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Concerning embryonic stem cell research, did you notice the wording in the

article blurb? It says, " ...suggests the possibility of... " Well,

unfortunately, the media is unwilling to mention the great work being done

in the area of stem cell research not involving a human embryo. Sadly,

research on stem cells has become a battle field, and if someone else is

into googling (I just don't have the time), I'd love to read an article or

two about the research being done for diabetes using adult or embelic stem

cells.

Dave

Life is but a blink of the eye--eternity is coming...

article

> Stem Cells May Make Insulin Cells

>

> U.S. scientists say human embryonic stem cells can be converted into cells

> that produce all five hormones made by the pancreas, including insulin.

> Research conducted by Baetge and colleagues at Novocell Inc. in San

> Diego suggests the possibility of turning human embryonic stem cells into

> pancreatic cells that can be used for diabetes therapy.

>

>

>

> Human embryonic stem cells have the potential to become virtually any cell

> type in the body. Thus, they are a promising source of cells to repair

> damaged organs, such as the pancreas, heart and liver.

>

> Learn more>> <http://main.diabetes.org/site/R?i=aq8IX3JdVCeJDtSR0rQwXQ..>

>

>

>

> Erectile Dysfunction Seen as Diabetes Marker in Younger Men Erectile

> dysfunction (ED) is a marker for diabetes in men younger than 45 years of

> age and probably also for men between 46-65 years of age, new research

> suggests. In men older than 66 years, however, ED is not predictive of

> diabetes.

>

>

>

> Several reports have shown that ED and diabetes often coexist, but it was

> unclear if men with ED were any more likely than men without it to have

> diabetes, lead author Dr. Sun, from Lilly Research Laboratories in

> Indianapolis, and colleagues note in The Journal of Urology for September.

>

> Learn more>> <http://main.diabetes.org/site/R?i=zOL_d14VvUphGsh_j1RbXQ..>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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  • 1 month later...

that was terrific. it made me laugh heartily, and I suppose I could have died

from that, but still hanging in and eating bread. (grin)

Vicki Breffe

" He that has a merry heart has a continual feast... "

Proverbs 15:15

article

The Dangers of Bread

Hire Geoff to Speak

Frequently Requested Items

Event Photos

Can't Find It? Click Here

Past and Future Guest Information

Send a Message to Geoff

Your Opinions Posted Here

Links to Other Hot Sites

Back to the Home Page

The Dangers of Bread

A recent Cincinnati Enquirer headline read, " Smell of baked bread may be

health hazard. " The article went on to describe the dangers of the smell of

baking

bread. The main danger, apparently, is that the organic components of this

aroma may break down ozone (I'm not making this stuff up).

I was horrified. When are we going to do something about bread- induced

global warming? Sure, we attack tobacco companies, but when is the

government going

to go after Big Bread?

Well, I've done a little research, and what I've discovered should make

anyone think twice....

List of 12 items

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread eaters.

2. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households

score below average on standardized tests.

3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the

average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were

unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as

typhoid, yellow fever and influenza ravaged whole nations.

4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of

eating bread.

5. Bread is made from a substance called " dough. " It has been proven that as

little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average

American eats more bread than that in one month!

6. Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low occurrence of

cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis.

7. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and

given only water to eat begged for bread after only two days.

8. Bread is often a " gateway " food item, leading the user to " harder " items

such as butter, jelly, peanut butter and even cold cuts.

9. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than

90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being

taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey

bread-pudding person.

10. Newborn babies can choke on bread.

11. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit! That

kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.

12. Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to distinguish between

significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.

list end

In light of these frightening statistics, we propose the following bread

restrictions:

List of 5 items

1. No sale of bread to minors.

2. No advertising of bread within 1000 feet of a school.

3. A 300 percent federal tax on all bread to pay for all the societal ills

we might associate with bread.

4. No animal or human images, nor any primary colors (which may appeal to

children) may be used to promote bread usage.

5. A $4.2 zillion fine on the three biggest bread manufacturers. Please send

this e-mail on to everyone you know who cares about this crucial issue.

list end

Hire Geoff to Speak

Frequently Requested Items

Event Photos

Can't Find It? Click Here

Past and Future Guest Information

Send a Message to Geoff

Your Opinions Posted Here

Links to Other Hot Sites

Back to the Home Page

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi ,

Thanks for the laugh! Many of the so called reasons not to eat bread can be

attributed to other factors. This guy needs to go back to research methods.

Ruth

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of plawolf

Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 3:08 PM

To: Blind-DiabeticsYahoogroups (DOT) Com; Acb-DiabeticsAcb (DOT) Org; Nelly Emerson;

Bill

Subject: article

The Dangers of Bread

Hire Geoff to Speak

Frequently Requested Items

Event Photos

Can't Find It? Click Here

Past and Future Guest Information

Send a Message to Geoff

Your Opinions Posted Here

Links to Other Hot Sites

Back to the Home Page

The Dangers of Bread

A recent Cincinnati Enquirer headline read, " Smell of baked bread may be

health hazard. " The article went on to describe the dangers of the smell of

baking

bread. The main danger, apparently, is that the organic components of this

aroma may break down ozone (I'm not making this stuff up).

I was horrified. When are we going to do something about bread- induced

global warming? Sure, we attack tobacco companies, but when is the

government going

to go after Big Bread?

Well, I've done a little research, and what I've discovered should make

anyone think twice....

List of 12 items

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread eaters.

2. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households

score below average on standardized tests.

3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the

average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were

unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as

typhoid, yellow fever and influenza ravaged whole nations.

4. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of

eating bread.

5. Bread is made from a substance called " dough. " It has been proven that as

little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average

American eats more bread than that in one month!

6. Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low occurrence of

cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis.

7. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and

given only water to eat begged for bread after only two days.

8. Bread is often a " gateway " food item, leading the user to " harder " items

such as butter, jelly, peanut butter and even cold cuts.

9. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than

90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being

taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey

bread-pudding person.

10. Newborn babies can choke on bread.

11. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit! That

kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.

12. Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to distinguish between

significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.

list end

In light of these frightening statistics, we propose the following bread

restrictions:

List of 5 items

1. No sale of bread to minors.

2. No advertising of bread within 1000 feet of a school.

3. A 300 percent federal tax on all bread to pay for all the societal ills

we might associate with bread.

4. No animal or human images, nor any primary colors (which may appeal to

children) may be used to promote bread usage.

5. A $4.2 zillion fine on the three biggest bread manufacturers. Please send

this e-mail on to everyone you know who cares about this crucial issue.

list end

Hire Geoff to Speak

Frequently Requested Items

Event Photos

Can't Find It? Click Here

Past and Future Guest Information

Send a Message to Geoff

Your Opinions Posted Here

Links to Other Hot Sites

Back to the Home Page

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

This sounds very promising.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of LaFrance-Wolf

Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 9:39 PM

To: Doc Mahaber Dr. (Doc Mahaber Dr.); Blind-DiabeticsYahoogroups (DOT) Com;

Acb-DiabeticsAcb (DOT) Org

Subject: article

WebMD Medical News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 6, 2007 -- Obesity leads to insulin resistance and diabetes, but

not if a key inflammatory pathway is blocked, mouse studies show.

Abdominal obesity is a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes. As people

gain more and more belly fat, they become more and more resistant to

insulin. Their bodies have to make more and more insulin to control

their blood sugar. Eventually, they develop diabetes.

Why does this happen? Scientists have found that one of the body's

chemical signals, called JNK1, is needed both for the accumulation of

abdominal fat and for obesity-related insulin resistance. Mice

lacking the JNK1 gene can eat a high-fat diet without getting fat and

without getting diabetes.

But can you become obese without getting diabetes? The surprising

answer seems to be yes.

That is, if the JNK1 signal is blocked in the bone-marrow-derived

immune cells called macrophages but not in other tissues. The finding

comes from mouse studies by University of California, San Diego

researchers Jerrold Olefsky, MD, and colleagues.

Macrophages, the researchers find, need JNK1 to keep up a low-level,

obesity-triggered inflammatory response throughout the body. It is

this immune response -- not obesity itself -- that leads to insulin

resistance and diabetes.

" If we can block or disarm this macrophage inflammatory pathway in

humans, we could interrupt the cascade that leads to insulin

resistance and diabetes, " Olefsky says in a news release.

It's much easier to find a drug that affects bone-marrow-derived

cells than it is to find one that affects other cells. The findings

thus take researchers one step closer to a new class of

diabetes-preventing drugs.

" We aren't suggesting that obesity is healthy, but indications are

promising that, by blocking the macrophage pathway, scientists may

find a way to prevent the type 2 diabetes now linked to obesity, "

Olefsky says.

The findings appear in the November issue of Cell Metabolism.

