Is Diabetes Health Magazine helping people with diabetes?

I think not.

I also think using censorship to cover up an obvious blunder which could inflict danger on people with a diabetes is wrong.  

I was horrified to read in an article written by Hope Warshaw, a frequent Diabetes Health Magazine & ADA article contributor as well as Diabetes "Educator", that she suggested it was time for people with diabetes to increase carbohydrate consumption.  If you think you misread that, don't worry, so did I.  In fact I re-read the following excerpt from the article at least 4 times:

 

Old Dogma: People with type 2 diabetes should follow a low carbohydrate diet.

New Reality: Nutrition recommendations for people with type 2 diabetes from the American Diabetes Association and other health authorities echo the recently unveiled U.S. 2010 Dietary Guidelines (1/31/11) for carbohydrate: about 45 to 65 percent of calories. (Americans currently eat about 45 to 50 percent of calories as carbohydrate--not a "high carb" intake.)

I immediately posted this comment:

This is astounding. Diabetes is a disease of carbohydrate intolerance.  Dr. R.K. Bernstein arguably the foremost diabetes expert in the US, who has dramatically improved the lives of thousands of people by reversing symptoms and lowering medications, recommends people with diabetes consume less than 30g/CHO daily.  Is this article really stating that people with diabetes should UP THEIR CARB INTAKE from a max of 50% to 65%?  Please help me to understand this.

My comment was not published.  The next day I re-posted the same comment.  Again it was not published.

I wrote to the editor of Diabetes Health Magazine and asked why my comment was not published.  I got no response.

 

Several colleagues wrote to me saying they had left a comment that was not published.

 

I called Dr. R.K. Bernstein and asked if he had a comment on Hope's advice to the people. This was his comment:

The ADA has repeatedly advocated by their blood sugar and A1c guidelines that DIABETICS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO THE SAME BLOOD SUGARS AS NON-DIABETICS and thus should be destined to suffer the morbidity and mortality caused by high blood sugars. They ensure this sad outcome by advocating high carbohydrate diets and industrial doses of medication to cover the carbo and thereby cause both very high and very low (not normal) blood sugars.

Richard K Bernstein, MD, FACE, FACN, FACCWS.

I asked Ron Raab, President of Insulin for life (& T1 diabetic) what he had to say:

The epidemic is driven very significantly by the amount of carbohydrate that the profession recommends.

 Diabetes is very largely a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, yet the recommendations are for a high carb diet.

 Until this is changed the epidemic and bad control will continue.

 One issue is: how the profession could have got it so wrong for so long?

 

Again, I wrote to the editor of Diabetes Health Magazine and asked why many comments in response to Hope's article were not published.  I got no response.

 

Several colleagues wrote to the DHM  editor asking the same question.  They got no response either - but the outcry may have been the reason Diabetes Health Magazine slowly began to allow some comments through.  Based on the number of Facebook posts and blog articles I have seen on Hope's article, I have to believe hundreds of comments were submitted.  Why don't they want readers to see the strong reaction to mis-information?  Why would a publication with a mission to help people with diabetes suppress the very information which may indeed help them?

 

I offer you the comments that were published. As the director of an organization with a mission to end the obesity and diabetes epidemics (Nutrition & Metabolism Society ) I would like to hear from you as to how you feel about the article and the comments. If you prefer not to reply in this blog, you may e-mail info@nmsociety.org .  I thank you in advance for your input. 

 

Comments

 Posted by Anonymous on 28 June 2011

The idea that a diabetic should NOT eat a low-carbohydrate diet is nonsense. First of all, diabetes is a condition of carbohydrate intolerance (so it makes sense to control carbohydrate intake, no?) Plus, there are studies which show generally good glycaemic control on low carbohydrate diet. Thirdly, my experience in practice as a doctor is that these diets work. Could I ask Ms Warshaw if she uses these diets in her practice? Has she tried them? If my patients took her dietary advice they would, in the main, end up with poorly controlled diabetes and the problems associated with this (blindness, kidney disease, amputation). Would she care to comment?

 Posted by SJKurtz on 29 June 2011

I wholeheartedly agree that going on medications at diagnosis is both appropriate and helpful. In my opinion as a layperson and a person with diabetes (Type 2), Metformin is a wonderful drug. However, my experience as a patient is that even on the maximum dose of Metformin, my blood glucose levels did not drop under the ADA diet that my dietitian prescribed. It was not until I started a low carbohydrate diet that my blood glucose numbers fell. They fell rapidly and have been easy to maintain under such a diet. In my quest to avoid diabetic complications by maintaining good blood glucose control, eating a diet of even 40% carbohydrates would make that goal much more difficult and perhaps impossible.

