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Tuesday 31 July 2012

Ketogenic diet does not affect strength performance in elite artistic gymnasts !


Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012, 9:34 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-9-34
Published: 26 July 2012

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Despite the increasing use of very low carbohydrate ketogenic diets (VLCKD) in weight control and management of the metabolic syndrome there is a paucity of research about effects of VLCKD on sport performance. Ketogenic diets may be useful in sports that include weight class divisions and the aim of our study was to investigate the influence of VLCKD on explosive strength performance.

Methods

8 athletes, elite artistic gymnasts (age 20.9 +/- 5.5 yrs) were recruited. We analyzed body composition and various performance aspects (hanging straight leg raise, ground push up, parallel bar dips, pull up, squat jump, countermovement jump, 30 sec continuous jumps) before and after 30 days of a modified ketogenic diet. The diet was based on green vegetables, olive oil, fish and meat plus dishes composed of high quality protein and virtually zero carbohydrates, but which mimicked their taste, with the addition of some herbal extracts. During the VLCKD the athletes performed the normal training program. After three months the same protocol, tests were performed before and after 30 days of the athletes' usual diet (a typically western diet, WD). A one-way Anova for repeated measurements was used.

Results

No significant differences were detected between VLCKD and WD in all strength tests. Significant differences were found in body weight and body composition: after VLCKD there was a decrease in body weight (from 69.6 +/- 7.3 Kg to 68.0 +/- 7.5 Kg) and fat mass (from 5.3 +/- 1.3 Kg to 3.4 +/- 0.8 Kg p < 0.001) with a non-significant increase in muscle mass.

Conclusions

Despite concerns of coaches and doctors about the possible detrimental effects of low carbohydrate diets on athletic performance and the well known importance of carbohydrates there are no data about VLCKD and strength performance. The undeniable and sudden effect of VLCKD on fat loss may be useful for those athletes who compete in sports based on weight class. We have demonstrated that using VLCKD for a relatively short time period (i.e. 30 days) can decrease body weight and body fat without negative effects on strength performance in high level athletes.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.


Graham



Farmer Jopar.


Lowcarb Pear, Cinnamon and cream sponge cake.




Ingredients:
100g ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon of melted butter
2 tablespoons of double cream
2 tea spoons of cinnamon
120 grams of pear quarters 

Method:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Almonds, baking powder and cinnamon.
Melt the butter, I use a Pyrex jug, add the eggs, cream, then add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour mix into a 6" x 3" micro-wave safe glass dish, cook at 700 watts for 3 minutes. Allow to cool and cut in half. Spread on extra thick cream and add tinned pear quarters, dust with cinnamon powder. Serves four. 
 
Eddie


Please check out our lowcarb food blog http://www.lowcarbdietsandrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/



Diabetic foot care 'appalling'


Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of having a foot amputated because of an "appalling" lack of specialist services, according to Diabetes UK.
Diabetes can reduce the amount of blood reaching the feet, leading to a loss of sensation, gangrene and amputation.
The charity said 84 hospitals in England and Wales, out of the 206 surveyed, had no specialist diabetes foot-care teams.
The organisation NHS Diabetes said such services saved a lot of money.
The probability of a patient with a form of diabetes having an amputation is 20 times higher than someone with normal control over their blood sugar.
Amputation is normally preceded by the formation of ulcers on the foot, however, rapid treatment can heal the wounds before amputation is needed.
Diabetes UK said specialist teams responsible for such patients greatly reduced the number of amputations.
'Tragic example'
Chief executive Barbara Young said: "It is appalling that so many hospitals are letting down people with diabetes by still not having one of these teams in place.
"It is a tragic example of the short-termist approach of some hospitals that they are failing to invest in an multi-disciplinary foot-care team despite the fact that the financial savings from doing fewer amputations is likely to outweigh the cost of setting up one of these teams."
Diabetes UK said it would write to the chief executives of the 84 hospitals.
report by NHS Diabetes, in March 2012, showed the specialist services could save money. It said one hospital spent £33,000 a year on the service, but saved £250,000 a year by reducing the number of amputations.
Speaking at the time of the report, NHS Diabetes director of , Anna Morton, said: "It is not acceptable that thousands of people with diabetes lose a limb each year because of poor quality care.
"It is even less easy to accept when we now have such a strong economic case for change."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19050684

Monday 30 July 2012

DUK the not so silent assassins !


