Does eating too many carbs lead to diabetes?
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My grandma was 5'2 and 115 lbs when she was diagnosed around age 60. From what I know of nutrition, she ate pretty good. She also walked daily at that time, did aerobics and yoga. She is 92 now and although she has dementia and uses a walker, she still walks daily.
Define "normal weight". I have yet to meet someone with type 2 diabetes who was not overweight, so I find this interesting. What was his meal frequency and composition like in the time leading up to the diagnosis?Oh and just a little more info, obesity is not central to getting diabetes, passmetheduck... read my post cause maybe it will enlighten you and others to the true reasons behind it....and its not just too much food and being overweight....cause my hubby is normal weight and he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in April and had a starting blood sugar of 445.0 -
Ohhhhh....I think it's more genetic, diabetes has a deep connection to cold. Seasonal differences in blood sugar levels. Sugar, water, cold....0
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I know, isn't that amazing considering intramyocellular lipid is increased when someone's insulin resistant and reduces with calorie restriction, good catch.40+ posts, and not one mention of intramyocellular lipid.
Diabetes is a complicated disease, but it is commonly caused by a high fat diet. High glycemic foods only compound the problem.
Diabetes has been effectively treated by switching to a high carbohydrate, low fat vegan diet.
Exercise and weight loss are the most effective for reversing insulin resistance and reducing the symptoms of diabetes, weight loss being the 900 lb gorilla to increased insulin sensitivity. If the Vegan is exercising and eating those high carbs in a deficit, then sure, that should work. 0 -
ohhhhhh....eliminating water and driving up sugar levels? Maybe humans do it too? Grapes do. lol Is it a coincidence that the people most likely to have a genetic propensity for a disease characterized by exactly that (excessive elimination of water and high levels of blood sugar) are people descended from exactly those places most ravaged by the sudden onset of an ice age about 13,000 years ago? May be that diabetes helped some European ancestors survive the sudden cold of the Younger Dryas.0
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In response to your question, a sedentary lifestyle, and years of eating diets loaded with sugar, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats (animal and trans-fats), causes weight gain, especially in the belly.
Except this part of the post is, well, incorrect. The only way for these foods to cause weight gain is for them to be over consumed, and over consumed leading to weight gain leads to obesity........with no weight gain there is a far less chance of diabetes. You can't take for granted that someone that eats these foods are going to gain weight.
I wish people did not make a sweeping statements that animal fats are bad (and this coming from a vegetarian here!) - some of the saturated fatty acids are beneficial and it should be about context and dosage and as part of the overall diet.
(re-ordered quoting so it made more sense)0 -
Yeah, that makes me wince as well.:happy:In response to your question, a sedentary lifestyle, and years of eating diets loaded with sugar, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats (animal and trans-fats), causes weight gain, especially in the belly.
Except this part of the post is, well, incorrect. The only way for these foods to cause weight gain is for them to be over consumed, and over consumed leading to weight gain leads to obesity........with no weight gain there is a far less chance of diabetes. You can't take for granted that someone that eats these foods are going to gain weight.
I wish people did not make a sweeping statements that animal fats are bad (and this coming from a vegetarian here!) - some of the saturated fatty acids are beneficial and it should be about context and dosage and as part of the overall diet.
(re-ordered quoting so it made more sense)0 -
Exercise is a big factor,too, in avoiding diabetes. BTW Anyone against animal fats should read "Fat:The Misunderstood Ingredient"
or "Real Food" and maybe watch "The Oiling of America" a shocking look at the damage done since hydrogenated vegetable fats and shortenings entered the market in this country. This video is widely available to watch free on the internet.
Then read up on Genetically Engineered soybeans and corn used to create these fats largely by Monsanto.
links:
http://www.jennifermclagan.com/book_fat.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-What-Eat-Why/dp/1596913428
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKdYUCUca8
http://www.ahwatukee.com/community_focus/article_dc3c7568-72d1-11e1-9e85-0019bb2963f4.html0 -
I agree with your math.:happy:Eating lots of carbs often means you are also eating lots of calories. Most people who are overweight/obese are eating too many calories, and often much of their diet is from carbs. Those tend to be the foods many people overeat. Think pizza, cookie, bread, cakes, pasta. Do you cheat on your diet with too many vegetables? Probably not. Most people are not overeating their veggies or protein. Do you cheat with a pint of Ben and Jerry's? Hmmm. And fat? By itself, not so bad. But mixed into those high carb meals... high calorie whammy.
Here's my math:
Too much food (carbs + fat) = high cals --> obesity + family risk = diabetes + metabolic syndrome = Cardiovascular disease and other fun stuff.
The best way to avoid Type 2 is to reduce obesity by whatever means possible. A healthier means is probably a better means, since there's more to health than weight loss.
So, do carbs cause diabetes? No, that's crazy talk. Is obesity caused by overeating linked to Type 2 diabetes? Yes, most likely. Do most people who overeat tend to overeat carbs? Yes, they do.
When I was diabetic, I controlled my glucose swings by limiting carbs. I could see the exact effect of carbs on my pre- and post-prandial testing. I was lucky and managed my diabetes (gestational) through diet alone. As soon as I popped out those babies and their pesky placentas that were wreaking havoc on my pancreas, my diabetes was eliminated. However, I'm essentially guaranteed to be diabetic (family history + diabetic siblings + gestational... triple risk whammy) if I don't keep my weight down. I choose to do it by limiting my carb intake, and savoring my fats, while eating at a deficit. Of course, my diary sucks today.0 -
I'm not sure of the science. I ate too many carbs... I got diabetes... Went low carb (120g or less) and ate healthy in general, lost weight and my diabetes is gone. Take from that what you will x0
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To get diabetes you need to have the diabetic gene. The main cause of diabetes is a poor choice in ancestors. People without the gene can spend their lives eating a poor diet and sitting about and watching TV and will never get the disease. Conversely if you have the diabetic gene and you don't eat a lot and do a lot of exercise, you still probably wouldn't get the disease.
There is even a school of thought that the diabetic gene makes you feel hungry.
The above are lines from a respected book on Type2 by Gretchen Becker.
In short just because you are fat does not mean you will get the disease.
I do have Type 2, caused by insulin resistance due to my obesity. My sugar levels are now well controlled as I have reduced my body fat significantly, to a level that my A1C (the measure of average blood sugar) is that of a non diabetic.
So in answer to the OP. NO too many carbs alone do not cause diabetes, but, can lead to it if you have the "diabetic gene".
Yes, I agree with this.0 -
I agree with your math.:happy:Eating lots of carbs often means you are also eating lots of calories. Most people who are overweight/obese are eating too many calories, and often much of their diet is from carbs. Those tend to be the foods many people overeat. Think pizza, cookie, bread, cakes, pasta. Do you cheat on your diet with too many vegetables? Probably not. Most people are not overeating their veggies or protein. Do you cheat with a pint of Ben and Jerry's? Hmmm. And fat? By itself, not so bad. But mixed into those high carb meals... high calorie whammy.
Here's my math:
Too much food (carbs + fat) = high cals --> obesity + family risk = diabetes + metabolic syndrome = Cardiovascular disease and other fun stuff.
The best way to avoid Type 2 is to reduce obesity by whatever means possible. A healthier means is probably a better means, since there's more to health than weight loss.
So, do carbs cause diabetes? No, that's crazy talk. Is obesity caused by overeating linked to Type 2 diabetes? Yes, most likely. Do most people who overeat tend to overeat carbs? Yes, they do.
