10 mg, although you probably don’t need that
much. It isn’t toxic, so 10 mg would be a safe and effective
amount. Silicon levels in common foods vary so greatly, it is hard
to be more precise. Plain silica gel (silicic acid) is the best form to
take. Do not use horsetail herb. Make sure the label says silicic
acid. One major need for silicon (not to be confused with silicone which is a polymer of silicon and oxygen) is for bone and joint
metabolism, and calcium absorption. Why aren’t vitamin companies putting this inexpensive, essential element in their formulas? Be sure to get silicon in your mineral supplement.
Iodine is most needed for thyroid metabolism. The RDA is
150 mcg, and most mineral supplements have this. There are only
about 30 mg (30,000 mcg) of iodine in your body, and three
fourths of this is in your thyroid gland. If you have low T3
(triiodothyronine) or low T4 (L-thyroxine), you should take bioidentical hormones to raise them. Iodine supplements will not raise your hormone levels. Seaweed and kelp are the best sources, but the problem here is that they are too good! While Asians often eat sea vegetables as a staple, a mere teaspoon of kelp powder can
contain twenty times the RDA. This can cause side effects such as
skin problems. Megadoses of any mineral are clearly contraindicated. You do not need iodized salt, by the way.
Chromium has finally gotten an RDA of 120 mcg. This is
toxic in high amounts, so don’t exceed 400 mcg. The research is
most impressive here. Chromium has dozens of published studies
showing that people with diabetes usually have deficient levels.
This is due to lack of chromium in their food. It must always be
emphasized that we need all the known essential elements, and not
just ones like chromium that are proven to benefit glucose metabolism. Again, whole grains are the best source, and the refined grains we eat lack any significant amounts. You can take inexpensive chelates (a metal ion bound to non-metal ions) here. Do not listen to advertising telling you that a certain patented form is the “best”, or “only”, form that works. The research on chromium and blood sugar metabolism is overwhelming. This must be in your supplement program.
↓Page 54
Vanadium has finally been accepted as an
essential element (not a mere trace element), but
no RDA has been set. There is overwhelming
recent research on blood sugar metabolism and
vanadium in the last decade. Scientists around
the world have studied this for diabetes and
Syndrome X in dozens of published studies and
reviews. Therefore, vanadium becomes over-
emphasized as a diabetes mineral, and the other
supporting minerals that work with it are ignored.
While there is no RDA, a daily dose 1,000 mcg
(1 mg) is sufficient. It is not a good idea to take
more than this, although short term studies have
used more. Using more than one milligram is
very irresponsible, and will result in vanadium
toxicity eventually. Take only 1 mg daily.
Inexpensive chelates, or vanadyl sulfate, are both
good choices. You will almost never find this in
vitamin supplements. This must be in your
supplement program, as it is proven to be
essential, not only for blood sugar metabolism,
but your general health.
Molybdenum has an official RDA of 75 mcg, but
some scientists feel this is too low. This in most
vitamin-mineral supplements. Inexpensive
common salts are all good sources. Molybdenum
is safe and non-toxic, even though it is a very
heavy metal. Research on molybdenum is
extensive, and goes back decades. Progressive
farmers use this to fertilize their soils, and
ranchers to insure the health of their livestock.
Deficiency is not widespread here, but taking a
mere 75 mcg a day is good insurance, especially
since dietary intake varies so greatly.
↓Page 55
Selenium has an official RDA of 70 mcg, which
was only recently established. Deficiency is
common, because the main source is whole
grains, and most all our grains are heavily refined.
Chelates are the best form here. Taking 200 IU of
natural mixed tocopherol vitamin E works
synergistically, and helps selenium metabolism.
Do not take more than 200 mcg, as toxicity can
occur over this amount. It is a heavy metal, and
will accumulate in the body if overdoses are
used. This is a very important antioxidant
element, and fights free radicals. Studies have
shown people with low selenium intakes have
more cancer, heart and artery disease, diabetes,
and other illnesses. Generally, most vitamin
formulas contain the 70 mcg you need.
Germanium is something you almost never find
in anyvitamin-mineral supplement. There is no
RDA here. Science has proven this is, in fact,
essential. 100 micrograms would be a good dose,
as it is an ultra-trace element. In 1988 a very
impressive review was published in the journal
Medical Hypothesis complete with 72 references.
This showed the importance of germanium in
human and animal nutrition. Very irresponsible
promoters offer 100 mg (100,000 mcg!) doses.