__________ NOD32 2642 (20071106) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset. <http://www.eset.com> com

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  • 1 month later...

Seems to lend support to the Bernstein program. Hmmm? I liked the one comment

about no one really knowing what the right diet is. That's pretty much the way

I see it, and it's frustrating...

Dave

article

Weight of the Evidence

Health = Lifestyle, Nutrition and Activity

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Merry Christmas!

s400/merry_christmas

Posted by Regina Wilshire at

6:48 PM

2 comments

Links to this post

img/icon18_email

Friday, December 21, 2007

What If Saturated Fat Is Not the Problem?

An

article in dLife

, written by Feinman, PhD:

Here's an idea to chew on: The carbs in your diet tell your body what to

do with the fat you eat, so it's the type and amount of carbohydrates

that matter

when it comes to your weight and health.

Virtually every bit of health information today includes the advice to

avoid saturated fat - the so-called evil stuff that lurks in animal

foods like steak

and eggs. The basis for this recommendation is that research has shown a

correlation between saturated fat intake and total cholesterol and LDL

( " bad cholesterol " ).

The problem with these studies is that the effects are not large, there

is wide variation among individuals and, in most of these studies, the

predicted

benefit in incidence of cardiovascular disease did not materialize. In

addition, we now know much more about risk factors for cardiovascular

disease (CVD)

beyond LDL. No assessment of CVD risk can be made without considering

HDL ( " good cholesterol " ), triglycerides, and the size of the LDL

particle. Plenty

of research shows that these markers can worsen when people reduce their

intake of saturated fat and that they can improve by reducing the intake

of carbohydrates.

You don't have to be a medical researcher to recognize that this is a

politically charged issue. The thing that is missing for the public is

an impartial

evaluation of all the data on saturated fat. My personal opinion is that

there is much contradictory data and a recent review of the situation

suggests

that there is not sufficient evidence to make any recommendations.

There is a sense that, in the absence of definitive evidence, lowering

saturated fat will at least do no harm. This is not right. The problem

for people

with diabetes is what happens when saturated fat is replaced with

carbohydrate, and research has repeatedly shown that this may actually

be harmful. Consider

that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

during the onset of the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes, almost

all of the

increase in calories in the American diet has been due to carbohydrate.

The percent of total fat and saturated fat in our diet decreased. In

men, the absolute

amount of saturated fat consumed decreased by 14 percent!

One of the most striking reasons to doubt the across-the-board

proscriptions against saturated fat is the report from the large scale

Framingham study

in the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled " Inverse

association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men. "

You read that

right: The more saturated fat in the diet, the lower the incidence of

stroke.

Perhaps the most compelling research was published in a 2004 issue of

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by researchers from the

Harvard School

of Public Health. Their study showed that, in postmenopausal women with

heart disease, a higher saturated fat intake was associated with less

narrowing

of the coronary artery and a reduced progression of disease. Even with

similar levels of LDL cholesterol, women with lower saturated fat intake

had much

higher rates of disease progression. Higher saturated fat intake was

also associated with higher HDL (the " good " cholesterol) and lower

triglycerides.

If saturated fat isn't the problem, what is?

In this study, in which greater saturated fat intake was associated with

less progression of coronary atherosclerosis, carbohydrate intake was

associated

with a greater progression. Carbohydrate, through its effect on insulin,

is the key player. Insulin not only sweeps up glucose from the blood but

it also

plays air traffic controller, making the call as to whether that glucose

is turned into fat or is used for energy. Most importantly, insulin

determines

what happens to dietary fat - whether it gets stored or oxidized for

fuel. In fact, the fat profile in the blood (cholesterol and

triglycerides) is not

strongly tied to diet.

A recent study by Jeff Volek at the University of Connecticut compared

low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. Even though the low-carbohydrate

diet had three

times as much saturated fat as the low-fat diet, levels of unhealthy

fats in the blood were lower in the low-carbohydrate group. How is that

possible?

That is what metabolism does.

What is the best diet?

We don't know the ideal diet composition. We do know that saturated fat,

unlike trans-fat, is a normal part of body chemistry and extreme

avoidance is

not justified by current scientific data. Removing some saturated fat to

reduce calories is good, but adding back carbs appears to be

deleterious. It appears

that healthy, carbohydrate restriction will trump the effects of any

kind of fat. For a person with diabetes, blood glucose must be the first

consideration.

If you have relatively tight blood sugar control, the amount of

saturated fat you eat may be a non-issue. You can do what we did before

the diabetes-obesity

epidemic: regulate your intake by your taste and your natural appetite.

No one ever did want to eat a pound of bacon.

Sources:

1. Food and Nutrition Board: Macronutrients. In: Dietary reference

intake: National Academies Press; 2005, p.484.

2. JB German, CJ Dillard: Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin

Nutr 2004, 80:550-559.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would also like to point out that the more fat you gain, namely, the belly and

thigh fat that I am exhibiting, causes me to increase my insulin usage. My old

basal and correction counts have to be scrapped and I have to start all over

again.

article

Weight of the Evidence

Health = Lifestyle, Nutrition and Activity

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Merry Christmas!

s400/merry_christmas

Posted by Regina Wilshire at

6:48 PM

2 comments

Links to this post

img/icon18_email

Friday, December 21, 2007

What If Saturated Fat Is Not the Problem?

An

article in dLife

, written by Feinman, PhD:

Here's an idea to chew on: The carbs in your diet tell your body what to

do with the fat you eat, so it's the type and amount of carbohydrates

that matter

when it comes to your weight and health.

Virtually every bit of health information today includes the advice to

avoid saturated fat - the so-called evil stuff that lurks in animal

foods like steak

and eggs. The basis for this recommendation is that research has shown a

correlation between saturated fat intake and total cholesterol and LDL

( " bad cholesterol " ).

The problem with these studies is that the effects are not large, there

is wide variation among individuals and, in most of these studies, the

predicted

benefit in incidence of cardiovascular disease did not materialize. In

addition, we now know much more about risk factors for cardiovascular

disease (CVD)

beyond LDL. No assessment of CVD risk can be made without considering

HDL ( " good cholesterol " ), triglycerides, and the size of the LDL

particle. Plenty

of research shows that these markers can worsen when people reduce their

intake of saturated fat and that they can improve by reducing the intake

of carbohydrates.

You don't have to be a medical researcher to recognize that this is a

politically charged issue. The thing that is missing for the public is

an impartial

evaluation of all the data on saturated fat. My personal opinion is that

there is much contradictory data and a recent review of the situation

suggests

that there is not sufficient evidence to make any recommendations.

There is a sense that, in the absence of definitive evidence, lowering

saturated fat will at least do no harm. This is not right. The problem

for people

with diabetes is what happens when saturated fat is replaced with

carbohydrate, and research has repeatedly shown that this may actually

be harmful. Consider

that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

during the onset of the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes, almost

all of the

increase in calories in the American diet has been due to carbohydrate.

The percent of total fat and saturated fat in our diet decreased. In

men, the absolute

amount of saturated fat consumed decreased by 14 percent!

One of the most striking reasons to doubt the across-the-board

proscriptions against saturated fat is the report from the large scale

Framingham study

in the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled " Inverse

association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men. "

You read that

right: The more saturated fat in the diet, the lower the incidence of

stroke.

Perhaps the most compelling research was published in a 2004 issue of

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by researchers from the

Harvard School

of Public Health. Their study showed that, in postmenopausal women with

heart disease, a higher saturated fat intake was associated with less

narrowing

of the coronary artery and a reduced progression of disease. Even with

similar levels of LDL cholesterol, women with lower saturated fat intake

had much

higher rates of disease progression. Higher saturated fat intake was

also associated with higher HDL (the " good " cholesterol) and lower

triglycerides.

If saturated fat isn't the problem, what is?

In this study, in which greater saturated fat intake was associated with

less progression of coronary atherosclerosis, carbohydrate intake was

associated

with a greater progression. Carbohydrate, through its effect on insulin,

is the key player. Insulin not only sweeps up glucose from the blood but

it also

plays air traffic controller, making the call as to whether that glucose

is turned into fat or is used for energy. Most importantly, insulin

determines

what happens to dietary fat - whether it gets stored or oxidized for

fuel. In fact, the fat profile in the blood (cholesterol and

triglycerides) is not

strongly tied to diet.

A recent study by Jeff Volek at the University of Connecticut compared

low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. Even though the low-carbohydrate

diet had three

times as much saturated fat as the low-fat diet, levels of unhealthy

fats in the blood were lower in the low-carbohydrate group. How is that

possible?

That is what metabolism does.

What is the best diet?

