Printable page in A4 size The Banting Diet
Low-Carbohydrate Healthy-Fat
Type II Diabetes
Type II Diabetes - The Broken Protocol
Around the world the medical protocol for treating type II diabetes is similar. Patients are told that diabetes is a life long, progressive condition that will shorten their lives. But if they eat a healthy diet and give careful attention to medication and diet, they can "keep both blood glucose level and blood pressure at a healthy range. That is your best defence against developing the complications of diabetes." When they inquire about the "healthy diet" they are usually told the Mediterranean Diet is recommended, but because of their diabetes they should eat three meals a day, with the same amount of carbohydrate in each meal. (What that means is a changing target. 10 years ago, 120 grams at each meal. Today 60 grams at each meal.) [This paragraph was written in 2017]
[Edit 2022:] We've just checked the NZ Diabetes Association web site, and the NZ Society for the Study of Diabetes site. From the Open Future Health point of view, the advice has changed a lot, and in the right direction. They continue to focus on glucose monitoring, regular meals and have about a "fist size" helping of carbohydrate food at each meal. 35g/d of fibre in the diet is recommended. Continuous Glucose Monitors are suggested but not being supplied. They also mention measuring ketones, but don't recommend it, unless ketoacidosis is a potential problem. They say, "There is no conclusive evidence to suggest one dietary strategy is more effective than any other for achieving sustained weight loss and improvements in glycemic control." They also tell us that a "Very Low Carbohydrate Diet" is to be avoided.
[Edit 2022:] Apparently nobody knows about the 
many studies that strongly favour a low carbohydrate diet for weight loss. Nor apparently, are they aware of the work of 
Virta Health, where they monitor ketones to make sure that their patients are keeping to the diet. Nor do they recognise that organisations like "
The Real Meal Revolution" (South Africa), a private start-up "
Diabetes.co.uk", and the "
Public Health Collaboration" (UK) have reversed the type II diabetes for hundreds of thousands of people, with very little or no medical intervention.
Special mention should also be made of "
Low Carb Downunder", where Dr Paul Mason is the leading light, and the new organisation they have created "
Defeat Diabetes" where Dr Peter Brukner is the CEO.
Hundreds of thousands people reversing their diabetes has clearly demonstrated in the last ten years that the protocol is wrong. These people have used simple dietary principles, LCHF, (we call it Banting,) to keep their blood glucose stable without any need to use insulin, and sometimes without any medication at all. One day the protocol will be changed. Banting suggests that the total amount of dietary carbohydrate should be less than 50 grams A DAY. People should be in mild dietary ketosis if the still need to lose weight.
Type I Diabetes - Another Broken Protocol
A significant number of type I diabetics have found that the same idea of eating a very low carbohydrate diet, as recommended 40 years ago by Dr Richard Bernstein, is very effective in reducing insulin use, and because of "the law of small numbers" as Dr Bernstein says, the calculation of the required insulin dose is made much easier. There is a
Facebook group called "TypeOneGrit" which has been very successful helping type I diabetics, led by RD Dikeman and adopting the principles of Dr Richard Bernstein.
"Four years of low carb primary care: “It's a lifestyle not a diet”"
Dr David Unwin & Dr Jen Unwin - Clinical Care for Diabetes: UK
Public Health Collaboration: Published on 12 Nov 2017
(45 minutes)
Link to David Unwin in the main website.
Of course if the medical profession loses touch with what works, that opens up a commercial opportunity at least in the USA. Virta Health opened in October 2017.
Here are the results of the Virta studies in graphic form.
Virta has also published scientific papers about their work.
'Before diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes there is a long silent scream from the liver'
Dr. David Unwin (45 minutes)
Published by: Low Carb Downunder - 7 Nov 2021
Open Future Health has published four pages about Type II Diabetes here.
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