A few years ago, DUK the largest diabetes charity in the UK, run an awareness campaign called ‘Diabetes the silent assassin’ They forgot to tell people they were supplying the ammo. Their dietary recommendations have lead to an early death for countless thousands. Their dietary advice leads to unnecessary amputations and blindness for many every year. The big question why do they promote a diet of death ?


If there is one thing human beings are good at it’s over complicating a simple solution to an even simpler problem. Type two as with any type of diabetes is about controlling blood glucose. DUK like to complicate the situation. They promote a diet that has no scientific merit, but will benefit their acknowledgments, as they euphemistically call their paymasters, big pharma and unnecessary outfits such as slimming firms etc. Push the carbs with every meal, and use the medications our paymasters sell is the name of the game. That way people stay on the payroll and keep the company cars. Sounds unfair or over the top ?


We live in a world where big pharma have been fined billions of dollars for lying and bribery and corruption. We live in a world where Banks are being fined hundreds of millions of pounds in fines for breaking the law and robbing ordinary people. We live in a world where politicians are corrupt to the core. We live in a world where Newspapers pay for information hacked from a murdered school girls mobile phone. This is the world we live in.


If you think DUK are any better then you are already on too many drugs. It's all about money, and money talks !


Eddie

Sunday 29 July 2012

Low-Carb Experts: Chris Masterjohn, PhD - Segment One




Graham

Type 2: Swedes Say a Small Drop in A1C Reduces Risk of Cardiac Death



Jul 29, 2012







































Swedish researchers report that a drop in A1C of less than one percentage point can lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease among people with diabetes by nearly half. Specifically, they found that patients who reduced their A1C from 7.8% to 7.0% decreased their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 45 percent.
That percentage was based on statistics showing that the absolute risk of death from cardiovascular causes is 9.9 events per 1,000 person-years in patients with the lower A1C, versus 17.8 events per 1,000 person-years in patients with a higher baseline or increasing A1C. In addition to the decreased risk of death from cardiovascular events, the Swedish researchers noted that better glycemic control reduced the risk of nonfatal cardiovascular events.
The University of Gothenburg study analyzed data on 18,000 patients from the Swedish National Diabetes register. The patients had a baseline A1C of between 7% and 8.9%, spanned the ages of 30 to 75 years, and had a median duration of diabetes of eight to 10 years. The researchers designed the study to exclude patients with a history of cardiovascular problems. They divided the patient histories they studied into one group that had shown a decreasing A1C after starting at a baseline of 7.8%, and a second group whose A1C had remained stable at a baseline of 7.7% or had increased.
Lead researcher Katarina Eeg-Olofsson, MD, said that her team began the study to look into the connection between tighter glycemic control and cardiovascular problems. The noted US ACCORD study (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes), which investigated the effects of tight glycemic control, was suspended in 2010 after scientists concluded there might be a link between tight control and increased cardiovascular problems. At the same time, a large European study designed to investigate the same relationship did not show such a link.
Based on her study’s results, Eeg-Olofsson said that a 7% A1C seems to be a target that type 2scan aim for to help mitigate the increased risk of cardiovascular problems that affect people with diabetes.
The team reported its findings at the recent 72nd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. An abstract is available here
Graham
  











Friday 27 July 2012

You could cut the irony with an axe !



I thought I had seen it all on forums, but today I nigh on fell over laughing, when I saw Jopar had started a thread called “Rude People”. This from someone that has stated lowcarbers are liars, cannot count and type two diabetics brought on themselves, and take NHS money from far more deserving type one’s.


Jeez, ya couldn’t make it up, beam me up Scottie !