We don't know the ideal diet composition. We do know that saturated fat,

unlike trans-fat, is a normal part of body chemistry and extreme

avoidance is

not justified by current scientific data. Removing some saturated fat to

reduce calories is good, but adding back carbs appears to be

deleterious. It appears

that healthy, carbohydrate restriction will trump the effects of any

kind of fat. For a person with diabetes, blood glucose must be the first

consideration.

If you have relatively tight blood sugar control, the amount of

saturated fat you eat may be a non-issue. You can do what we did before

the diabetes-obesity

epidemic: regulate your intake by your taste and your natural appetite.

No one ever did want to eat a pound of bacon.

Sources:

1. Food and Nutrition Board: Macronutrients. In: Dietary reference

intake: National Academies Press; 2005, p.484.

2. JB German, CJ Dillard: Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin

Nutr 2004, 80:550-559.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, more fat means more insulin resistance-even in typ 1 diabetics, but

especially in type 2's.

Re: article

I would also like to point out that the more fat you gain, namely, the

belly and thigh fat that I am exhibiting, causes me to increase my

insulin usage. My old basal and correction counts have to be scrapped

and I have to start all over again.

article

Weight of the Evidence

Health = Lifestyle, Nutrition and Activity

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Merry Christmas!

s400/merry_christmas

Posted by Regina Wilshire at

6:48 PM

2 comments

Links to this post

img/icon18_email

Friday, December 21, 2007

What If Saturated Fat Is Not the Problem?

An

article in dLife

, written by Feinman, PhD:

Here's an idea to chew on: The carbs in your diet tell your body what to

do with the fat you eat, so it's the type and amount of carbohydrates

that matter

when it comes to your weight and health.

Virtually every bit of health information today includes the advice to

avoid saturated fat - the so-called evil stuff that lurks in animal

foods like steak

and eggs. The basis for this recommendation is that research has shown a

correlation between saturated fat intake and total cholesterol and LDL

( " bad cholesterol " ).

The problem with these studies is that the effects are not large, there

is wide variation among individuals and, in most of these studies, the

predicted

benefit in incidence of cardiovascular disease did not materialize. In

addition, we now know much more about risk factors for cardiovascular

disease (CVD)

beyond LDL. No assessment of CVD risk can be made without considering

HDL ( " good cholesterol " ), triglycerides, and the size of the LDL

particle. Plenty

of research shows that these markers can worsen when people reduce their

intake of saturated fat and that they can improve by reducing the intake

of carbohydrates.

You don't have to be a medical researcher to recognize that this is a

politically charged issue. The thing that is missing for the public is

an impartial

evaluation of all the data on saturated fat. My personal opinion is that

there is much contradictory data and a recent review of the situation

suggests

that there is not sufficient evidence to make any recommendations.

There is a sense that, in the absence of definitive evidence, lowering

saturated fat will at least do no harm. This is not right. The problem

for people

with diabetes is what happens when saturated fat is replaced with

carbohydrate, and research has repeatedly shown that this may actually

be harmful. Consider

that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

during the onset of the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes, almost

all of the

increase in calories in the American diet has been due to carbohydrate.

The percent of total fat and saturated fat in our diet decreased. In

men, the absolute

amount of saturated fat consumed decreased by 14 percent!

One of the most striking reasons to doubt the across-the-board

proscriptions against saturated fat is the report from the large scale

Framingham study

in the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled " Inverse

association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men. "

You read that

right: The more saturated fat in the diet, the lower the incidence of

stroke.

Perhaps the most compelling research was published in a 2004 issue of

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by researchers from the

Harvard School

of Public Health. Their study showed that, in postmenopausal women with

heart disease, a higher saturated fat intake was associated with less

narrowing

of the coronary artery and a reduced progression of disease. Even with

similar levels of LDL cholesterol, women with lower saturated fat intake

had much

higher rates of disease progression. Higher saturated fat intake was

also associated with higher HDL (the " good " cholesterol) and lower

triglycerides.

If saturated fat isn't the problem, what is?

In this study, in which greater saturated fat intake was associated with

less progression of coronary atherosclerosis, carbohydrate intake was

associated

with a greater progression. Carbohydrate, through its effect on insulin,

is the key player. Insulin not only sweeps up glucose from the blood but

it also

plays air traffic controller, making the call as to whether that glucose

is turned into fat or is used for energy. Most importantly, insulin

determines

what happens to dietary fat - whether it gets stored or oxidized for

fuel. In fact, the fat profile in the blood (cholesterol and

triglycerides) is not

strongly tied to diet.

A recent study by Jeff Volek at the University of Connecticut compared

low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. Even though the low-carbohydrate

diet had three

times as much saturated fat as the low-fat diet, levels of unhealthy

fats in the blood were lower in the low-carbohydrate group. How is that

possible?

That is what metabolism does.

What is the best diet?

We don't know the ideal diet composition. We do know that saturated fat,

unlike trans-fat, is a normal part of body chemistry and extreme

avoidance is

not justified by current scientific data. Removing some saturated fat to

reduce calories is good, but adding back carbs appears to be

deleterious. It appears

that healthy, carbohydrate restriction will trump the effects of any

kind of fat. For a person with diabetes, blood glucose must be the first

consideration.

If you have relatively tight blood sugar control, the amount of

saturated fat you eat may be a non-issue. You can do what we did before

the diabetes-obesity

epidemic: regulate your intake by your taste and your natural appetite.

No one ever did want to eat a pound of bacon.

Sources:

1. Food and Nutrition Board: Macronutrients. In: Dietary reference

intake: National Academies Press; 2005, p.484.

2. JB German, CJ Dillard: Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin

Nutr 2004, 80:550-559.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is wWhat makes diabetics so individual! We each have our

individual quirks about what diet works best for us. But no matter what

diet works best, exercise realy helps more than anything else!

Re: article

Seems to lend support to the Bernstein program. Hmmm? I liked the one

comment about no one really knowing what the right diet is. That's

pretty much the way I see it, and it's frustrating...

Dave

article

Weight of the Evidence

Health = Lifestyle, Nutrition and Activity

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Merry Christmas!

s400/merry_christmas

Posted by Regina Wilshire at

6:48 PM

2 comments

Links to this post

img/icon18_email

Friday, December 21, 2007

What If Saturated Fat Is Not the Problem?

An

article in dLife

, written by Feinman, PhD:

Here's an idea to chew on: The carbs in your diet tell your body what to

do with the fat you eat, so it's the type and amount of carbohydrates

that matter

when it comes to your weight and health.

Virtually every bit of health information today includes the advice to

avoid saturated fat - the so-called evil stuff that lurks in animal

foods like steak

and eggs. The basis for this recommendation is that research has shown a

correlation between saturated fat intake and total cholesterol and LDL

( " bad cholesterol " ).

The problem with these studies is that the effects are not large, there

is wide variation among individuals and, in most of these studies, the

predicted

benefit in incidence of cardiovascular disease did not materialize. In

addition, we now know much more about risk factors for cardiovascular

disease (CVD)

beyond LDL. No assessment of CVD risk can be made without considering

HDL ( " good cholesterol " ), triglycerides, and the size of the LDL

particle. Plenty

of research shows that these markers can worsen when people reduce their

intake of saturated fat and that they can improve by reducing the intake

of carbohydrates.

You don't have to be a medical researcher to recognize that this is a

politically charged issue. The thing that is missing for the public is

an impartial

evaluation of all the data on saturated fat. My personal opinion is that

there is much contradictory data and a recent review of the situation

suggests

that there is not sufficient evidence to make any recommendations.

There is a sense that, in the absence of definitive evidence, lowering

saturated fat will at least do no harm. This is not right. The problem

for people

with diabetes is what happens when saturated fat is replaced with

carbohydrate, and research has repeatedly shown that this may actually

be harmful. Consider

that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

during the onset of the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes, almost

all of the

increase in calories in the American diet has been due to carbohydrate.

The percent of total fat and saturated fat in our diet decreased. In

men, the absolute

amount of saturated fat consumed decreased by 14 percent!

One of the most striking reasons to doubt the across-the-board

proscriptions against saturated fat is the report from the large scale

Framingham study

in the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled " Inverse

association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men. "

You read that

right: The more saturated fat in the diet, the lower the incidence of

stroke.

Perhaps the most compelling research was published in a 2004 issue of

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by researchers from the

Harvard School

of Public Health. Their study showed that, in postmenopausal women with

heart disease, a higher saturated fat intake was associated with less

narrowing

of the coronary artery and a reduced progression of disease. Even with

similar levels of LDL cholesterol, women with lower saturated fat intake

had much

higher rates of disease progression. Higher saturated fat intake was

also associated with higher HDL (the " good " cholesterol) and lower

triglycerides.

If saturated fat isn't the problem, what is?