 Posted by Judith on 29 June 2011

Respectfully, this column is not helpful to diabetics and probably dangerous. I am going on 6 years of eating 30-35 carbs/day. My A1c has been in the "non-diabetic" range ever since I went this route and I feel better than I have in years. I am not an exception among the many folks I know who live a good life on restricted carb diets. 

And guess what--it's a delicious and delightful way to eat. I can even bake yummy sweet treats using nut flours and stevia! What's not to like?!

 Posted by Judith on 29 June 2011

My original post didn't seem to go through, so I'll try a briefer version: Going on 6 years of 30-35 carbs/day. It does work for many of us. And I agree with Anonymous.

 Posted by Anonymous on 29 June 2011

I am really surprised to read that “Countless research studies do not show long term (greater than six months to a year) benefit of low carb diets on blood glucose, weight control, or blood fats.” You obviously have not been looking at studies, because they are out there. I am a T1 so don’t have the same problems as a T2, but I know from participating in the DOC, those T2s that follow low carb have much better results than those that don’t. T2s often have insulin resistance and the best solution for that is low carb. Dr. Bernstein is one of the biggest advocates for low carb diets for diabetics – he is a doctor and living proof that they work.

 Posted by Anonymous on 29 June 2011

Low carb and exercise has helped me control my blood glucose numbers. Diabetes is a disease of elevated blood glucose so we should do what is appropriate to lower those numbers.

Ozbuc

 Posted by matingara on 29 June 2011

i have to agree with all the comments so far. carbohydrates are a very dangerous and should be consumed with caution and knowledge. i had awful lipids and blood sugar control on a low fat/high carb diet. now that i have switched to a lower carb diet - all my numbers are superb. and the diet is easy to follow and very satisfying!

 Posted by Anonymous on 29 June 2011

The first point on weight is rational, though of course reaching and maintaining ideal weight should be the goal every diabetic (actually for everyone).

But where on earth did the comment that low carb diets don't work come from.

The more carbs I eat the more insulin I need to inject or meds I need to take to force my body to handle them. A low carb diet keeps blood sugars more stable (and naturally lower, and makes insulin use lower (and safer) and reduces the need for meds.

I would love to see the references for the 'countless studies' show that low carb diets are not effective or safe long term for diabetics. From my readings and personal experience I've seen exactly the opposite.

 Posted by Anonymous on 29 June 2011

Quite honestly after reading this article I am ashamed to call myself an RD. It flies in the face of logic to even suggest that restricting the very thing a person with diabetes has problems metabolizing (e.g. carbohydrates)would not be beneficial. Nope just keep on eating like the rest of America is the "expert" recommendation. Easy for someone not staring complications from diabetes in the face to say keep eating high amounts of carbohydrate and just take more meds. This ends up giving the message to people with diabetes they don't really have to modify their behaviors-just go to the doc and have them tell you to take another pill.

 Posted by Karen D. on 29 June 2011

I am another type 2 diabetic who has been on a very low-carbohydrate (30 to 35 grams/day)for the past nine years, and I have maintained normal, non-diabetic blood glucose levels for all that time. My A1Cs have been consistently been in the 4.9 to 5.1 range. My family doctor was very disapproving when I first told him what I was doing, but over the years he has completely changed his mind; he has acknlowledged that I am the only diabetic patient he has ever had who consistently had normal blood sugars. I, too, follow Dr. Richard's recommended diet (See his book, "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution")

I must admit that I actually feel very, very angry when I read advice such as Hope Warshaw gives in the above article. It is simply untrue that there have been no studies that show the advantage of low-carb eating to diabetes - people like Ms. Warshaw simply ignore them because they have closed their minds to anything that challenges their beliefs. Has she read some of Gary Taubes' work, especially "Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It"? Has she read "Life Without Break"? In fact, has she read Dr. Bernstein's book? I know she once debated him on TV (I think it was on dLife, but I'm not certain of that), but I suspected at the time that she had not even read his book.

A final comment: My endocrinilogist is a strong believer in managing diabetes the way I do. On my first visit, when I showed him my glucose log book, he was amazed and asked how I was able to keep my blood glucose with no insulin or medications. I showed him my Dr. Bernstein book, which he was familiar with, and he said, "Doctors who don't realize that's the way all diabetics should be eating have their headw buried in the sand." I couldn't agree more.