Eddie

Thursday 26 July 2012

Hunter-Gatherer Energetics and Human Obesity


Abstract


Western lifestyles differ markedly from those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, and these differences in diet and activity level are often implicated in the global obesity pandemic. However, few physiological data for hunter-gatherer populations are available to test these models of obesity. In this study, we used the doubly-labeled water method to measure total daily energy expenditure (kCal/day) in Hadza hunter-gatherers to test whether foragers expend more energy each day than their Western counterparts. As expected, physical activity level, PAL, was greater among Hadza foragers than among Westerners. Nonetheless, average daily energy expenditure of traditional Hadza foragers was no different than that of Westerners after controlling for body size. The metabolic cost of walking (kcal kg−1 m−1) and resting (kcal kg−1 s−1) were also similar among Hadza and Western groups. The similarity in metabolic rates across a broad range of cultures challenges current models of obesity suggesting that Western lifestyles lead to decreased energy expenditure. We hypothesize that human daily energy expenditure may be an evolved physiological trait largely independent of cultural differences

Full study:

Graham


Wednesday 25 July 2012

Walmart Launches Effort to Save Diabetes Patients Up to $60 Million Annually


BENTONVILLE, Ark.July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart today launched an effort to save diabetes patients in the U.S. up to $60 million annually with Walmart's exclusive ReliOn brand of diabetes products. ReliOn products provide an affordable, high-quality option to help the nearly 26 million individuals who live with diabetes in the U.S. better manage their disease.
In particular, Walmart introduced today the low-cost ReliOn Prime meter and blood sugar test strips. The retailer will offer the ReliOn Prime meter for $16.24 and ReliOn Prime blood sugar test strips at$9 for 50-ct strips, or 18 cents per test. People with diabetes use meters and blood sugar test strips daily to test their blood sugar levels and determine when they need to take insulin.
"Many people with diabetes struggle to manage their disease due to its terrible financial burden," said John Agwunobi, M.D., president of Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness. "We've worked closely with our suppliers and found a way to significantly reduce the cost of diabetes products for all of our customers, whether they have insurance or not, so they can better manage their disease."
Walmart will provide increased savings on a variety of items to help patients ease the cost of diabetes management.  ReliOn items that will see reduced prices include gloves, lancets, syringes and more. Walmart also offers ReliOn insulin products at the everyday low price of $24.88 per bottle.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people who take insulin to treat their diabetes should test their blood glucose levels a minimum of three times per day to appropriately manage the disease, and many people on oral medications also test their blood glucose, which can result in expensive out-of-pocket costs. People with diabetes spend as much as $1,000 each year on blood glucose monitoring test strips alone, regardless of whether they have insurance.  Switching to ReliOn Prime test strips can save each diabetes patient as much as $784 a year.
The Walmart Foundation has donated more than $2 million to diabetes-focused organizations across the U.S. over the last fiscal year, including the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Today Advisory Council, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Southeastern Diabetes Education Services

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Oh no not again………


A comment came in today regarding my reposting of the summer fruits cake. It was said in a friendly way from a valued commenter. It is true I often repeat an article on here, and it is not because we have run out of things to say. I often repost because information received from Google, tells me we get new readers all the time. I don’t expect a person new to our blog, to wade through a thousand plus articles, hence the repeats. As a diabetic lowcarber, food is of paramount importance regarding my blood glucose control. The correct food and moderate physical activity has enabled me to hold non diabetic numbers for over four years. I do not fear injected insulin, but I have great respect for it, and hope to stay clear of it for as long as possible. A personal view perhaps.


As a complete aside, I have been doing some fasting BG tests this week on myself and my non diabetic wife. My wife is an ex PE teacher and very slim, she also lowcarbs as she believes in the basic principles, i.e. a diet based on sugar and starch is good for no one, diabetic or not. Anyway back to the plot, my average fasting BG numbers this week have been 5.4, hers have been 5.1. So my numbers are not too bad, for an old diabetic on a couple of metformin a day, and over four years membership of the betus club.


Eddie

Being a diabetic is a dogs life, well not as good it would appear.


Over at my favourite forum, a long term member reported the sad  loss of one of her dogs. Losing a long term well loved pet is a blow. The forum is not just for diabetes information, it also serves as a meeting place, and a place to get some emotional support, which is a good thing. I have no problem with that, but one thing worries me. The post about the dog has received 22 comments and 123 views at the time of writing this article. A post placed by a member requiring help regarding insulin was posted four days ago, and despite bumping by another member, the OP has received only four comments despite 128 views. 