In this study, in which greater saturated fat intake was associated with

less progression of coronary atherosclerosis, carbohydrate intake was

associated

with a greater progression. Carbohydrate, through its effect on insulin,

is the key player. Insulin not only sweeps up glucose from the blood but

it also

plays air traffic controller, making the call as to whether that glucose

is turned into fat or is used for energy. Most importantly, insulin

determines

what happens to dietary fat - whether it gets stored or oxidized for

fuel. In fact, the fat profile in the blood (cholesterol and

triglycerides) is not

strongly tied to diet.

A recent study by Jeff Volek at the University of Connecticut compared

low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. Even though the low-carbohydrate

diet had three

times as much saturated fat as the low-fat diet, levels of unhealthy

fats in the blood were lower in the low-carbohydrate group. How is that

possible?

That is what metabolism does.

What is the best diet?

We don't know the ideal diet composition. We do know that saturated fat,

unlike trans-fat, is a normal part of body chemistry and extreme

avoidance is

not justified by current scientific data. Removing some saturated fat to

reduce calories is good, but adding back carbs appears to be

deleterious. It appears

that healthy, carbohydrate restriction will trump the effects of any

kind of fat. For a person with diabetes, blood glucose must be the first

consideration.

If you have relatively tight blood sugar control, the amount of

saturated fat you eat may be a non-issue. You can do what we did before

the diabetes-obesity

epidemic: regulate your intake by your taste and your natural appetite.

No one ever did want to eat a pound of bacon.

Sources:

1. Food and Nutrition Board: Macronutrients. In: Dietary reference

intake: National Academies Press; 2005, p.484.

2. JB German, CJ Dillard: Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin

Nutr 2004, 80:550-559.

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Share on other sites

So much is focused on carbohydrates. I don't know about others, and

especially type 2s, but I agree that exercise makes the biggest difference.

When I exercise regularly my blood sugar levels are more stable than they

are when I eat less carbohydrates. This is assuming of course that I have

adjusted insulin accordingly so that I don't go low. Carbohydrates might be

important, but regular aerobic exercise is often ignored altogether.

Jen

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Share on other sites

Yes, being fit is the most important thing for life. If you are physically fit

it will improve your outlook on life no matter whether you are fat or not.

article

Well, I'd like to add something I saw on Canada A.M. which

is a morning show here in Canada and it had an item about body fat and

exercise. The studies suggested that people, even though heavy with body

fat, still did well health wise if they excercised regularily. It was a

longitudinal study and it showed that they lived just as long if not longer

than their counterparts in the study if they excercised regularily with good

levels of cholesterol, etc. So, I guess exercise is the thing to do no

matter what.

Ruth

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I find that sometimes it is easy to neglect the exercise as the lesser part of

my program. Though at times I have gone for months doing very well and losing a

lot of weight with it, I later lost site of this while I read articles about

foods etc and concentrate on them. These articles today are very helpful and

help get me focused again.

Vicki

In a changing world, we can trust God's unchanging word.

article

Weight of the Evidence

Health = Lifestyle, Nutrition and Activity

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Merry Christmas!

s400/merry_christmas

Posted by Regina Wilshire at

6:48 PM

2 comments

Links to this post

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Friday, December 21, 2007

What If Saturated Fat Is Not the Problem?

An

article in dLife

, written by Feinman, PhD:

Here's an idea to chew on: The carbs in your diet tell your body what to

do with the fat you eat, so it's the type and amount of carbohydrates

that matter

when it comes to your weight and health.

Virtually every bit of health information today includes the advice to

avoid saturated fat - the so-called evil stuff that lurks in animal

foods like steak

and eggs. The basis for this recommendation is that research has shown a

correlation between saturated fat intake and total cholesterol and LDL

( " bad cholesterol " ).

The problem with these studies is that the effects are not large, there

is wide variation among individuals and, in most of these studies, the

predicted

benefit in incidence of cardiovascular disease did not materialize. In

addition, we now know much more about risk factors for cardiovascular

disease (CVD)

beyond LDL. No assessment of CVD risk can be made without considering

HDL ( " good cholesterol " ), triglycerides, and the size of the LDL

particle. Plenty

of research shows that these markers can worsen when people reduce their

intake of saturated fat and that they can improve by reducing the intake

of carbohydrates.

You don't have to be a medical researcher to recognize that this is a

politically charged issue. The thing that is missing for the public is

an impartial

evaluation of all the data on saturated fat. My personal opinion is that

there is much contradictory data and a recent review of the situation

suggests

that there is not sufficient evidence to make any recommendations.

There is a sense that, in the absence of definitive evidence, lowering

saturated fat will at least do no harm. This is not right. The problem

for people

with diabetes is what happens when saturated fat is replaced with

carbohydrate, and research has repeatedly shown that this may actually

be harmful. Consider

that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

during the onset of the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes, almost

all of the

increase in calories in the American diet has been due to carbohydrate.

The percent of total fat and saturated fat in our diet decreased. In

men, the absolute

amount of saturated fat consumed decreased by 14 percent!

One of the most striking reasons to doubt the across-the-board

proscriptions against saturated fat is the report from the large scale

Framingham study

in the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled " Inverse

association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men. "

You read that

right: The more saturated fat in the diet, the lower the incidence of

stroke.

Perhaps the most compelling research was published in a 2004 issue of

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by researchers from the

Harvard School

of Public Health. Their study showed that, in postmenopausal women with

heart disease, a higher saturated fat intake was associated with less

narrowing

of the coronary artery and a reduced progression of disease. Even with

similar levels of LDL cholesterol, women with lower saturated fat intake

had much

higher rates of disease progression. Higher saturated fat intake was

also associated with higher HDL (the " good " cholesterol) and lower

triglycerides.

If saturated fat isn't the problem, what is?

In this study, in which greater saturated fat intake was associated with

less progression of coronary atherosclerosis, carbohydrate intake was

associated

with a greater progression. Carbohydrate, through its effect on insulin,

is the key player. Insulin not only sweeps up glucose from the blood but

it also

plays air traffic controller, making the call as to whether that glucose

is turned into fat or is used for energy. Most importantly, insulin

determines

what happens to dietary fat - whether it gets stored or oxidized for

fuel. In fact, the fat profile in the blood (cholesterol and

triglycerides) is not

strongly tied to diet.

A recent study by Jeff Volek at the University of Connecticut compared

low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. Even though the low-carbohydrate

diet had three

times as much saturated fat as the low-fat diet, levels of unhealthy

fats in the blood were lower in the low-carbohydrate group. How is that

possible?

That is what metabolism does.

What is the best diet?

We don't know the ideal diet composition. We do know that saturated fat,

unlike trans-fat, is a normal part of body chemistry and extreme

avoidance is

not justified by current scientific data. Removing some saturated fat to

reduce calories is good, but adding back carbs appears to be

deleterious. It appears

that healthy, carbohydrate restriction will trump the effects of any

kind of fat. For a person with diabetes, blood glucose must be the first

consideration.

If you have relatively tight blood sugar control, the amount of

saturated fat you eat may be a non-issue. You can do what we did before

the diabetes-obesity

epidemic: regulate your intake by your taste and your natural appetite.

No one ever did want to eat a pound of bacon.

Sources:

1. Food and Nutrition Board: Macronutrients. In: Dietary reference

intake: National Academies Press; 2005, p.484.

2. JB German, CJ Dillard: Saturated fats: what dietary intake? Am J Clin

Nutr 2004, 80:550-559.

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Share on other sites

If I started using an exercise bike, would this help any? I've gained some 50

pounds since I lost my sight, (I was severely underweight, I'm 5 feet, eight

inches tall, and weighed about 115 pounds, and I'm male). I wanted to get a

treadmill, but my wife and I decided we don't have enough room in the house

(economy apartment).

RE: article

So much is focused on carbohydrates. I don't know about others, and

especially type 2s, but I agree that exercise makes the biggest difference.

When I exercise regularly my blood sugar levels are more stable than they

are when I eat less carbohydrates. This is assuming of course that I have

adjusted insulin accordingly so that I don't go low. Carbohydrates might be

important, but regular aerobic exercise is often ignored altogether.

Jen

__________ NOD32 2751 (20071227) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset.com

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, it sure sounds to me like you are seriously under weight. 5'8 " , 115

lbs.?

Re: article

If I started using an exercise bike, would this help any? I've gained some

50 pounds since I lost my sight, (I was severely underweight, I'm 5 feet,

eight inches tall, and weighed about 115 pounds, and I'm male). I wanted to

get a treadmill, but my wife and I decided we don't have enough room in the

house (economy apartment).

RE: article

So much is focused on carbohydrates. I don't know about others, and

especially type 2s, but I agree that exercise makes the biggest

difference.

When I exercise regularly my blood sugar levels are more stable than they

are when I eat less carbohydrates. This is assuming of course that I have

adjusted insulin accordingly so that I don't go low. Carbohydrates might

be

important, but regular aerobic exercise is often ignored altogether.