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

I did not want to go on a low carb diet, so after diagnosis I followed my dietitian's advice and found my blood glucose levels rose and my weight still increased. I changed to low carb and my blood glucose levels are in a good range (5s and low 6s) and I am slowly losing weight. I would also add that before diagnosis I followed the low GI diet my doctor recommended, in fact I had been doing that for several years. So why did I end up diagnosed with Diabetes 2?

 Posted by Diet Doctor Pepper on 30 June 2011

Following the advice of Dr. Eades, Dr. Atkins, and Dr. Bernstein, I went on a low carb diet after my fasting blood glucose hit 274 (because my my primary physician told me to eat as much fruit and veggies as possible). It took 6 months of low carb dieting, but finally my FBG went below 100 and has stayed there because I DO NOT eat carbs.

 Posted by Black57 on 30 June 2011

I have been low carbing for 10 years. I have been learning and researching my lifestyle the entire time I have been doing it. So, I do not understand why, with such advanced knowledgeable people, would there be no studies on longterm benefits of doing low carb. I do eat fruits and vegetables and find it baffling that so many people do not realize that they are low carb. As a matter of fact nearly 90% of the planet's veggies are indeed low in carbohydrates which makes it easier to absorb the nutrients contained in these items. There are plenty of low sugar fruits that can be consumed on a low carb diet without triggering insulin or glucose spikes. Why? Because the sugar content is very low. TO figure this out it is important to test blood glucose levels, that's why they make the blood glucose meters.I am pre-diabetic and I use my diet to manage my blood glucose and I take supplements that also work with my diet to control my blood glucose. My goal is to stay healthy and to never need meds.

 Posted by Black57 on 30 June 2011

Just to add,although my doctor encourages me to continue my low carb lifestyle, I have never been told from my dietitian to go low carb. My doctor told me that from his observations, low carb diets are the best way to manage glucose levels without medication. My point being is that low carb is not at the top of the charts as a recommendation for treating diabetes. Low carb is not common dogma for diabetes treatments. BUT, it should be.

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

I have had diabetes for over 20 years. When first diagnosed, I was on a low fat, higher carb diet and my blood sugar was very hard to control. My HbA1c was in the 11 range. I was headed for all kinds of complications. I could not gain control of my blood sugar. In 1995 a nutritionist suggested a low carb diet along with a moderate amount of protein and fats, such as nuts, avocados, real butter and lean meats. I now have an HbAlc of 6.2 and feel much better. I also have good cholesterol numbers. This article is not only frightening to read, it is dangerous to anyone who has diabetes.

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

Respectfully, what makes diabetes such an insidious condition is its varying effect on individuals as well as the appropriate regimen for good control. What works well for one individual may not work well for another. I personally have had great success with a low carb diet and my endo only need to see me twice a year.

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

Since starting on the Paleo 2.0 diet, I have been feeling better then I have most of my life. I am losing weight and my blood test results are getting better. Not sure why articles like these are even allowed to be posted.

 Posted by Dogwatch on 30 June 2011

Daily pills, some weight lifting, and some aerobic exercise several times a week, and a low, low, low carb diets keepd me alive and happy. 

If I let any one of those go, up heads the A1C. It takes discipline, but it can be done. 

While there's no 'one-size-fits-all' approach, I think the first rule of thumb for anyone in the diabetic range is to follow a low carb diet. 

That doesn't mean you don't avoid bread, popcorn, and fruit; just choose wisely. I eat carbs and enjoy them. But I balance it with protein and common sense.

Good luck to all;

Christopher Alexander
Albuquerque, New Mexico

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

After diagnosis I followed the diet Hope Warshaw advocates and it was a total failure in controlling my blood glucose. I started the "eat to your meter" program and eliminated the foods that were causing my sugar to spike. Foods like whole grains fruits and starchy veggies, the article promotes, needed to be eliminated. My A1C went from 13.1 to 5.6 4 months and I was able to eliminate one of the two drugs I was taking. 

I consider my diet healthy as it contains plenty of non starch veggies, meat and cheese. I am coming up on 2 years on this diet and have no trouble sticking to it.

I think Diabetes Health should publish an article highlighting the low carb approach to T2 treatment, including references to the numerous peer reviewed studies that show low carbs effectiveness and safety. Readers of your website need to be exposed to the full range of diet options so they can make an educated choice.