One thing has become very apparent to me over the years, especially when observing the carb wars. Many of the lowcarbers, but not all, are type two’s on none or minimal meds. The majority of the lowcarb antis are type ones using insulin. The lowcarb antis have so much to say against non insulin using lowcarbers, but very little in the way of support for people crying out for help. Obviously lowcarbing type two’s have no knowledge or personal experience in the use of injected insulin. What a great pity those with decades of insulin use, do not put as much effort into helping those in need, as they have done in spreading misinformation and fear regarding lowcarbing.


Just a thought.


Eddie



Update 10pm 24th July.


I lost a dog thread 27 replies 222 views.
Moving to Insulin on Friday thread 3 replies 140 views and now on page two.


Conclusion. Dead dogs more interesting than live diabetics seeking help and assurance. Welcome to the crazy world of diabetes.


Monday 23 July 2012

Recommendations For New Lipid Screening Guidelines For Children May Be Overly Aggressive

Recent guidelines recommending cholesterol tests for children fail to weigh health benefits against potential harms and costs, according to a new commentary authored by three physician-researchers at UCSF. 

Moreover, the recommendations are based on expert opinion, rather than solid evidence, the researchers said, which is especially problematic since the guidelines' authors disclosed extensive potential conflicts of interest. 

The guidelines were written by a panel assembled by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and published in Pediatrics, in November 2011. They also were endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The guidelines call for universal screening of all 9 to 11-year-old children with a non-fasting lipid panel, and targeted screening of 30 to 40 percent of 2 to 8-year-old and 12 to 16-year old children with two fasting lipid profiles. Previous recommendations called only for children considered at high risk of elevated levels to be screened with a simple non-fasting total cholesterol test. 

The call for a dramatic increase in lipid screening has the potential to transform millions of healthy children into patients labeled with so-called dyslipidemia, or bad lipid levels in the blood, according to the commentary by Thomas Newman, MD, MPH, Mark Pletcher, MD, MPH and Stephen Hulley, MD, MPH, of the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and e-published on July 23 in Pediatrics. 

"The panel made no attempt to estimate the magnitude of the health benefits or harms of attaching this diagnosis at this young age," said Newman. "They acknowledged that costs are important, but then went ahead and made their recommendations without estimating what the cost would be. And it could be billions of dollars." 

Some of the push to do more screening comes from concern about the obesity epidemic in U.S. children. But this concern should not lead to more laboratory testing, said Newman. 

"You don't need a blood test to tell who needs to lose weight. And recommending a healthier diet and exercise is something doctors can do for everybody, not just overweight kids," he said 

The requirement of two fasting lipid panels in 30 to 40 percent of all 2 to 8-year olds and 12 to 16-year- olds represents a particular burden to families, he said. 

"Because these blood tests must be done while fasting, they can't be done at the time of regularly scheduled 'well child' visits like vaccinations can," said Newman. "This requires getting hungry young children to the doctor's office to be poked with needles on two additional occasions, generally weekday mornings. Families are going to ask their doctors, 'Is this really necessary?' The guidelines provide no strong evidence that it is." 

The authors note that the panel chair and all members who drafted the lipid screening recommendations disclosed an "extensive assortment of financial relationships with companies making lipid lowering drugs and lipid testing instruments." Some of those relevant relationships include paid consultancies or advisory board memberships with pharmaceuticals that produce cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Merck, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche and Sankyo. 

"The panel states that they reviewed and graded the evidence objectively," said Newman. "But a recent Institute of Medicine report recommends that experts with conflicts of interest either be excluded from guideline panels, or, if their expertise is considered essential, should have non-voting, non-leadership, minority roles." 

Evidence is needed to estimate health benefits, risks and costs of these proposed interventions, and experts without conflicts of interest are needed to help synthesize it, according to Newman. He said that "these recommendations fall so far short of this ideal that we hope they will trigger a re-examination of the process by which they were produced."



Graham


British strawberries back in the shops.

No apologies for reposting this fabulous lowcarb recipe.


Method:

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.