Jen

__________ NOD32 2751 (20071227) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An eliptical takes up less room than a stationary bike. Thirty minutes of

walking exercise two or three times each week is an excellent way to build

aerobic and heart health endurance. After walking 30 minutes, I like to drink a

beer.

RE: article

So much is focused on carbohydrates. I don't know about others, and

especially type 2s, but I agree that exercise makes the biggest difference.

When I exercise regularly my blood sugar levels are more stable than they

are when I eat less carbohydrates. This is assuming of course that I have

adjusted insulin accordingly so that I don't go low. Carbohydrates might be

important, but regular aerobic exercise is often ignored altogether.

Jen

__________ NOD32 2751 (20071227) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

,

If you now weight 165 at 5 ft. 8, you are not overweight. Running in

place helps as do floor exercises. Have you thought of getting a guide

dog? My dog keeps me in shape as we run all ove the place-including

around the block! A dog guide lets you move much faster than you ever

can move with a cane! (and safely too.) I know a number of people who

live in apartments with a dog guide; as it against the law to forbid

guide dogs in apartments, there should not be any problem with the dog.

No everyone likes dogs, but it an idea.

Re: article

If I started using an exercise bike, would this help any? I've gained

some 50 pounds since I lost my sight, (I was severely underweight, I'm 5

feet, eight inches tall, and weighed about 115 pounds, and I'm male). I

wanted to get a treadmill, but my wife and I decided we don't have

enough room in the house (economy apartment).

RE: article

So much is focused on carbohydrates. I don't know about others, and

especially type 2s, but I agree that exercise makes the biggest

difference.

When I exercise regularly my blood sugar levels are more stable than

they

are when I eat less carbohydrates. This is assuming of course that I

have

adjusted insulin accordingly so that I don't go low. Carbohydrates might

be

important, but regular aerobic exercise is often ignored altogether.

Jen

__________ NOD32 2751 (20071227) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset. <http://www.eset.com> com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noted that too and wondered why they said it. My doc wants me on

extra vitamins etc!

Re: article

Well, it's hard for me to tell if they're starting to get it. I had

heard, perhaps from this list, that the new guidelines were going to

reflect some marked changes. I'm not familiar enough with the older

guidelines to really know. Did you catch the last sentence? Here it is:

" Moreover, most patients

with diabetes should not routinely receive supplements or vitamins. "

Hmmm? I guess I shouldn't be taking niacin. What am I not getting here?

Thanks for the article Pat.

Dave

article

2008 ADA Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has updated its guidelines

regarding medical nutrition therapy (MNT), including the use of

low-carbohydrate diets

to prevent diabetes, manage existing diabetes, and prevent or slow the

rate of development of diabetes complications.

The revised position statement, which is published in the January issue

of Diabetes Care, updates those from 2002 and 2004, presenting

evidence-based data

published since 2000 and grading of recommendations according to the

level of evidence available, based on the ADA evidence-grading system.

P. Bantle, and colleagues from the ADA.write, " The goal of these

recommendations is to make people with diabetes and health care

providers aware of

beneficial nutrition interventions. " " This requires the use of the best

available scientific evidence while taking into account treatment goals,

strategies

to attain such goals, and changes individuals with diabetes are willing

and able to make. Achieving nutrition-related goals requires a

coordinated team

effort that includes the person with diabetes and involves him or her in

the decision-making process. "

In addition to listing major nutritional recommendations and

interventions for diabetes, the updated position statement stresses the

importance of monitoring

metabolic parameters, including glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels,

lipids, blood pressure, body weight, and renal function, during therapy.

Such monitoring

will help evaluate the need for changes in MNT and thereby optimize

outcomes. The authors note that many aspects of MNT require additional

research.

Some of the specific recommendations include the following:

list of 18 items

.. Individuals with prediabetes or diabetes should receive individualized

MNT, preferably administered by a registered dietitian knowledgeable

about the

components of diabetes MNT (B).

.. Nutrition counseling should be tailored to the personal needs of the

individual with prediabetes or diabetes and his or her willingness and

ability to

make changes (E).

.. Modest weight loss in overweight and obese insulin-resistant

individuals has been shown to improve insulin resistance and is

therefore recommended for

all such individuals who have or are at risk for diabetes (A).

.. In the short-term (up to 1 year), either low-carbohydrate or low-fat,

energy-restricted diets may be effective for weight loss (A).

.. Patients receiving low-carbohydrate diets should undergo monitoring of

lipid profiles, renal function, and protein intake (in patients with

nephropathy),

and have adjustment of hypoglycemic therapy as needed (E).

.. Physical activity and behavior modification aid in weight loss and are

most helpful in maintaining weight loss (B).

.. When combined with lifestyle modification, weight loss medications may

help achieve a 5% to 10% weight loss and may be considered for

overweight and obese

individuals with type 2 diabetes (B).

.. For some patients with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index of 35

kg/m2 or more, bariatric surgery can markedly improve glycemia (B).

.. Primary prevention for individuals at high risk of developing type 2

diabetes should include structured programs targeting lifestyle changes,

with dietary

strategies of decreasing energy and dietary fat intakes. Goals should

include moderate weight loss (7% body weight), regular physical activity

(150 minutes/week)

(A), dietary fiber intake of 14 g/1000 kcal, and whole grains comprising

half of total grain intake (B).

.. Intake of low-glycemic index foods that are rich in fiber and other

vital nutrients should be encouraged (E), both for the general

population and for

those with diabetes.

.. Data do not support recommending alcohol consumption to individuals at

risk for diabetes (B).

.. Secondary prevention, or controlling diabetes, should include a

healthy dietary pattern emphasizing carbohydrate from fruits,

vegetables, whole grains,

legumes, and low-fat milk (B).

.. A key strategy for achieving glycemic control is to monitor

carbohydrate by counting, exchanges, or experienced-based estimation

(A). Use of glycemic

index and load may be modestly beneficial vs considering only total

carbohydrate (B).

.. Sucrose-containing foods should be limited but can be substituted for

other carbohydrates or covered with insulin or other glucose-lowering

medications

(A). Glucose alcohols and nonnutritive sweeteners are safe within daily

US Food and Drug Administration intake levels (A).

.. Saturated fat should be limited to less than 7% of total energy (A),

and trans fat should be minimized (E). In individuals with diabetes,

dietary cholesterol

should not exceed 200 mg/day (E).

.. At least 2 servings of fish per week (except for commercially fried

fish) are recommended for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (B).

.. Protein should not be used to treat acute or prevent nighttime

hypoglycemia (A). High-protein diets are not recommended for weight loss

(E).

.. If adults with diabetes choose to use alcohol, intake should be

restricted to 1 drink per day or less for women and 2 drinks per day or

less for men (E)

and consumed with food (E).

list end

Practice Pearls

list of 2 items

.. Previous research has suggested that MNT can reduce glycated

hemoglobin levels by approximately 1% for patients with type 1 diabetes

and 1% to 2% for

patients with type 2 diabetes.

.. The current guidelines do not recommend low-glycemic index or

high-protein diets for the routine treatment of patients with diabetes.

Moreover, most patients

with diabetes should not routinely receive supplements or vitamins.

list end

The ADA has issued practice guidelines for screening, diagnostic, and

treatment interventions that are known or believed to improve health

outcomes of patients

with diabetes. Each recommendation is graded by the ADA as A, B, C, or E

to indicate the level of supporting evidence.

Diabetes Care. 2008;31(Suppl 1):S61-S78.

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This article is part of the following

Newsletter

, and this

Category

2008 ADA Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has updated its guidelines

regarding medical nutrition therapy (MNT), including the use of

low-carbohydrate diets

to prevent diabetes, manage existing diabetes, and prevent or slow the

rate of development of diabetes complications.

The revised position statement, which is published in the January issue

of

Diabetes Care

, updates those from 2002 and 2004, presenting evidence-based data

published since 2000 and grading of recommendations according to the

level of evidence

available, based on the ADA evidence-grading system.

P. Bantle, and colleagues from the ADA.write, " The goal of these

recommendations is to make people with diabetes and health care

providers aware of

beneficial nutrition interventions. " " This requires the use of the best

available scientific evidence while taking into account treatment goals,

strategies

to attain such goals, and changes individuals with diabetes are willing

and able to make. Achieving nutrition-related goals requires a

coordinated team

effort that includes the person with diabetes and involves him or her in

the decision-making process. "

In addition to listing major nutritional recommendations and

interventions for diabetes, the updated position statement stresses the

importance of monitoring

metabolic parameters, including glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels,

lipids, blood pressure, body weight, and renal function, during therapy.

Such monitoring

will help evaluate the need for changes in MNT and thereby optimize

outcomes. The authors note that many aspects of MNT require additional

research.