When I was diabetic, I controlled my glucose swings by limiting carbs. I could see the exact effect of carbs on my pre- and post-prandial testing. I was lucky and managed my diabetes (gestational) through diet alone. As soon as I popped out those babies and their pesky placentas that were wreaking havoc on my pancreas, my diabetes was eliminated. However, I'm essentially guaranteed to be diabetic (family history + diabetic siblings + gestational... triple risk whammy) if I don't keep my weight down. I choose to do it by limiting my carb intake, and savoring my fats, while eating at a deficit. Of course, my diary sucks today.
What do you recommend for the low weight type 2 diabetic then? Its more common than people think and they can't simply lose weight since they risk health issues from being underweight. Theres still the posibility that whatever causes someone to be diabetic also makes them more prone to becoming obese. I dont think its as simple as "dont get fat" the problem is way more complicated0 -
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I have yet to meet someone with type 2 diabetes who was not overweight, so I find this interesting.
Really? Diabetes runs in my family and my husbands family. While most of those that have it are fat, a few are quite thin. They are those people who can eat a lot of crap without gaining weight, so they do. My BIL who is built somewhat like Barney Fife was just diagnosed as pre-diabetic.0 -
Actually, insulin resistance is caused by excess fats in the blood stream that block insulin from reaching insulin receptors. What you've described in your original posts are the SYMPTOMS of insulin resistance, not the cause. I've lived my entire life with my mother having diabetes. You're describing symptoms, not causes.people fail to recognize that fats/genetics is what causes diabetes in most cases, not sugars or carbs. read up on it!
Sorry, but with all due respect you are misinformed. Fats do not cause an increase in blood sugar or insulin. Type 1 Diabetes is genetic. Type 2 is caused by diet and lifestyle.
Case in point, protein spikes insulin levels in your blood stream to an equal, and sometimes higher level than sugar. Based on your opinion, eating protein would also lead to insulin resistance, as it also spikes your insulin levels and forces your pancreas to release large amounts of insulin in a short timeframe, yet it doesn't.
The simple fact is that your pancreas is quite well equipped to release insulin, and the amount of insulin your pancreas releases has no bearing on insulin resistance, as your pancreas releases insulin as it's needed. If it doesn't all get used, no more gets released until it's gone. If more is needed, it releases more. That's what it does.
Being overfat basically causes type 2 diabetes.0 -
I agree with your math.:happy:Eating lots of carbs often means you are also eating lots of calories. Most people who are overweight/obese are eating too many calories, and often much of their diet is from carbs. Those tend to be the foods many people overeat. Think pizza, cookie, bread, cakes, pasta. Do you cheat on your diet with too many vegetables? Probably not. Most people are not overeating their veggies or protein. Do you cheat with a pint of Ben and Jerry's? Hmmm. And fat? By itself, not so bad. But mixed into those high carb meals... high calorie whammy.
Here's my math:
Too much food (carbs + fat) = high cals --> obesity + family risk = diabetes + metabolic syndrome = Cardiovascular disease and other fun stuff.
The best way to avoid Type 2 is to reduce obesity by whatever means possible. A healthier means is probably a better means, since there's more to health than weight loss.
So, do carbs cause diabetes? No, that's crazy talk. Is obesity caused by overeating linked to Type 2 diabetes? Yes, most likely. Do most people who overeat tend to overeat carbs? Yes, they do.
When I was diabetic, I controlled my glucose swings by limiting carbs. I could see the exact effect of carbs on my pre- and post-prandial testing. I was lucky and managed my diabetes (gestational) through diet alone. As soon as I popped out those babies and their pesky placentas that were wreaking havoc on my pancreas, my diabetes was eliminated. However, I'm essentially guaranteed to be diabetic (family history + diabetic siblings + gestational... triple risk whammy) if I don't keep my weight down. I choose to do it by limiting my carb intake, and savoring my fats, while eating at a deficit. Of course, my diary sucks today.
