INTERVIEW: The Evolution of Diabetes Treatment with Gary Taubes

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Jun 5, 2024

In this enlightening discussion, Gary Taubes, an award-winning science and health journalist, shares his insights on the evolution of diabetes treatment. He critiques historical dietary guidelines and explores the potential of ketogenic diets. Taubes questions the reliance on medications like Ozempic, advocating for dietary changes over pharma solutions. They discuss how ingrained biases hinder progress in understanding diabetes treatment, while highlighting the critical role of diet in managing blood sugar and overall health.

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ANECDOTE

The Animal Diet

In 1797, Dr. John Rollo treated Colonel Meredith, a diabetic patient, with an animal-based diet.
This diet, rich in fatty meat, blood sausages, and later green vegetables, effectively controlled Meredith's diabetes.

INSIGHT

Carbohydrate Restriction

Early diabetes treatment focused on carbohydrate restriction, recognizing sugar's link to the disease.
This approach, a precursor to the ketogenic diet, was standard until insulin's discovery in 1921.

INSIGHT

Insulin's Impact

Insulin's discovery shifted diabetes treatment towards high-carbohydrate diets covered by insulin.
This approach aimed to prevent hypoglycemia but unintentionally led to weight gain, a side effect of insulin.

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Rethinking Diabetes

Gary Taubes

In 'Rethinking Diabetes', Gary Taubes explores the history of diabetes treatment, highlighting how misconceptions in decades-old research have influenced current medical practices. He advocates for a diet-focused approach, emphasizing fewer carbohydrates and more fat, rather than relying heavily on insulin and medications. The book challenges established wisdom and encourages a renewed focus on clinical trials to address long-standing controversies in diabetes care.

The big fat surprise

Nina Teicholz

In this book, Nina Teicholz presents a nine-year-long investigation into the history and science of dietary fat. She argues that the low-fat nutrition advice of the past sixty years has been based on weak, inconclusive evidence and has led to disastrous health consequences. Teicholz documents how misinformation about saturated fats took hold in the scientific community and public imagination, and how recent findings have overturned these beliefs. She explains why traditional foods like meat, cheese, whole milk, and eggs are safe and beneficial for health, contrary to long-held dietary dogma.

Good calories, bad calories

Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health

Gary Taubes

In 'Good Calories, Bad Calories', Gary Taubes challenges the conventional wisdom on diet, weight control, and disease. He argues that the last few decades of dietary advice promoting low-fat diets have been consistently incorrect. Taubes posits that carbohydrates, particularly refined ones like white flour, sugar, and starches, are the primary cause of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments. He supports his assertions with biological, epidemiological, and anthropological evidence, highlighting the role of insulin in fat storage and the flaws in the scientific literature that have led to the current dietary guidelines. The book aims to change how scientists and researchers approach the questions of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, rather than providing a specific diet plan[2][3][5].

Bittersweet

Danielle Steel

Bittersweet is the story of India Taylor, a stay-at-home mom who has dedicated her life to her family. However, when she meets Paul Ward, a Wall Street tycoon, she begins to question the sacrifices she has made and the life she has chosen. With Paul's encouragement, India starts to rediscover her creativity and courage, leading her to make heart-wrenching decisions that change her life forever. The novel explores themes of freedom, dreams, and the complexities of relationships[1][3][5].

Why we get fat

Gary Taubes

In 'Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It', Gary Taubes critiques the 'calories-in, calories-out' model of weight gain, arguing that carbohydrates and insulin play a crucial role in obesity. He presents a low-carbohydrate diet as a solution to maintaining a healthy weight. The book is based on extensive scientific research and historical analysis of nutritional science.

The Case for Keto

Gary Taubes

In 'The Case for Keto', Gary Taubes critiques traditional dietary advice and presents the ketogenic diet as a viable alternative for weight loss and metabolic health. He argues that hormonal factors, particularly insulin, play a crucial role in obesity, and that a low-carb, high-fat diet can be more effective than calorie restriction for many people. The book draws on scientific research and interviews with physicians to support its claims.

The Case Against Sugar

Gary Taubes

In 'The Case Against Sugar', Gary Taubes presents a detailed analysis of how sugar, particularly sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, contributes to chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. He explores the historical and cultural impacts of sugar consumption and critiques the food industry's influence on nutritional science. The book argues that reducing sugar intake is crucial for preventing these epidemics.