Some of the specific recommendations include the following:

Individuals with prediabetes or diabetes should receive individualized

MNT, preferably administered by a registered dietitian knowledgeable

about the components

of diabetes MNT (B).

Nutrition counseling should be tailored to the personal needs of the

individual with prediabetes or diabetes and his or her willingness and

ability to make

changes (E).

Modest weight loss in overweight and obese insulin-resistant individuals

has been shown to improve insulin resistance and is therefore

recommended for all

such individuals who have or are at risk for diabetes (A).

In the short-term (up to 1 year), either

low-carbohydrate

or low-fat, energy-restricted diets may be effective for weight loss

(A).

Patients receiving low-carbohydrate diets should undergo monitoring of

lipid profiles, renal function, and protein intake (in patients with

nephropathy),

and have adjustment of hypoglycemic therapy as needed (E).

Physical activity and behavior modification aid in weight loss and are

most helpful in maintaining weight loss (B).

When combined with lifestyle modification, weight loss medications may

help achieve a 5% to 10% weight loss and may be considered for

overweight and obese

individuals with type 2 diabetes (B).

For some patients with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index of 35 kg/m2

or more, bariatric surgery can markedly improve glycemia (B).

Primary prevention for individuals at high risk of developing type 2

diabetes should include structured programs targeting lifestyle changes,

with dietary

strategies of decreasing energy and dietary fat intakes. Goals should

include moderate weight loss (7% body weight), regular physical activity

(150 minutes/week)

(A), dietary fiber intake of 14 g/1000 kcal, and whole grains comprising

half of total grain intake (B).

Intake of low-glycemic index foods that are rich in fiber and other

vital nutrients should be encouraged (E), both for the general

population and for those

with diabetes.

Data do not support recommending alcohol consumption to individuals at

risk for diabetes (B).

Secondary prevention, or controlling diabetes, should include a healthy

dietary pattern emphasizing carbohydrate from fruits, vegetables, whole

grains,

legumes, and low-fat milk (B).

A key strategy for achieving glycemic control is to monitor carbohydrate

by counting, exchanges, or experienced-based estimation (A). Use of

glycemic index

and load may be modestly beneficial vs considering only total

carbohydrate (B).

Sucrose-containing foods should be limited but can be substituted for

other carbohydrates or covered with insulin or other glucose-lowering

medications

(A). Glucose alcohols and nonnutritive sweeteners are safe within daily

US Food and Drug Administration intake levels (A).

Saturated fat should be limited to less than 7% of total energy (A), and

trans

fat should be minimized (E). In individuals with diabetes, dietary

cholesterol should not exceed 200 mg/day (E).

At least 2 servings of fish per week (except for commercially fried

fish) are recommended for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (B).

Protein should not be used to treat acute or prevent nighttime

hypoglycemia (A). High-protein diets are not recommended for weight loss

(E).

If adults with diabetes choose to use alcohol, intake should be

restricted to 1 drink per day or less for women and 2 drinks per day or

less for men (E)

and consumed with food (E).

Practice Pearls

Previous research has suggested that MNT can reduce glycated hemoglobin

levels by approximately 1% for patients with type 1 diabetes and 1% to

2% for patients

with type 2 diabetes.

The current guidelines do not recommend low-glycemic index or

high-protein diets for the routine treatment of patients with diabetes.

Moreover, most patients

with diabetes should not routinely receive supplements or vitamins.

The ADA has issued practice guidelines for screening, diagnostic, and

treatment interventions that are known or believed to improve health

outcomes of patients

with diabetes. Each recommendation is graded by the ADA as A, B, C, or E

to indicate the level of supporting evidence.

Diabetes Care.

2008;31(Suppl 1):S61-S78.

See Diabetes In Control latest newsletter

visit our

Search Diabetes In Control

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No I don't Claud. I wonder if anone else is?

article

This can't happen any too soon!

New Method To Take Insulin Orally

Diabetes treatment could get a whole lot easier to swallow. Dr.

Doyle, assistant professor of chemistry at Syracuse University has

designed, tested,

reproduced and patented a system for delivering insulin through an oral

pill.

The system could potentially be used by humans battling diabetes. With

Doyle's method, they could simply swallow a vitamin pill.

More than 21 million individuals in the United States have diabetes, yet

taking insulin orally has not been possible because it must go through

the gastrointestinal

tract, which prevents it from reaching the bloodstream. Being able to

orally receive insulin would drastically change the lives of diabetics

and the scope

of the diseases' treatment, researchers said. The innovation in Doyle's

research is that they have found a way to attach the insulin to vitamin

B-12. The

vitamin protects the insulin as it journeys through the gastrointestinal

tract in a " Trojan horse " strategy. " It's really like the holy grail of

diabetes

research.in terms of treatable things, " said Tony Vortherms, a graduate

student who worked on the project.

Now the team will determine whether they can attach more insulin to the

vitamin so that it can remain in the bloodstream for 12 hours. The

ultimate goal

would be for a diabetic to take two insulin pills a day - one in the

morning and one at night - which would help them to maintain their

metabolic control

throughout the day, according to a news release announcing the

discovery. " This would be a way to minimize the roller coaster of blood

sugar levels the

best we can, " Vortherms said. " We still have a long way to go. " The

ultimate question is if and when this strategy can be used in humans.

It will probably take at least five years before a pharmaceutical

company will take interest in the project - which has great commercial

possibilities -

and test it, Petrus said. The first stage would be a more elaborate test

on rats and then trials to determine its effect in humans. Petrus is

optimistic.

" From what I've seen so far, " she said, " I do believe it's possible. "

" The goal of this project would be to give people who are not able to

produce insulin

on their own at least a base level of insulin in their blood, " Vortherms

said. He added that one of the biggest problems currently is the drastic

swings

in blood sugar levels that diabetics go through daily. The sugar highs

and lows over the long term lead to wear and tear on the individuals.

Vortherms said he is very interested in the other fields in which oral

delivery like this could work and added there was a " decent to good

chance " of it

being used in humans in the future. In the news release, Doyle said he

was pleased because of the rare payoff in scientific research, where

results must

be tested and re-tested to ensure reproduction. " In the case of insulin,

we had a hypothesis, we set about testing our hypothesis and we were

rewarded for

the effort, " he said. " Having things go your way doesn't happen in

science often enough, so when it does it's very rewarding. " Fairchild

sees the benefit

of removing needles from the equation of diabetic treatment. " The

possibility of having an oral insulin medication has tremendous

feasibility, particularly

with children and in less-developed countries where sterile needles and

adequate training - for injection site and frequency, as well as needle

disposal

- may not always be available, " he said.

He added that there is a lot of research being conducted in the field of

diabetes treatment and other teams are looking at their own means for

getting insulin

into the bloodstream without the pain of injections.

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Great article!

Article

ADA's Latest Low-Carb Stance Is Severely Flawed, Says Longtime Low-Carb

Advocate Dr. Bernstein

Totty

8 February 2008

Not at all Somewhat Moderately Highly Very Highly

Pioneering low-carb diet advocate Dr. K. Bernstein has responded

to

the American Diabetes Association's recent support for low-carb diets

with a

critique of several of the ADA's most cherished notions.

In a recent " Ask Dr. Bernstein.com " tele-seminar presented to callers

and

listeners, he cited the ADA's 2008 guidelines for doctors, disputing the

association's recommendations on several fronts:

* He said that the ADA's definition of a low-carb diet as one with 130

or fewer grams of carbohydrates per day " is four times higher than what

I

recommend and makes it impossible to maintain [blood glucose] control. "

* He disputed the ADA's contention that an A1c of less than 6 for

people with diabetes increases the risk of hypoglycemia. " The risk is

only

to people taking the industrial insulin doses that the ADA recommends

for

covering their high-carbohydrate diets.

* Regarding the ADA's recommendation that adults with diabetes shoot

for blood sugar levels of 70 mg/dl to 130 mg/dl before meals and 180

mg/dl

after meals - with even higher levels allowed for children - Dr.

Bernstein

said, " Children are not entitled to normal blood sugar levels? And

neither

are adults. " Those guidelines, he said, " were created by non-diabetics

to be

imposed upon diabetics. "

* Dr. Bernstein called the association's recommendation that people

with diabetes regularly see podiatrists to have their foot calluses

debrided

with a scalpel " the most dangerous thing you can do to a diabetic. " He

said

that 100 percent of the diabetic amputees he has ever interviewed in his

university-based wound care clinic told him that their amputations arose

from infections caused by an attempt to remove a callus - whether at the

hands of a podiatrist, a family member or friend, or themselves. " I've

seen

too much of this. It's a nice income for podiatrists, but sooner or

later,

someone goes too deep, " creating, he said, a wound that will not heal.