Melt the butter I used a Pyrex jug, add the eggs and cream, then add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add some lowcarb fruits, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries to the mix and spoon into a baking container. I used a silicone bread mould. Microwave in a 700watt for 6 minutes. Take out of the mould, if still damp place upside down on four layers of kitchen paper and microwave for a further one minute. Allow to cool then spread on a layer of extra thick cream, then add fruits to the top. A little tip, allow to cool on four or five layers of kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture. Serve in a bowl with some double cream. Serves eight.



Ingredients:
200g ground almonds
2 heaped teaspoons baking powder
3 medium eggs
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons double cream
Strawberries, raspberries and blue berries

Eddie


Sardines featured great food of the week !

Sardines are rich in numerous nutrients that have been found to support cardiovascular health. They are one of the most concentrated sources of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which have been found to lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels; one serving (3.25 ounce can) of sardines actually contains over 50% of the daily value for these important nutrients. Sardines are an excellent source of vitamin B12, second only to calf's liver. Vitamin B12 promotes cardiovascular well-being since it is intricately tied to keeping levels of homocysteine in balance; homocysteine can damage artery walls, with elevated levels being a risk factor for atherosclerosis. A true super food that will not break the bank !

Please visit a fantastic food website http://whfoods.org/ 




This food is cheap and full of great nutrients. Very filling and very lowcarb.

Eddie

The relationship between high-fat dairy consumption and obesity, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease !


Abstract

Purpose  

To comprehensively review the data on the relationship between the consumption of dairy fat and high-fat dairy foods, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease.

Methods  

We have conducted a systematic literature review of observational studies on the relationship between dairy fat and high-fat dairy foods, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease. We have integrated these findings with data from controlled studies showing effects of several minor dairy fatty acids on adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors, and data on how bovine feeding practices influence the composition of dairy fat.

Results  

In 11 of 16 studies, high-fat dairy intake was inversely associated with measures of adiposity. Studies examining the relationship between high-fat dairy consumption and metabolic health reported either an inverse or no association. Studies investigating the connection between high-fat dairy intake and diabetes or cardiovascular disease incidence were inconsistent. We discuss factors that may have contributed to the variability between studies, including differences in (1) the potential for residual confounding; (2) the types of high-fat dairy foods consumed; and (3) bovine feeding practices (pasture- vs. grain-based) known to influence the composition of dairy fat.

Conclusions  

The observational evidence does not support the hypothesis that dairy fat or high-fat dairy foods contribute to obesity or cardiometabolic risk, and suggests that high-fat dairy consumption within typical dietary patterns is inversely associated with obesity risk. Although not conclusive, these findings may provide a rationale for future research into the bioactive properties of dairy fat and the impact of bovine feeding practices on the health effects of dairy fat.

Saturday 21 July 2012

Paul Awarded the Wallycorker prize.


In an unprecedented move the trustees of the Wallycorker foundation have awarded the highly prestigious Wallycorker prize to a man yet to be banned. A young and honest man that has had some very hard breaks. A man who swiftly understood the way Kenny boy operates, and told the despotic Carbo to stick it where the sun does not shine. 


A clearly moved Lord Beantipper stated “this kid has more balls than an Aberdeen Angus and takes me back to my  lowcarb militant days” Rodger ‘Keto Warrior’ Jenkins was almost speechless, but was clearly in agreement with the trustees unanimous decision. It goes with out saying Paul has been placed in the lowcarb hall of fame. Keep kicking butt Paul, and the very best of health and luck to you and yours.






Thelonius P. Wilderbeast the coolest man on the planet.





Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, get up early in the morning if you want to take him on !


I first heard of Malcolm Kendrick from Fergus Craig. Both believe diabetes should be tackled with lifestyle changes and minimal or in the case of type two diabetes, nil meds when possible. Both believe a lowcarb diet is the way forward, and saturated fats are not the cause of heart disease and stroke. I remember lowcarb antis ridiculing Malcolm as a quack. He had broken a cardinal rule, he had written a book. Cry’s of he’s only in it for the money was a regular chant from the carb addicted and resident dietition. Recently a healthcare professional took Malcolm on.