 Posted by chanson3633 on 30 June 2011

I'm not sure why the "old dogma" is that Type2's should eat a low carb diet. That has never been the dogma as far as the ADA is concerned (unless you go back to pre-insulin days, prior to 1928). The Old Dogma is "Diabetics should eat the same diet as any other healthy person." I think the New Dogma should be: "Go Lo-Carb."

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

I was diagnosed with type 2 almost 2 years ago. I was not told anything about what to eat or testing my blood sugar.

I came to the ADA site first for diet advice. I followed it for about 2 weeks. My blood sugars were never less than 200.

Then I switched to Dr. Bernstein's low-carb diet. In a matter of a couple of days, my blood sugars were in normal range. 

Why on earth would I want to eat more carbs and have high blood sugars? It's clear the ADA approach did not work for me.

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

Ms. Warshaw, since there are "countless research studies" that have proven low-carb diets do not show benefits on blood glucose, weight, etc., it would have been informative if you would have at least cited one.

 Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2011

So you recommend that diabetics like me eat higher carb diets and then take as much medication as needed to keep blood sugar under control? How can that possibly make sense? I agree Metformin beginning at diagnosis is frequently beneficial but it needs to be combined with exercise and a low carb way of eating - this combination gives me an A1C of 5.1.

The only advice a new diabetic needs on diet is to "Eat to your meter". Anything that raises the blood sugar above the damage level must be limited or eliminated.

Pushing drugs as the best first option is doing a disservice to diabetics. Medications have their place and can be necessary but lifestyle changes including low carb are a better solution when possible.

 Posted by Anonymous on 1 July 2011

I am an RNCDE and must say that every time I read/hear about avoiding low carb diets from dietitians I feel like that professional has not done enough research or actually talked to encough people who follow low carb diets! I think the American Dietetic Association must start to update their guidelines to include low carb mealplans. As someone with prediabetes it has helped me and I know from LISTENING to my patients it has helped many people as well. Its time to modernize an old standard!

 Posted by cde on 1 July 2011

Diabetes mellitus continues to be the one (and only?) medical condition best treated with SELF-management. Ultimately, each person with the condition must decide what "works" and how "works" is defined. I listened to Ms. Warshaw and the vast majority of health care professionals of her persuasion (most of them, it seems, do NOT have diabetes), and I listened to Dr. Berstein. After trying both, there was no doubt about the "winner," that is, the approach that I wanted to use to prevent DM complications. About 12-13 years ago, after about 30 years of trying to make the kind of diet recommended in this article "work," I happened to figure out that carbs are the fly in the ointment. Dr. Bernstein's book confirmed this observation and provided the missing support and guidance, in concrete terms and numbers, so that I could eventually arrive at an A1c 4.7% - 5.2%. I will say that unless I had tried to self-manage my blood sugars with the kind of advice Ms. Warshaw gives, for many years and with many iterations and permutations, I would never have believed or discovered the effects of carbs on the blood sugar levels of a person with DM (that is, me). The contrast (between the Standard American Diet [SAD, for short] and Dr. Bernstein's approach) was very valuable and convincing to me. Dr. Stan De Loach Certified Diabetes Educator

 Posted by Judy Barnes Baker on 1 July 2011

This advice defies logic. Diabetes is a condition of carbohydrate intolerance. Many, many, studies have shown that a low-carbohydrate diet can prevent and reverse the complications of diabetes and more are coming out every day. It is tragic that diabetes "experts" and our health organizations continue to withhold this life-saving knowledge.

 Posted by Anonymous on 1 July 2011

Received my initial T2 diagnosis 4 months ago with an A1c of 6.7. I immediately increased the amount of exercize I was doing. After a few weeks of research I started to lower my carb intake, shooting for no more than 50g a day - am now between 35-40g a day. My A1c 3 months after diagnosis was 5.7. Still exercising and shooting for my next A1c test in five months to be below 5.0.

 Posted by Anonymous on 1 July 2011

The sad thing about articles like this is that it makes patients think CDEs don't know what they're talking about, so they won't believe anything they say. And other than diet, they do sometimes offer useful advice.

However, apparently Ms Warshaw is unaware of the fact that skim milk increases BG faster than almost anything else. Some type 1s use it when they're low for that reason.

She is also apparently unaware of the more recent studies that carried out LC diet studies to two years. And she seems to be confusing studies concerned with weight control (people tend to regain no matter what diet they're on) with studies concerned with A1c.

