DIABETES is a modern-day scourge. Nationally the incidence has doubled in the past 15 years. All the indications are that the current trend will continue.

Here in the Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, 8.3 per cent of people have been diagnosed with the disease, which is one of the highest rates in the country.

Those with diabetes are at a much increased risk of developing heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease. Diabetes can cause blindness and is responsible for most of the limb amputations which are done.

Diabetes is essentially excessive glucose in the blood. In the normal course of events insulin is produced by the pancreas which prevents the build up of blood glucose. In Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) there is an inherent weakness in the ability to secrete sufficient insulin and in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) the amount of glucose released from the food constituents is so great that the body is unable to produce enough insulin to deal with it.

In addition to those with the “full-blown” diabetes, there are many who have a condition referred to as pre-diabetes, which is a blood glucose level higher than normal. This is also linked with various aspects of ill-health, including damage to the kidneys, eyes and nerves.

There is a strong possibility that things will get progressively worse. Confirmation of the rapid deterioration of public health is shown by the fact that the incidence of pre-diabetes in England increased from 11.6 per cent in 2003 to 35.6 per cent in 2011.

Currently the NHS spends about £10 billion on the treatment and care of patients with diabetes but the emphasis is on “managing” rather than “curing”. There is no convincing evidence to demonstrate that the treatment with drugs actually achieves any effective cure. In fact those treated with drugs have a higher mortality than those who are not.

There is no debate that the glucose in the blood comes from the diet.

Therefore if we can reduce the amount of glucose originating from the food consumed, there will be less glucose available to be absorbed into the blood.

Unfortunately over the last 30 years or so the promotion of the “low fat” message has resulted in a substantial reduction in the amount of fat consumed. This has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in the intake of sugar and carbohydrates.

There is now absolutely no doubt that this is the main reason why the incidence of obesity and diabetes has increased enormously in recent years. As a consequence there is tremendous interest in diets which are low in carbohydrates and relatively high in fat, especially the saturated fat. Evidence is accumulating from research and from hundreds of individuals that by following these guidelines, diabetes can be controlled or even cured with many patients able to cease medication completely.

So what exactly is to be done? The first step is to cut out as much sugar as possible. Avoid soft drinks sweetened with sugar like the plague.

In addition, sugar is included in many other processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, sauces, ice cream, cereal bars, breakfast cereals and canned fruits. Many “low fat” varieties of foods such as yoghurts are prepared by removing the fat and replacing it with sugar. These are anything but “healthy”!

In contrast to the official advice on Healthy Eating it is also crucial to limit the intake of the foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta which are rich in starch which is broken down to produce glucose. Reducing the amount of these foods which are consumed will inevitably help to keep the blood glucose concentration in the normal range. Where possible choose the unrefined version, such as whole grain bread, which will release the glucose slowly. Include plenty of different vegetables but it is as well to limit the intake of fruit because of the sugar content. Incidentally the case for avoiding animal fats is totally bogus and we do not need to worry about consuming butter, cream and some fat on beef or lamb.

Finally here is a very convincing story from a Canadian doctor, Jay Wortman, who suddenly woke up to the fact that he had all the symptoms of diabetes. He decided the only way forward was to eliminate as much sugar and starchy foods as possible from his diet in order to lower his blood glucose. He noticed an immediate improvement and within a few months his blood glucose was back to a normal level. What is more he lost weight at the rate of about one pound per day. He included plenty of vegetables as well as meat and dairy products in his diet.

HEALTH WARNING

If you do change your diet along the lines suggested by Dr Wortman, there is a possibility that your blood glucose will fall to dangerous levels if you remain on medication.

The link below will take you to a You Tube interview with Dr Wortman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zjUdtK6ukqY

VERNER WHEELOCK

Verner Wheelock has degrees in chemistry and agricultural chemistry.

He has been head of the food policy research unit at the University of Bradford and special professor in food science at the University of Nottingham. Currently he is chairman of Verner Wheelock Associates, specialist trainers to the food industry, based at Broughton Hall.

Verner is particularly interested in the scientific basis of the dietary recommendations. Based on his own detailed studies he is convinced that the current official advice on Healthy Eating is fundamentally flawed and is the predominant reason why we have a public health crisis as shown by the record levels of obesity and diabetes.

Blog: vernerwheelock.com

Twitter: @VernersViews