Ishaan Saxena 




“As a doctor, I am appalled by your practice. If you are so convinced about the lack of an association between cholesterol and heart disease, why have you never published such work in peer reviewed journals? The fact is you have manipulated the facts to reach the conclusion you wish in order to reach an incorrect, controversial opinion. Your only motive is quite clearly making money from your book. I hope that the GMC pick up on your practice and take you down for miseducating the public. As an educated doctor, I assume that you are fully aware of the nonsense of your argument, and hence I fail to understand how you can practice as a doctor knowing full well that you may be shortening the life expectancy of thousands of people.”


Malcolm Kendrick


“Thank you for your comment. It may interest you to know that I was invited to write a paper on this topic for the BMJ – which I did, outlining why women should not take statins (you can look it up on the internet). I am also a peer-reviewer for the BMJ. I also helped set up the original website for NICE, and spent three years developing the on-line educational website for the European Society of Cardiology. I have also been invited to give lectures on this topic to the BMA, the Medical Research Trials Unit, the Society of Chemical Industry and more recently the International Society of Cardiology. I do not say this for self-aggrandizement, mainly to point out that my views, whilst controversial, are taken seriously by mainstream researchers and doctors around the world. Also – although I use humour, do not doubt that I am a serious man, with an extremely serious agenda.
I would also be more than happy if the GMC (General Medical Council) picked up on my practice, for then I would have the opportunity to explain why my views are, indeed, evidence based. However, it is unlikely to happen, I speak regularly to many doctors who are in positions of authority within the GMC, as I meet them through my work with the BMA for the General Practitioners Committee which, as you may know, is the body that negotiates with the Government on the GP contract. In short, please do not threaten me with the GMC – they still allow people to hold different views. Equally, please refrain from accusing me of ‘shortening the life expectancy of thousands of people.’ If you disagree with what I say, then I am happy to engage in a scientific debate with you. Accusing people of killing patients is an old and wearisome game, designed to shut people up.”


I once contacted Dr. Kendrick and he replied swiftly. His last words to me were “ All I want is for people to lead a happier and healthier life” I believe him !


Eddie


http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2012/04/23/prevention-is-better-than-cure-maybe/

Friday 20 July 2012

Randomized Polypill Crossover Trial in People Aged 50 and Over


David S. WaldJoan K. MorrisNicholas J. Wald*
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Abstract Top

Background

A Polypill is proposed for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people judged to be at risk on account of their age alone. Its efficacy in reducing cholesterol and blood pressure is uncertain.

Methods

We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial of a Polypill among individuals aged 50+ without a history of cardiovascular disease and compared the reductions with those predicted from published estimates of the effects of the individual drugs. Participants took the Polypill (amlodipine 2.5 mg, losartan 25 mg, hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg and simvastatin 40 mg) each evening for 12 weeks and a placebo each evening for 12 weeks in random sequence. The mean within-person differences in blood pressure and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol at the end of each 12 week period were determined.

Results

84 out of 86 participants completed both treatment periods. The mean systolic blood pressure was reduced by 17.9 mmHg (95% CI, 15.7–20.1) on the Polypill, diastolic blood pressure by 9.8 mmHg (8.1–11.5), and LDL cholesterol by 1.4 mmol/L (1.2–1.6), reductions of 12%, 11%, and 39% respectively. The results were almost identical to those predicted; 18.4 mmHg, 9.7 mmHg, and 1.4 mmol/L respectively.

Conclusion

The Polypill resulted in the predicted reductions in blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Long term reductions of this magnitude would have a substantial effect in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Full study:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0041297


Two of the ingredients of the polypill:

  • Amlodipine (blood pressure lowering medication) – 2.5 mg
  • Simvastatin (a statin) – 40 mg

FDA Drug Safety Communication: New restrictions, contraindications, and dose limitations for Zocor (simvastatin) to reduce the risk of muscle injury.


Do not exceed 20 mg simvastatin daily with:
  • Amlodipine (New)


Graham


Vegetables to the Rescue !


Many experts say that people with diabetes shouldn’t eat much flour or sugar. I agree. But other nutritional authorities don’t want you to eat saturated fats, either. So what CAN you eat? My answer: Try vegetables!
For 30 years I’ve been preaching to people to eat more vegetables. I even wrote songs about them. Nobody listened. Until now.
All of a sudden, vegetables are becoming trendy. Michelle Obama says cover half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
 Leafy greens are my favorite, and include kale, collard greens, spinach, arugula, beet greens, bok choy, chard, and many others. Kale, in particular has become the rock star of vegetables. I see it featured in supermarkets all the time.
Boiled kale has an almost non-existent GL of 3 and a sky-high anti-inflammatory score of 439. It is high in fiber, has huge amounts of vitamins A, C and K, and it contains minerals such as magnesium that can be hard to get in other places.
Some of the kale fad is probably hype, though, because many other leafy greens have similar benefits.