There's no question that true LC diets (some people call diets with 45% carb low carb because it's lower than the 60% recommended by ADA) result in lower A1cs. The criticisms used to be that lipid levels would increase.

But recent studies have struck down the "lipid hypothesis" of heart disease too.

 Posted by Anonymous on 1 July 2011

When I eat the recommended diet (HIGH carb, grains, high-glycemic fruit, high-glycemic veggies) I have an HbA1C in the 9's or 10's despite injecting insulin -- LOTS of insulin. When I follow a sensible diet (LOW carb, lots of low-glycemic veggies, small amounts of low-glycemic fruits) I have an HbA1C in the 5's with little or no injected insulin. Any questions?

 Posted by leolioness on 2 July 2011

I have a long history of seeing patients who have eaten low carb be able to achieve lower blood glucose. Both T2 and T1 profit from keeping to a low carb regimen. I am appalled that low carb diets are dismissed this way. There needs to be a whole new generation of dietitians educated about low carb nutrition but the older generation teaching them must be sadly out of touch.

 Posted by Anonymous on 2 July 2011

Ms. Warshaw's bottom line advice: "Get and keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol into recommended target zones." 

But there's disconnect in there somewhere because then she says low carb diets are not the answer.

This is completely and utterly irrational, since multiple studies have shown that the net health effects of switching to a low carb diet are LOWER blood sugar, LOWER cholesterol and LOWER blood pressure.

 Posted by seashore on 2 July 2011

Why do the ADA and most diabetic clinicians recommend a high carb diet, which make the diabetes worse? Let me present my theory.

Diabetics have a high incidence of coronary heart disease (atherosclerosis). The popular dogma is that coronary heart disease (CHD) is caused primarily by excessive fats and cholesterol in the diet. Hence the ADA recommends a low-fat diet, which in turn results in a high-carb diet. 

The truth is that fats and cholesterol DO NOT clog arteries, and elevated fats and cholesterol in the blood DO NOT cause CHD. The primary cause of CHD is elevated blood glucose, which seriously damages the arteries. When digested, carbs are converted into glucose. To avoid elevated blood glucose without requiring excessive insulin or diabetic medication, one must minimize the carbs in the diet. 

In other words, a low-carb diet is essential if a diabetic is to minimize the incidence of coronary heart disease and other diabetic complications.

 Posted by Anonymous on 2 July 2011

This article is ridiculous! I agree that it could even be dangerous to diabetics. Look, the answer to helping diabetics prevent complications and control blood glucose levels does not lie in medications (big pharma wants it this way, period...but that is about the money). It lies in the quality of the foods we eat...and their effects seen in the body. Plain and simple, there is not a benefit to eating high-carb or what this lady calls moderate carb (ha, yeah, whatever). The benefit comes in avoiding grains and products that create inflammation...especially for diabetics! Uggh, when are we going to move past the true dogma that the money-grubbers choose to push? There are plenty of studies showing results QUITE THE OPPOSITE of what is suggested in this weak article!

 Posted by Anonymous on 2 July 2011

I was a Type II diabetic for 10 years, thanks to the ADA's recommended high carb meal plan. I was diagnosed with an A1c of 11. I took all those "wonder" drugs which left my blood sugar bouncing from high to low all day long. I even passed out from a few episodes of severe reactive hypoglycemia. 

I went low carb and now my BG levels stay in the 70s-80s, even postprandial. I am no longer obese (I could never lose weight before), I don't suffer from low blood sugar and I don't take any medicine.

How can something be old dogma when it was never taught to diabetics in the first place? That doesn't even make sense. The ADA diet is what is truly old dogma and hasn't ever worked, obviously, if you look at how many people still suffer from diabetes.

 Posted by Anonymous on 3 July 2011

I beg to differ with these findings. I think there are plenty of studies and Type2 Diabetics that prove that a controlled carbohydrate diet...low in glycemic index help to offset the Type2 diabetes and relieve the sufferer of medications. 
I find that most articles are written by someone, professional or not, who has no proven statistics about using medications and using fruits, grains, legumes, vegetables and low fat is helpful to the diabetic. Also articles written are funded by someone or entity pushing their unproven products/agricultural/medications
I have seen proven statistics that show how controlled/low carbohydrate dietary guidelines save diabetics from deteriorating health, control of their blood glucose and early death. They are quickly weaned off medications. Anyone who has lived long-term this way will gladly tell you about their experiences. Plenty of clinical studies prove this out.

