Health Answers

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and other industrialized nations around the world. For instance, recently I heard that Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, had to change the size of the boats in their famous ride It’s a Small World to accommodate more weight!

Sadly, this increase in weight is increasing the number of people getting diabetes. Part of this weight problem is caused by the heavy use of fats in our diet.

The excessive use of fats has been linked to development of diabetes. A recent study at the University of Colorado Health Science Center, USA found that intake of an extra 40g of fat each day increases the chances of developing diabetes by three times.

A fat rich diet, especially one saturated with animal fat, seems to damage the insulin’s effectiveness. Research at the University of Sydney in Australia measured the saturated fatty acids in the muscles cells of older non-diabetic men and the women undergoing surgery and found that higher the presence of saturated fatty acids in the cells, the greater the insulin resistance.

On the other hand, higher tissue levels of polyunsaturated fats, particularly fish oil, indicated better insulin activity and lower resistance. Fish oil differs from animal fats in that fish oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids.

One of the fatty acids called omega-3 is especially good for the heart—it lowers cholesterol and protects from atherosclerosis. In fact, the researchers also reported that intake of omega-3 fish oil to the subjects effectively overcame their insulin resistance.

In another study, Jennifer Lovejoy, assistance professor at Louisiana State of University, USA, studied the eating habits and insulin activity among 45 non-diabetic men and women. About half of them were obese and the remaining half of normal weight.

In both cases, higher fat consumption increased insulin resistance. This indicates, says Dr. Lovejoy, that even normal individuals who decrease their insulin efficiency and boost their vulnerability to diabetes.

One of the most important nutrition guidelines to follow is to “eat less saturated fat.” A quick and simple way to do that is to eliminate meat products. They are high both in saturated fat and cholesterol content.

People with diabetes have a greater risk of heart disease earlier in life. The practically useless calories added by saturated fats contribute to above normal body weight and obesity, putting a diabetic at greater of heart disease.

Flesh foods are extremely harmful for diabetes. They increase the toxemic condition underlying the diabetic state and reduce the sugar tolerance. Most diseases of the human body are caused by autointoxication of self-poisoning.

The flesh of animals increases the burden on the organs of elimination and overloads and system with animal waste matter and poisons. Chemical analysis has shown that uric acid and other uric poisons contained in the animal body are almost identical to caffeine and nicotine, the poisonous, stimulating principles of coffee, tea and tobacco.

The renowned journal Lancet, reports that a patient of diabetes must be persuaded to consume less animal foods. However, in cold countries where meat and fat products constitute the bulk of the diet, patients of diabetes should limit their intake of animal products to eggs and white meal like fish and poultry. Even their use of should be kept to the minimum; all red meat and red meat products should be eliminated from the diet.

Basically, if you don’t have diabetes, the best way to prevent this disease is to watch your fat intake, exercise daily for 30 minutes, and keep your weight down. Thirty minutes a day sounds like a lot, but that time will be a wise investment if it prevents such a terrible disease as diabetes.

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