This is one thousand times what you need - a
three year supply every day! Germanium
sesquoxide is safe, but germanium dioxide is not.
You will almost never find a supplement with
100 mcg of germanium for a complete minerals
program. This is an essential element.
Strontium has no RDA, but is definitely
essential, and needed for calcium absorption.
Do not confuse this with radioactive strontium-
90! A good dose would be 1,000 mcg (1 mg) a
day. A chelate or aspartate is a good choice.
There is no need to take more than this, although
some irresponsible natural health “experts”
recommend much more. Food and blood analysis
studies around this world show that 1,000 mcg
(1 mg) a day is certainly enough. Doctors
prescribing 250 mg of strontium ranelate is
outright insanity! Make sure this is in your
supplement.
Nickel has no RDA, but is definitely an essential
element. This is an ultra-trace element, and 100
mcg would be a reasonable dosage based on
various analyses of human dietary intake and
blood analyses. The published research has
concentrated on animals rather than humans.
The few human studies we have are most
impressive however. You’ll almost never find
meaningful amounts in any supplements, so
look for one with 100 mcg.
↓Page 56
Tin has no RDA, but is definitely an essential
ultra-trace element. A reasonable dosage would
be 100 mcg, but the FDA irrationally limits this
to 30 mcg. The same comments apply regarding
research on tin as to that of nickel. Human
research has found low tin levels in various
pathological conditions and diseases. We need
more human research on tin. You’ll almost never
find meaningful amounts in any of the
supplements currently in the marketplace.
Cobalt is a very neglected element, although it is
the central atom for chlorophyll in plants and
vitamin B-12 in animals. Humans cannot
synthesize B-12 without available cobalt, and
oral vitamin B-12 supplements are barely
absorbed. (Use 1 mg of methyl cobalamin as
your B-12 source.) We probably only need about
25 mcg of cobalt a day, but it is not toxic and
you could certainly take up to 100 mcg. This is
a very important ultra-trace element, even though
it is needed in such tiny amounts. Almost no
mineral supplements contain cobalt.
Cesium has no RDA, but is certainly essential.
This ultratrace element has proven value from
extensive research, especially in human blood. It
is almost impossible to find in any supplements.
100 mcg would be a reasonable dose, although
irresponsible promoters have been recommending
much larger, toxic quantities supposedly to cure
cancer and “alkalinize” the body. This is an
ultratrace element, and 100 mcg is an ideal dose.
Rubidium has no RDA, is not a mere trace
element, and is definitely essential. 500 mcg
would be a reasonable dose. Why is an element
that is needed in such large amounts and found in
large amounts in common foods misnamed a
“trace” element? Rubidium is very ignored for
some reason. No deficiency has been shown for
this however. This is found rather abundantly in
common foods.
Gallium is an important, but ignored, ultra-trace
element. 100 mcg of gallium nitrate is a good
dose. Human blood studies, as well as animal and
food studies prove this is essential. It is found in
all our organs. The earth’s crust has an amazing
10 mg per kg of gallium. A Japanese study
showed people were only taking in a mere 12
mcg a day. Other human blood and organ studies
indicate common deficiency.
↓Page 57.
Let’s talk about other essential, and possibly
essential, ultra-trace elements. Tungsten is
definitely needed. Barium is definitely essential.
Lithium is definitely essential, but we seem to get
sufficient amounts in our food. Doctors giving
people 1,000 times the needed amount for
depression is irresponsible and very dangerous.
Titanium has evidence showing it to be essential.
Europium seems to be essential, and research
will probably validate this within the next ten
years. Lanthanum has considerable research
behind it, and is probably essential. Indium is
claimed to have numerous benefits on Internet
sites, but published research simply doesn’t
verify any of this. Neodymium has shown
potential in animal as well as human metabolism.
Thulium (not thallium) has soil and edible plant
studies to indicate its importance, and animal
studies will soon tell us more. Praseodymium has
some animal and human research that indicates
value for our health. Gandolium may also be
shown to be essential eventually. Samarium is
found in our blood in significant amounts.
Yttrium may be essential. Cerium has evidence it
may be needed. Erbium is found in our blood and
food. Dysprosium may be essential as well.
We need all the known essential elements and not
just some of them. All elements work
synergistically and harmoniously together, in
concert, as a team. You must get all of them, and
not just some of them. We know there are at least
twenty-one we need. Look up “mineral
supplements” on the Internet to find one that has
the minerals you are known to need.
http://www.youngagain.org/books/diabetes.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment