Diabetes Conference Anaheim December 2011

W W W . W O R L D C O N G R E S S . C O M

TWO TALKS IN ONE SESSION

(1) Glucose: the Silent Killer!(2) Food as Drug Delivery

Technology


GLUCOSE: THE SILENT KILLER!

Michael A. S. Guth, Ph.D., J.D.Director, Health Economics & Outcomes ResearchRisk Management Consulting


The deadly effects of even slightly elevated glucose are fatally misunderstood.Most physicians rely on obsolete (normal) blood glucose ranges, rather than seeking to optimize serum glucose levels. Optimal: 80 mg/dL or below. People today suffer and die from diabetes complications w/o knowing their glucose levels are too high.


Evolution of Diabetes’ Clinical Definition

From 1979 – 1997, Amer. Diab. Assn dictated diagnosis with fasting glucose of 140 mg/dL or higher on two occasions.In 1997, threshold was lowered to 126 mg/dL, with impaired fasting glucose at 110 mg/dL.Today, impaired fasting glucose at 100 mg/dL or higher.


Normal vs. Optimal HealthThose with glucose above 85 mg/dL face a 40% increased risk of fatal heart attacks.Source: Bjornbolt JV, Erikssen G, Aaser E, et al., Fasting blood glucose: an underestimated risk factor for cardiovascular death. Results from a 22-year follow-up of healthy nondiabetic men. Diabetes Care, 1999 Jan:22(1), 45-49.


“Upper Normal” is Not Safe

“fasting blood glucose values in the upper normal range appears to be an important independent predictor of cardiovascular death in nondiabetic apparently healthy middle-aged men.”


Lesson from Anti-Aging Medicine Maturing individuals need to take aggressive actions to ensure their fasting and post-prandial glucose levels are kept in safe ranges.Glucose is like gasoline. Spilled gasoline (excess glucose) creates a highly “combustible” environment for oxidative stress and inflammation.


Clinical Practice Issues What percentage of doctors would see fasting glucose values of 85 – 100 mg/dL and tell their patients everything is fine?Medical malpractice is based on the standard of care for a typical physician in a given state. Incentives for herd behavior.Future trend: patients becoming better informed and expecting standard of care above the old norm.


Why any “Excess” Glucose is Dangerous

Causes multiple diseases of aging.38% increase in deaths from digestive tract cancers.In general, all forms of cancer love excess glucose and consume it at a much faster rate than normal, healthy cells.Diabetics suffer such horrific incidences of vascular disorders that some experts believe that coronary atherosclerosis and diabetes should be classified as the same disease.


FOOD AS DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY

Michael A. S. Guth, Ph.D., J.D.http://michaelguth.com

Email: [email protected]: (865) 483-8309

http://michaelguth.com/

mailto:[email protected]


This talk is based on the wonderful book,

THE ZONE: A Dietary Road Map, by Barry Sears, Ph.D., with Bill Lawren. (available on Harper audio tape),

as well as my own health economics and

outcomes research.


The Zone: Balancing Protein and Carbohydrates

“Eat less fat and more fruits and vegetables” is wrong advice.Eating fat does not make you fat.It is hard to lose weight by simply restricting calories.Diets based on choice restriction and limited calories usually fail.Losing weight has little to do with willpower.The biochemical effects of food have been constant for the past 40 million years.


Body Fat Governed by Macronutrients Consumed

Macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats.Dietary Guidelines: eat plenty of (carbs).All carbs are simple sugars linked in polymer chains.Any carbs not used by the body will be stored as glycogen. (muscles – inaccessible, liver – accessible).Once liver storage of glycogen is full, excess carbs have only one fate: converted to (excess) fat.


Cascade of Glucose Problems

Meals high in carbs = rapid rise in serum glucose.High glucose = release of insulin from pancreas.Insulin = storage hormone evolved to put aside excess carbs in fat, aggressively promotes storage of fat.Eating carbs = hormonal message “store fat.”Even worse, increased insulin tells body not to release any stored fat. Makes it impossible to use body’s own stored fat for energy.


Glycemic Index (Rate of Sugar Entry into Blood)

Depends OnStructure of simple sugars in the food.Soluble fiber content.Fat Content.All complex carbohydrates must be broken down into simple sugars to be absorbed.Only three common sugars in carbs: glucose (grains, pasta, starches, vegetables), fructose, and galactose (dairy products).Of these three, only glucose can be released directly into the bloodstream: sprint to spike


Every Morsel of Food Ingested Causes Hormonal

ResponsesHormones regulate virtually everything the body does from controlling glucose levels to survival mechanisms.Insulin – Glucagon Opposites Pairing. Glucagon causes release of glucose (stored carbs) from the liver. Glucagon stimulated by dietary protein.Food is the most powerful drug a person will ever encounter. Learn how to control the body’s unintended hormonal responses to food.


The Zone Recommendations

Eat small meals with proper ratio of proteins to carbs every time: 0.75 is ideal, 0.6 – 1.0 still zone favorable.Exercise stimulates hormonal changes in a favorable way: release and burn fats. Fat more efficient source of energy (twice) as carbohydrates. In the zone, maximum fat released as needed. Outside the zone, fat accumulated even with exercise.Combine aerobic exercise with weight-bearing exercise. Latter causes release of human growth hormone to repair muscle damage (uses stored body fats).


Reject Gov’t Dietary Advice


Starches are Poison, esp. for Diabetics

People who have diabetes and continue to eat ANY starch are electing to eat more of the poison that is killing them.

The real answer is to stop eating any starch, not just cut down.

Medium-sized baked potato has avg. glycemic index of 85. White bread 73. Whole Wheat bread 71. White rice 64, brown rice 55. White spaghetti boiled 20 minutes, 61.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm


SummaryFoundation for glycemic favorable diet is drug delivery technology, not standard nutritional admonitions.Main concern is controlling rate of drug (protein & carbs) entry into the blood stream.Adequate protein, low fat, carbohydrate moderate diet.


Change Attitudes Toward Food

Food is more than something to eat for pleasure or to appease hunger.Food is the most important drug you will consume, at least three times per day, for the rest of your life.Every item of food should be consumed with with a view to how it will affect the insulin-glucagon balance.

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Diabetes Conference Anaheim December 2011