'Lack of evidence' that popular sports products work.


The investigation into the performance-enhancing claims of some popular sports products found "a striking lack of evidence" to back them up.
A team at Oxford University examined 431 claims in 104 sport product adverts and found a "worrying" lack of high-quality research, calling for better studies to help inform consumers.
Dr Carl Heneghan of the Oxford University Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine led the independent research into the claims made by the makers of sports drinks, protein shakes and trainers.
Dr Heneghan and his team asked manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for details of the science behind their claims and were given what he said scientists call a "data dump" - 40 years' worth of Lucozade sports research which included 176 studies.
Dr Heneghan said the mountain of data included 101 trials that the Oxford team were able to examine before concluding: "In this case, the quality of the evidence is poor, the size of the effect is often minuscule and it certainly doesn't apply to the population at large who are buying these products.
"Basically, when you look at the evidence in the general population, it does not say that exercise is improved [or that] performance is improved by carbohydrate drinks."
In response, GlaxoSmithKline said they disagreed with the Oxford team's conclusions:

Sugar-laden sports drinks 'cancel out exercise gain'


The vast majority should stick to drinking water instead, say Oxford University researchers who put hundreds of marketing claims about sports products to the test.
A 380ml bottle of Lucozade Energy contains 266 calories - virtually the same as that in a Mars bar (260 calories) - which would take about half an hour of jogging to burn off.
Dr Matthew Thompson, from the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, said drinking such products “could completely counteract exercising more, playing football more, going to the gym more” in terms of weight loss.
Sports drinks were often marketed on the claim that they improved endurance, but the team said even rigorous studies, showing this, were of limited relevance to most people because the tests were on elite athletes.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Lowcarb super food !


Ok this is one super food that keeps me going (no pun intended) Linwoods Flax, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seed & goji berrie, pre milled. Very lowcarb, very high nutrients, and very high fibre. Around £5.50 for a 425gram pack. Keep in the fridge once opened. It makes fabulous bread and has a hundred and one uses. Don’t ever fall for the lowcarb diet means low fibre nonsense.


Eddie

Jabba the Gut yet more dross !


BloggerPlus App! 18th July Posted this dross on Jabba's/Tubolard/Carbos bog !


“The best sources for insoluble fibres, which help keep us regular:


beans;
brown rice;
fruits with edible seeds;
lentils;
maize;
oats;
pulses;
wheat bran;
wholegrain breads;
wholegrain cereals;
wholemeal breads;
wholemeal cereals;
wholemeal pasta;
wholewheat flour.


Gosh darn it, those pesky starchy carbs! And the best sources for soluble fibre which apparently hels regulate cholesterol and blood glucose:


apples;
barley;
citrus;
guar gum;
legumes;
oats;
pears;
strawberries.


Gosh darn it, wholesome fruit and starchy carbs again...what are we going to do?”


This chump has obviously never heard of flax seeds, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, brussel sprouts, collard greens, coleslaw, almonds, walnuts, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, cauliflower, kale, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. How many more foods do you want that are a good source of dietary fibre and lowcarb.


As always Jabba’s crew spout complete bollocks, it was ever thus. One thing cannot be denied, Jabba's crew are full of shit !


Eddie 

The artist formally known as Tubolard aka Carbopile.


The artist formally known as Tubolard aka Carbopile, now going under the name of Jabba the Gut, the man who provides a safe haven for liars, anonymous bullies and failures, has been close to orgasm the last few days. So, what’s got Jabba’s pulse racing, his mutant miscreants have been bullying lowcarb members of diabetes.co.uk. Jabba will accept anyone with open arms if they are anti lowcarb. If they are addicted to carbs as he is, his motto “A simple carb loving person with diabetes, struggling with managing the condition and living a normal life” they are greeted like long lost family. 