Instead, he recommends using orthotics and shoe modifications to offload

sites of high pressure or shear.

* He was perplexed by the ADA's positive appraisal that " gastric

reduction surgery (GRS) can be effective. " " We know about Symlin and

Byetta,

which when combined with a low-carb diet, are remarkably effective in

curbing overeating and facilitating weight loss, " said Dr. Bernstein,

" but

the ADA doesn't mention them at all in a 108-page set of guidelines. Yet

it

recommends the gastric surgery. "

* Dr. Bernstein asserted that the ADA's recommendation of a diet rich

in legumes, low-fat milk, whole grains, fruits and vegetables " creates

sugar

while fat does not. " He recalled being interviewed with an ADA dietician

and

asking her how she could recommend whole grain foods when they created

high

levels of blood glucose. To illustrate, he chewed a slice of whole-grain

bread and applied the resulting saliva to a urine glucose test strip.

The

strip turned black immediately, indicating the instant conversion of the

bread to glucose by saliva.

* Regarding the ADA's recommendation that sucrose should be allowed in

diabetic diets, Dr. Bernstein disputed it, saying that " insulin takes

hours

to catch up " to its effects.

Early Man Ate Few Carbs

In criticizing the ADA's calling 130 grams of carbohydrates per day " low

carbohydrate " , Dr. Bernstein cited early human history as an argument

against it. " Until the creation of flour and bread, humans could not get

anywhere near 130 grams a day. " The difficulty in securing such a large

amount of carbohydrates made obesity and atherosclerosis rare in early

humans.

But in the 20th century, as immense quantities of carbohydrates became

available to large populations, the incidences of diabetes, heart

attacks

and strokes increased significantly.

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I believe Dr. K. Bernstein a lot more than I would believe the American

Diabetes Association or the American Medical Association.

Article

ADA's Latest Low-Carb Stance Is Severely Flawed, Says Longtime Low-Carb

Advocate Dr. Bernstein

Totty

8 February 2008

Not at all Somewhat Moderately Highly Very Highly

Pioneering low-carb diet advocate Dr. K. Bernstein has responded to

the American Diabetes Association's recent support for low-carb diets with a

critique of several of the ADA's most cherished notions.

In a recent " Ask Dr. Bernstein.com " tele-seminar presented to callers and

listeners, he cited the ADA's 2008 guidelines for doctors, disputing the

association's recommendations on several fronts:

* He said that the ADA's definition of a low-carb diet as one with 130

or fewer grams of carbohydrates per day " is four times higher than what I

recommend and makes it impossible to maintain [blood glucose] control. "

* He disputed the ADA's contention that an A1c of less than 6 for

people with diabetes increases the risk of hypoglycemia. " The risk is only

to people taking the industrial insulin doses that the ADA recommends for

covering their high-carbohydrate diets.

* Regarding the ADA's recommendation that adults with diabetes shoot

for blood sugar levels of 70 mg/dl to 130 mg/dl before meals and 180 mg/dl

after meals - with even higher levels allowed for children - Dr. Bernstein

said, " Children are not entitled to normal blood sugar levels? And neither

are adults. " Those guidelines, he said, " were created by non-diabetics to be

imposed upon diabetics. "

* Dr. Bernstein called the association's recommendation that people

with diabetes regularly see podiatrists to have their foot calluses debrided

with a scalpel " the most dangerous thing you can do to a diabetic. " He said

that 100 percent of the diabetic amputees he has ever interviewed in his

university-based wound care clinic told him that their amputations arose

from infections caused by an attempt to remove a callus - whether at the

hands of a podiatrist, a family member or friend, or themselves. " I've seen

too much of this. It's a nice income for podiatrists, but sooner or later,

someone goes too deep, " creating, he said, a wound that will not heal.

Instead, he recommends using orthotics and shoe modifications to offload

sites of high pressure or shear.

* He was perplexed by the ADA's positive appraisal that " gastric

reduction surgery (GRS) can be effective. " " We know about Symlin and Byetta,

which when combined with a low-carb diet, are remarkably effective in

curbing overeating and facilitating weight loss, " said Dr. Bernstein, " but

the ADA doesn't mention them at all in a 108-page set of guidelines. Yet it

recommends the gastric surgery. "

* Dr. Bernstein asserted that the ADA's recommendation of a diet rich

in legumes, low-fat milk, whole grains, fruits and vegetables " creates sugar

while fat does not. " He recalled being interviewed with an ADA dietician and

asking her how she could recommend whole grain foods when they created high

levels of blood glucose. To illustrate, he chewed a slice of whole-grain

bread and applied the resulting saliva to a urine glucose test strip. The

strip turned black immediately, indicating the instant conversion of the

bread to glucose by saliva.

* Regarding the ADA's recommendation that sucrose should be allowed in

diabetic diets, Dr. Bernstein disputed it, saying that " insulin takes hours

to catch up " to its effects.

Early Man Ate Few Carbs

In criticizing the ADA's calling 130 grams of carbohydrates per day " low

carbohydrate " , Dr. Bernstein cited early human history as an argument

against it. " Until the creation of flour and bread, humans could not get

anywhere near 130 grams a day. " The difficulty in securing such a large

amount of carbohydrates made obesity and atherosclerosis rare in early

humans.

But in the 20th century, as immense quantities of carbohydrates became

available to large populations, the incidences of diabetes, heart attacks

and strokes increased significantly.

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Ruth, I know this will draw the ire of Harry and , if he is around,

but I wonder just how strengently Bernstein does stick to his no-carb diet.

I don't know that there is any real way to monitor it, but studies have

shown people really don't do all they claim or that they think. We always

overestimate or underestimate and I would bet that is especially true when

we have some real stake in the outcome. I just find it a little hard to

believe all of his claims and all of his results. I'm not saying impossible

because I don't have the knowledge or information to outright contradict him

and I seriously doubt he has allowed those with the ability all the

information to test his claims. That's one of the tricks of the trade to

give just enough information to use to make your claims, but not enough that

they can be tested.

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Who can one trust? As far as I am concerned Dr. K. Bernstein is the one

to trust. He is the leader in the field, having been a type1 diabetic, and the

first person to use a blood glucose monitor. to regulate is bs levels. Since he

is the leader, all others try to put him down, because he has proven a type1 on

a strict low carb diet can have normal bs levels. In fact he even went so far

as to obtain a medical degree to prove to the medical profession that his theory

was correct. They would not print any of his research findings, because he was

just an engineer before he got his medical degree. He has proven on his diet

one can run normalized bs levels at all times. Even he will tell you his

routine is not easy. His diet is primarily 6 grams of carbs at breakfast and 12

grams of car at lunch and supper. For exercise he lifts weights to build

muscles. Muscles burns carbs, whereas fat does not. All his life he has had to

prove to others that he knows what he is talking about, and don't you believe

the folks in the medical profession did not like his strict dietary program. As

a diabetic, don't you wish you had his A1C numbers? I do. However I like

eating carbs too much to do it his way.

RE: article

Ruth, I know this will draw the ire of Harry and , if he is around,

but I wonder just how strengently Bernstein does stick to his no-carb diet.

I don't know that there is any real way to monitor it, but studies have

shown people really don't do all they claim or that they think. We always

overestimate or underestimate and I would bet that is especially true when

we have some real stake in the outcome. I just find it a little hard to

believe all of his claims and all of his results. I'm not saying impossible

because I don't have the knowledge or information to outright contradict him

and I seriously doubt he has allowed those with the ability all the

information to test his claims. That's one of the tricks of the trade to

give just enough information to use to make your claims, but not enough that

they can be tested.

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http://www.diabetes911.net/secrets.php

RE: article

Ruth, I know this will draw the ire of Harry and , if he is around,

but I wonder just how strengently Bernstein does stick to his no-carb

diet.

I don't know that there is any real way to monitor it, but studies have

shown people really don't do all they claim or that they think. We always

overestimate or underestimate and I would bet that is especially true when

we have some real stake in the outcome. I just find it a little hard to

believe all of his claims and all of his results. I'm not saying

impossible

because I don't have the knowledge or information to outright contradict

him

and I seriously doubt he has allowed those with the ability all the

information to test his claims. That's one of the tricks of the trade to

give just enough information to use to make your claims, but not enough

that

they can be tested.

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Hi Pat,

I can't believe this wasn't one of the methods already tried. Do you think this

report is just put out there for some kind of pr? How many years now have we

been hearing about this pie in the sky non-invasive testing? Having said that,

maybe this is different, and maybe something will finally happen. The strip

companies though are going to fire all barrels at once if something really

starts to look promising, so when we see that happening, well, that will

probably be the system that is the real deal.

Dave

article

Lets hope this gets approved soon!