 Posted by Anonymous on 3 July 2011

I am a type I diabetic and I know for a fact what 45-65% of calories as carbs can do to my BG... This is absurd and border-line dangerous statement from some "best-selling author". 
"Countless research studies" would better fit in the article if there was at least one link to such a study showing no long term benefit of low-carb diet on BG.

 Posted by Anonymous on 4 July 2011

I am newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was given the standard ADA diet advice. Based on my testing results low carb is the way to go. Carbohydrates cause your blood glucose to rise and in my experience the more carbs I consume the higher my BG readings are (even when eating healthly carbs). 

In my opinion, Diabetics should be taught to eat to their meter. I have been eating low carb for almost 1 year now and my diet includes lots of non stachy vegetables, fruits(strawberries, blueberries, raspberries),lean meats,eggs,nuts and some low carb desserts occasionally. My A1C is 5.6 and have accomplished this by diet/exercise alone.

It doesn't make any sense to me to load my body full of carbohyrates and then try and control the BG rise with medications and insulin. Eating low carb has allowed me to control my diabetes with diet/exercise alone, giving me A1C readings and Blood Glucose readings comparable to a non-diabetic. It defys logic to tell a diabetic to consume 45-60% of their calories from carbohydrates the very thing that their body is unable to handle.

 Posted by Anonymous on 4 July 2011

I too find this article disappointing and a disservice to all of us living with diabetes. After discovering the Bernstein low carb approach and learning how to happily and deliciously eat this way, I went back to school and am now a Health and Nutrition Coach... a new entrance into the health care mix. Through a 3 or 6 or 12 month program, I teach people HOW to enjoy a life with low carb living... I cook with them, provide recipes, hold them accountable to their goals through small weekly action steps, and provide unconditional support. Change does not happen over night... and it is challenging to eat low carb in a world surrounded by carbs on every street corner. My clients come to me AFTER they have been through the traditional system and cannot understand why they cannot get a grip on their blood sugars... well all the above comments are the proof of the pudding... carbs! Try some delish chia seed pudding tonight... I did...

 Posted by Anonymous on 5 July 2011

My earlier comment has not been posted, but I want to agree that controlled carbohydrate with moderate protein and sufficient saturated fat works for me. A1c of 5.6 down from 13 for seventeen years.

 Posted by Anonymous on 5 July 2011

Did you know that type 1 diabetics with no active insulin cannot gain weight? It won't matter how much I eat. I could eat every day a whole cow, two pigs, and a truck full of chickens; I would continue to wither away. It is crystal clear to anybody who cares to look: insulin controls adiposity [and much more]. Increase your insulin levels and you will store more nutients as fat and glycogen. Reduce insulin levels and these stores will reduce. I'm not betting my future on "High Carb Hope"

 Posted by Anonymous on 5 July 2011

Type 2 diabetes is, at its essence, carbohydrate intolerance.

To suggest that eating carbohydrates is the answer to carbohydrate intolerance is farcical.

 Posted by Anonymous on 5 July 2011

This article is downright criminal. It's akin to advocating drinking and driving. It's that dangerous. Advising Type II Diabetics to eat carbohydrates is quite literally putting gasoline on a fire. Nothing good can come from it and frankly I am utterly disgusted that this article was published. The fact that it was published shows that Hope Warshaw and the editors of this website are utterly clueless to both the underlying pathology of diabetes as well as the current research.

Finally, as a side note, my father-in-law treated T2 Diabetes with a low-carb diet 40 years ago because it was widely understood that T2 Diabetes is the result of carbohydrate intolerance. He would blister at this article and the ignorance put forth. The greatest impediment to diabetes treatment are the two ADAs (diabetics and dietitians association). If doctors didn't listen to these two associations, T2 diabetes rates would plummet.

 Posted by Lyford on 6 July 2011

This article is misguided. At best. 

Anyone with Type 2 diabetes who chooses to follow Ms. Warshaw's advice and carb up is just begging for problems, for retinopathy and neuropathy and dialysis. The most basic fundamental trait of type 2 diabetics is that they cannot process carbohydrates without generating dangerous blood sugar levels. To be recommending that they eat more carbohydrate is just outrageous. Some people are going to have to take some medications, but no one needs grains or fruits to make it through the day, and most, if not all, diabetics are far, far better off without them.

Really, just an outrageous article. If I were to plan to jack up my blood sugar and whine about the consequences, I'd do just what she's recommending.