Just because it comes from a med school doesn't mean it is good advice

I receive the Johns Hopkins newsletters. I receive many others too so I am up to date on what information is going around in mainstream medical channels.  This one was in my email this morning -

Nine Ways to Eat Better With Diabetes 

Here are nine ways to change your diet that will help you manage your diabetes better and improve your health. These tips apply to people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but the specifics of your nutrition management will differ depending on which type you have and should be discussed with a qualified nutritionist. 

Diabetes tip #1:  Choose plant-based foods over animal-based foods. Eating a Mediterranean-style diet -- which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and olive oil and low in red meat, poultry and animal fats -- has been found to reduce the need for blood-glucose lowering medications in people with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes tip #2:  Go for whole grains rather than refined ones. Refined grains such as white flour, rice and pasta don’t offer much nutritional value and can send blood glucose soaring. Whole grains like oat flour, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, on the other hand, are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  

Diabetes tip #3:  Use a healthier spread on bread. Avoid products that contain a lot of saturated fat, like butter and cream cheese, and regular margarine, which contains trans fats.  Your best substitutes are trans-fat-free margarines or those that contain plant stanols or sterols.  

Diabetes tip #4:  Get your D from dairy. In addition to providing calcium, dairy products are a good source of vitamin D. Recent research has linked vitamin D deficiency with a greater likelihood of developing serious complications like cardiovascular disease if you have type 2 diabetes.  

Diabetes tip #5:  Substitute a sweet potato for a white one. Sweet potatoes recently made the American Diabetic Association’s (ADA) list of “superfoods” and it’s easy to see why: They have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes, meaning they don’t raise your blood glucose levels as much. They’re also rich in carotenoids, which are important for eye health; the natural plant compound chlorogenic acid, which may help reduce insulin resistance; and potassium, which lowers blood pressure.

Diabetes tip #6:  Cook with canola oil instead of corn oil. Canola oil is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, which can lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and maintain beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.  

Diabetes tip #7:  Favor fatty fishes. Eating fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol as well as cut down on inflammation in the blood vessels, which raises heart disease risk.  

Diabetes tip #8:  Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol taken in moderation can benefit some people and has been associated with longer lifespan. However, alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, especially if you are taking a blood glucose-lowering medication. 

Diabetes tip #9:  Shake the salt habit. Excess sodium causes the body to retain fluid, which can raise your blood pressure as well as your risk of heart attack and stroke. Instead of sprinkling table salt on food, try spices, herbs, or a squeeze of lemon; avoid processed foods like jarred spaghetti sauces, luncheon meats, canned soups and condiments.   

Posted in Diabetes on July 14, 2011   Johns Hopkins Newsletters

I get my feathers in an uproar when I read these because -in this one - the information is really not good.

Here's what I sent in as a comment on some but not all of this "health" tip -

I read an article recently about health care providers whose knowledge is sorely out of date, or they just don't keep up with current research. This is the reason I am commenting on some items in your list about diabetes and eating.

Flour is NOT a whole grain.

Many people with diabetes actually have gluten intolerance and therefore it is not a good idea to suggest a processed food like whole wheat pasta.

Margarine regardless of what or how it is manufactured is NOT a health promoting food. The suggestion that plant sterol based fake fat is healthier is vacuous because plant sterols come from genetically modified soy and canola. GMOs cause a range of health problems. Soy in any form except fermented is bad for health. Canola is TOO monounsaturated for health and it IS a transfat as well as being hepatotoxic (not good for people with diabetes. MUCH better to use unsalted butter from dairy with NO rGBH and make it into "spread" by mixing it with olive oil. New research shows that healthy fat includes butter.

Dairy allergy should be evaluated before suggesting dairy as a source for Vitamin D. This is usually low efficacy Vit D2 in milk and it is D3 that is the more effective source. Do a 25 OH and make sure the level is 50-80, 80 is better.

If you undercook white potato it will not have as high of a glycemic index as in over cooked baked potato or mashed etc.

Corn and canola oil are bot more likely than not GMO. Both are sold in plastic and this increases the risk of exposure to xeno-estrogens and increased cancer risk. Canola is a trans fat and hepatotoxic O-9 - too unsaturated for health.

If you choose Celtic salt is is a very health choice and unlike boxed salt it is low in sodium and contains many minerals. Because it is mineral rich you don't use much.

I could write more but this is enough for starters. All I have written is backed by REAL science.

I hope you'll be more of a sleuth when it comes to believing what you read on the internet, even when its coming from what you believe to be a reputable source.

Thinking caps on please.

 

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