Low-Carb Diet Lowers Risk Of Diabetes In Marine Wives

Posted February 12th, 2008 at 10:37 pm in Low Carb

I was speaking with some fellow veterans at the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Hospital in Phoenix the other day while I sat in the waiting room of the Agent Orange Registry. I was there for an examination that would tell me if I had, or, was at risk for, type 2 diabetes, a disease now on the the list of associated nasty things that you can get as a result of exposure to high concentrates of Agent Orange (DDT- a defoliant) in Viet Nam. Anyway, as vets will do, we got to talking about our wives and what they were doing to lower their risk of diabetes and how a certain diet might help.

All of the wives that were discussed were women ranging in age from 50 to 60 years old, currently overweight, and were on diets of some kind. It's a well-known fact that being overweight is the single largest contributor in causing the onset of type 2 diabetes. And, believe me, you do not want to get this disease!

Low-Carb Or Low-Fat?

The discussion with my Viet Nam comrades resulted in a split decision, some were in favor of the low-carb diet and some were on the side of low-fat, with the consensus leaning (ha!) toward a low-fat approach. My wife cringes when she sees me eat a steak or bacon or cream cheese, regardless of my weight loss results because she has been conditioned to think that way by a multi-zillion dollar campaign to keep king sugar posting record profits.

Inundated with glossy ads in magazines and TV commercials that promote low-fat foods or diets while showcasing the thin bodies and beautiful faces of those (18 year old) ladies among us, who represent less than 1% of the entire female population, paid to say they got that way by consuming a certain low-fat food. Pullease!

Up On A Low-Carb Soapbox

Among my veteran colleagues there were advocates for both low-carb and low-fat approaches but before I could get up on my low-carb soapbox and enlighten them with all that I have learned about the low-carb nutritional approach to weight loss, I was called in to the doctor. When I came out my new friends had dispersed to examination rooms where the news was either good or bad. (in my case, I came out ok, whew!).

I thought about it on the way home and got on the computer first thing. And voila!, right there in Healthday News was an article about those same concerns. Very illuminating, especially for woman who feel the need to reduce the amount of meat in their diet, and a concern they might be at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Low-Carb Wins!

It turns out that a diet low in carbs but high in animal fat and protein doesn't seem to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, a new study claims. As a proponent of the low-carb approach I was happy to hear that because sugar and insulin spikes are the culprits here and low-fat diets are packed with sugar! I agree that "one study is never enough to change a recommendation," but this study leads the way in pointing out the obvious, what us low carb advocates have known for years now; a low-fat diet is not the way to eat if you are concerned about preventing type 2 diabetes.