What do you recommend for the low weight type 2 diabetic then? Its more common than people think and they can't simply lose weight since they risk health issues from being underweight. Theres still the posibility that whatever causes someone to be diabetic also makes them more prone to becoming obese. I dont think its as simple as "dont get fat" the problem is way more complicated
Absolutely true. Diabetes for those people will not be reversed/managed by losing weight. And it's possible that I will be one of those low weight diabetics when I get old. My brother weighs 140 soaking wet and he is diabetic; his diabetes was triggered by his HIV cocktails. My father was a thin Type 2 diabetic also... He drank his diet in the form of gin and tonics plus metformin. For normal weight diabetics, I personally think a lower-carb diet can help manage blood sugar stability (I experience that personally) but obviously no need to lose weight. I'm not a doctor... Just someone who used to push cardiovascular drugs on doctors. I can tell you that the very large majority of my doctors' diabetic patients were overweight. That's definitely more common than the skinny diabetic. If you have a family history of diabetes, you can reduce your risk of becoming diabetic by keeping your weight to a normal level. And I personally believe in eating my carbs mostly from fruit and veggies, and not through foods with lots of added sugars. I'm almost at my goal weight and in the normal weight zone for my height now (thanks, MFP!). If I ate at TDEE but a diet of mostly high carbs, my weight might not be an issue but I'd be stressing my pancreas. I plan to stick to a lower carb diet for the rest of my life to maintain weight and give my pancreas a fighting chance to function normally.0 -
Its weird how you know exactly what causes t2 diabetes when no research seems to have pinpointed an exact cause yet. How does an athletic low weight person still become prediabetic and will likely be type 2 diabetic then? They're not overfat or skinny fat so what else can be the cause?
Actually, insulin resistance is caused by excess fats in the blood stream that block insulin from reaching insulin receptors. What you've described in your original posts are the SYMPTOMS of insulin resistance, not the cause. I've lived my entire life with my mother having diabetes. You're describing symptoms, not causes.people fail to recognize that fats/genetics is what causes diabetes in most cases, not sugars or carbs. read up on it!
Sorry, but with all due respect you are misinformed. Fats do not cause an increase in blood sugar or insulin. Type 1 Diabetes is genetic. Type 2 is caused by diet and lifestyle.
Case in point, protein spikes insulin levels in your blood stream to an equal, and sometimes higher level than sugar. Based on your opinion, eating protein would also lead to insulin resistance, as it also spikes your insulin levels and forces your pancreas to release large amounts of insulin in a short timeframe, yet it doesn't.
The simple fact is that your pancreas is quite well equipped to release insulin, and the amount of insulin your pancreas releases has no bearing on insulin resistance, as your pancreas releases insulin as it's needed. If it doesn't all get used, no more gets released until it's gone. If more is needed, it releases more. That's what it does.
Being overfat basically causes type 2 diabetes.0 -
edited earlier posts to save space...
Its weird how you know exactly what causes t2 diabetes when no research seems to have pinpointed an exact cause yet. How does an athletic low weight person still become prediabetic and will likely be type 2 diabetic then? They're not overfat or skinny fat so what else can be the cause?
Researchers are learning more and more about viral infections and their ability to cause diabetes (and other diseases). Here's an interesting study, looking at the link between HSV-1 and Type 2 diabetes. There is also research showing a significant relationship between chronic HepC and Type 2 diabetes.
HSV-1 study: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/2/435.full
The thinking is that the viral infection causes chronic inflammation that damages the pancreas. "The inflammation related with abnormal function of β-cells and mitochondrial dysfunction after HSV-1 infection might be helpful to elucidate the association of HSV-1 infection with type 2 diabetes observed in this study."
Not saying you have Herpes... LOL. Just saying that there are potential triggers for diabetes other than obesity. However, in the US, more than half of all diabetics are overweight, while the amount of people with diabetes that are normal weight is much less than that.