No More Needles - Philips Develops Breath Test for Diabetics

In great news for diabetics, who currently have to take a sample of

their blood to measure their glucose levels; a new non-invasive test

that is safer and more convenient is being developed by consumer

electronics company Philips. The non-invasive blood glucose meter

simply monitors the concentration of carbon monoxide in exhaled

breath.

The technology comes from the discovery that the amount of carbon

monoxide we breathe out is linked to the amount of glucose in our

blood. Excess glucose stimulates the production of an enzyme called

heme oxygenase, which catalyses reactions that release CO2 and other

by-products.

Philips, who is patenting the technology, claims that it is

significantly more accurate than past attempts based on sugar's

spectroscopic signature. No information is available yet on FDA

approval or commercial release.

__________ NOD32 2874 (20080214) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset.com

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I hope this isn't just hyp-as it seems to have been in the past. Then,

of course, even it does occur, will be accessible for us blind folks?!

Re: article

Hi Pat,

I can't believe this wasn't one of the methods already tried. Do you

think this report is just put out there for some kind of pr? How many

years now have we been hearing about this pie in the sky non-invasive

testing? Having said that, maybe this is different, and maybe something

will finally happen. The strip companies though are going to fire all

barrels at once if something really starts to look promising, so when we

see that happening, well, that will probably be the system that is the

real deal.

Dave

article

Lets hope this gets approved soon!

No More Needles - Philips Develops Breath Test for Diabetics

In great news for diabetics, who currently have to take a sample of

their blood to measure their glucose levels; a new non-invasive test

that is safer and more convenient is being developed by consumer

electronics company Philips. The non-invasive blood glucose meter

simply monitors the concentration of carbon monoxide in exhaled

breath.

The technology comes from the discovery that the amount of carbon

monoxide we breathe out is linked to the amount of glucose in our

blood. Excess glucose stimulates the production of an enzyme called

heme oxygenase, which catalyses reactions that release CO2 and other

by-products.

Philips, who is patenting the technology, claims that it is

significantly more accurate than past attempts based on sugar's

spectroscopic signature. No information is available yet on FDA

approval or commercial release.

__________ NOD32 2874 (20080214) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.

http://www.eset. <http://www.eset.com> com

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Metabolic syndrome I: diabetes

The battle of the bulge

Feb 15th 2008 | NEW YORK

From The Economist print edition

Alamy

Late-onset diabetes is a scourge of the modern world, but at least

doctors thought they knew how to treat it. However, it turns out they

may be wrong

ELLIOT JOSLIN, a pioneering American researcher, argued vociferously

until his death in 1962 that controlling the level of glucose in a

person's bloodstream

was the key to managing type 2 diabetes (the variant of the disease that

appears later in life). Since the defining symptom of all types of

diabetes is

that the body cannot do this properly by itself, that made intuitive

sense. It also seemed to make practical sense. His approach, which

involved a combination

of insulin treatment (insulin is the hormone most involved in regulating

blood-sugar levels), exercise and a diet low in carbohydrates, showed

promising

results in the patients he treated at his clinic in Boston.

Several big studies since Joslin's death appeared to vindicate him. One,

published in 1993 in the New England Journal of Medicine, confirmed that

carefully

managing glucose levels delays the onset of complications. Another, the

United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, published in 1998, looked at

levels

of a substance called glycated haemoglobin A1C (a reliable indicator of

blood-glucose levels). Healthy people usually have A1C levels of 4-6%.

Any level

above 9.5% is considered extremely dangerous. The study found that those

whose A1C levels were reduced by treatment to around 7% suffered fewer

heart attacks

and strokes than those whose levels were held at around 8%.

Despite this evidence, the glucose-control hypothesis has always had its

sceptics. The core of their doubt is that what is being treated is a

symptom-albeit

a dangerous one-rather than a cause. To settle the matter, America's

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the country's

National Institutes

of Health, recently organised a piece of research known as the ACCORD

study. This divided a group of more than 10,000 diabetics who were at

high risk of

developing heart complications into three " tracks " . Each track looked at

how diabetes responded to a regime of drugs, diet and exercise designed

to control,

respectively, cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose. The

third-glucose-track was in turn divided in two. In one group, the aim

was to reduce A1C levels

to 7%. The second group, however, experienced a more ambitious

regime-one which aimed for a top-of-the-normal A1C level of 6%.

Lack of accord

The researchers' assumption, based on Joslin's hypothesis, was that

lowering A1C to 6% would lead to better health than going only to 7%.

But it did not.

Although the 6%-ers did better than untreated diabetics with cardiac

risks, they had more fatal heart attacks than the 7%-ers. As soon as

this became clear,

the NHLBI suspended ACCORD's third track. However the organisation's

director, Nabel, who announced the suspension on February 6th,

did not divulge

many details about the cause of the problem.

That has led to rampant speculation among experts. Some reckon the

treatment of blood sugar led to episodes of hypoglycaemia, which often

accompanies insulin

treatment and which can aggravate heart problems. Others suspect adverse

drug interactions. A third school of thought supposes that there may

have been

a problem with the mixture of patients selected for the study.

The NHLBI will not publish the results of its investigation for another

six to eight weeks, but Dr Nabel has told The Economist that her team

has ruled

out several of the speculations. The researchers did monitor the

patients for hypoglycaemia, even the asymptomatic variety that-as its

name suggests-is

hard to detect. She says this was not the cause of the deaths.

They also weighed up the potential for drug interactions, and concluded

that these were not the cause. Nor, it seems, was the action of any

single drug.

Avandia, GlaxoKline's blockbuster diabetes drug, has been linked to

heart failure in some patients, but Murray , one of the firm's

top diabetes

researchers, points out that the NHLBI made clear that Avandia was not

to blame for the ACCORD deaths. Even the idea that the sample of

patients was in

some way biased by its age and sex composition has been ruled out.

Cold comfort

Regardless of exactly what happened during ACCORD, the result suggests

the sceptics were right to think that attacking the symptoms of diabetes

is not

enough. It is the underlying cause that needs to be addressed. This, in

turn, requires that diabetes be looked at not on its own, but as part of

what most

researchers now see as a complex of symptoms that includes high

blood-pressure (with its risk of heart disease, kidney failure and

strokes) and obesity,

as well as type 2 diabetes. This complex is often called metabolic

syndrome.

This week saw the publication, in the Public Library of Science, of a

new interpretation of metabolic syndrome. It is, par excellence, a

disease of the

rich countries of the West, and is clearly a consequence of changes in

diet that wealth brings. But Di Rienzo and her colleagues at the

University

of Chicago suggest it may be more than just that, and that its

geographical coincidence with the West may also depend on the

evolutionary past.

Dr Di Rienzo and her team studied 82 genes associated with energy

metabolism in 54 groups of people from different parts of the world.

They found widespread

correlations between certain versions of some of these genes and cold

climates, such as that of northern Europe. For reasons that are not yet

clear, some

of these genetic varieties reduce the risk of metabolic diseases,

whereas others actually increase them. Since much of the rich world is

either part of

northern Europe, or is inhabited by the descendants of colonists from

that part of the planet, Dr Di Rienzo's work may help to explain why

some of those

people are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

That is speculation, of course. And any such tendency may be offset by

the risk-reduction genes. But when Dr Di Rienzo's result has been

interpreted it

should add to understanding about the underlying physiology of metabolic

syndrome-and it certainly emphasises the need to look at the root causes

of the

illness.

You know it makes sense

At one level, of course, the root cause is well known. Most people who

have type 2 diabetes are eating more calories than their bodies are

using. And for

those diabetics who find it hard either to diet or to exercise, there is

an alternative, if drastic, strategy. A study published last month in

the Journal

of the American Medical Association by Dixon and O'Brien of

Monash University in Australia looked at the effect on diabetes and

obesity of bariatric

surgery, in which a band is put around the stomach to restrict the

amount of food it can hold. The bariatric patients shed about 20kg more

than did patients

on conventional treatments. More importantly, three-quarters of them had

their diabetes almost completely wiped away. Only an eighth of those on

conventional

treatment experienced a similar recovery.

Even the sceptics are not arguing that direct, drug-based interventions

to control blood-glucose levels are wholly wrong. They clearly work, but

the results

of ACCORD suggest they should not be pushed to what might seem the

logical extreme. However, it is better not to arrive at the point where

they are necessary.

Nor is it sensible for people to " blame " their genes, even though Dr Di

Rienzo's work is just the latest and most wide-ranging of a long line of

papers

which show that different people do have different genetic

susceptibilities to diabetes and the metabolic syndrome of which it is a

part. Instead, healthy

eating is the key-though even that is fraught with pitfalls for the

unwary, as this article explains.

Arturo R Rolla

arolla@...

arolla@...

arolla@...

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