Unfortunately... there's a study that says there's a higher mortality weight for those diabetics at normal weight. Potentially because their diabetes is not managed as aggressively. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1309174
My overly simplistic morale of the story:
If you are overweight with a family history of diabetes... lose weight to avoid/delay the onset of diabetes.
If you are normal weight with a family history of diabetes... try to keep your weight in the normal range to avoid/delay the onset of diabetes.
If you are normal weight and are pre-diabetic or diabetic... make sure you manage your diabetes aggressively. Also... I'd be following the research on the relationship between diet and mitochondrial repair.0 -
That is some interesting stuff. For what it's worth, you can supplement ALCAR+ALA+NAC for pennies a day, and not only will it provide enough protection to mitigate damage from virtually all sources of oxidative stress, ALCAR+ALA have been shown to actually reverse mitochondrial damage.
Controlling inflammation through diet (get tested to see what foods if any you have an inflammatory response to), regular fasting (and/or low meal fequency) and by maintaining a healthy body fat level seem to be keystones for optimal health.0 -
That is some interesting stuff. For what it's worth, you can supplement ALCAR+ALA+NAC for pennies a day, and not only will it provide enough protection to mitigate damage from virtually all sources of oxidative stress, ALCAR+ALA have been shown to actually reverse mitochondrial damage.
Controlling inflammation through diet (get tested to see what foods if any you have an inflammatory response to), regular fasting (and/or low meal fequency) and by maintaining a healthy body fat level seem to be keystones for optimal health.
I'll look into that (I can barely remember to take my daily DHA!). I occasionally IF, but I'm cautious about it. There's some thinking out there that while it shows benefits for males, IF can be detrimental to women as it effs with our hormones. Also, for women (or men) who have a history of ED, IF can trigger ED behaviors and thinking. I have never had an ED, thankfully. I use it mostly just when I run out of time to prepare breakfast (like today). I find that since eating lower carb, I can easily go until 1-2p without getting hungry on some days. Other days, I'm hungry as soon as I wake up. Today I skipped breakfast, it's 11am, and I'm still feeling good. Of course, I have a 100+ cals of heavy whipping cream in my coffee to keep me happy. 0 -
edited earlier posts to save space...
Its weird how you know exactly what causes t2 diabetes when no research seems to have pinpointed an exact cause yet. How does an athletic low weight person still become prediabetic and will likely be type 2 diabetic then? They're not overfat or skinny fat so what else can be the cause?
Researchers are learning more and more about viral infections and their ability to cause diabetes (and other diseases). Here's an interesting study, looking at the link between HSV-1 and Type 2 diabetes. There is also research showing a significant relationship between chronic HepC and Type 2 diabetes.
HSV-1 study: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/2/435.full
The thinking is that the viral infection causes chronic inflammation that damages the pancreas. "The inflammation related with abnormal function of β-cells and mitochondrial dysfunction after HSV-1 infection might be helpful to elucidate the association of HSV-1 infection with type 2 diabetes observed in this study."
Not saying you have Herpes... LOL. Just saying that there are potential triggers for diabetes other than obesity. However, in the US, more than half of all diabetics are overweight, while the amount of people with diabetes that are normal weight is much less than that.
Unfortunately... there's a study that says there's a higher mortality weight for those diabetics at normal weight. Potentially because their diabetes is not managed as aggressively. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1309174
My overly simplistic morale of the story:
If you are overweight with a family history of diabetes... lose weight to avoid/delay the onset of diabetes.
If you are normal weight with a family history of diabetes... try to keep your weight in the normal range to avoid/delay the onset of diabetes.
If you are normal weight and are pre-diabetic or diabetic... make sure you manage your diabetes aggressively. Also... I'd be following the research on the relationship between diet and mitochondrial repair.
From what I've read about hsv-1 is that about 90% of the population has it but not everyone gets cold sores. Its pretty much as common as herpes zoster aka chicken pox. I'd have to read more into your links when I get home but I'm not sure if that could be the cause0
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