His blog was brought out of a coma this week when the brave one’s decided to ridicule IanD. Labelling Ian as the cake making tennis player (Ian uses nut flour to make low carb cakes) is over seventy years of age and plays regular tennis against people half his age, is a lowcarb star. If you know Jabba, you can see why he authorises his miscreant followers posts. Jabba is morbidly obese, and has been for years, he is unfit, and addicted to junk food and mediation. Jabba has stated he would lose his job if his employers found out about his cesspit blog. Ian uses his full real name and has posted photographs of himself and family on forums. He is immensely proud of his family. Jabba refers to his Wife as the Dragon and his Daughter as Dragonet. Ian is a retired scientist and a highly respected pillar of his local community, a Christian and a gentleman. Ian works tirelessly on forums, and works hard, trying to help others elsewhere, improve their health and get better control of their diabetes. Jabba is a fired and failed forum mod, a forum owner that went belly up, in short, a disgrace to the human race, and runs a massage parlour in Stepney (OK I jest on that point) but you get the picture.


Jabba is an anonymous and cowardly person, he has refused to meet me on three occasions. As he appears to be around twice the size of me, and at least twice my weight, and twenty years younger, you have to wonder. I think I heard the most ludicrous comment he has ever made today when he stated “Something this blog has long campaigned for - as non qualified posters all we can say is what has worked for us, and what hasn't. Qualified posters are not allowed to post medical advice at all, it is unethical”


You campaign for nothing but hate Jabba, and how you feel you have the right to use the word unethical is beyond belief. You are a liar Jabba, and a very gutless one at that !


Eddie Mitchell 


Stand by for more on Jabba the Gut.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Jabba the gut !


Our old adversary Jabba the gut has returned from a far away galaxy. His last post on his blog posted on May the 14th. has finally sprung into life. As always, Jabba is ridiculing people who have forgotten more than he will ever know regarding safe weight control, and it’s importance for type two diabetes, and the reduction of insulin resistance. Jabba the failed mod, failed forum owner, and failed morbidly obese Orlistat aficionado, never misses an opportunity to belittle people. 


The target for him and his carb and medication addicted guttersnipes, is someone they are calling the cake making tennis player. The tennis player is an absolute gentleman, highly moral and devout Christian. His crime, he is a  lowcarber and does a huge amount of work  on forums and behind the scenes promoting a lowcarb lifestyle for diabetics. A tennis player still playing regularly at over seventy years of age. A man decades older than Jabba. The question I am asking myself is, will Jabba be playing tennis at seventy years of age, could he play tennis now, or will he soon be pushing up daisies. One thing's for sure, I would not want to be his life insurance underwriter.




Eddie

Is a high-carb diet ‘poison’ to diabetics?


From The Times
London, UK
17 July, 2012

Is a high-carb diet ‘poison’ to diabetics?

John Naish

The NHS teaches that carbs are a key part of a balanced diet. But shunning them might help patients reduce insulin injections

When Martin Milton, 46, moved from London to New York last year, he saw an American doctor to get a fresh supply of insulin for his diabetes. “The doctor asked about my diet. When I told him, his initial reaction was that I was joking,” says the father of two. “He was astonished. He said that, to diabetics, my diet was poison.”

The surprising fact is that Milton’s food regime had been taught to him on an NHS course. The incident is emblematic of a growing controversy over the health service’s diet advice for diabetics. At the heart of this dispute lies widely differing beliefs about carbohydrates. The NHS course commends them — but the American approach says that diabetics should shun carbs whenever possible.

For healthy people with everyday food habits, the difference might sound like diet-faddism. But for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it may make the difference between health and disability, even premature death. Indeed, Milton says that his new American-style diet has granted him a new lease of life.

Finding the right diet may help to contain Britain’s fast-growing diabetes epidemic. In the UK, 3.8 million people have diabetes and 7 million are at risk of developing it. Milton, a civil servant, was diagnosed almost 20 years ago with type 1 diabetes. He was given insulin pens with which to inject himself after every meal and once at night.

However, he never managed to control his blood-sugar levels consistently. “I have suffered a couple of big hypoglycemic attacks — seizures and fits — at night when I was asleep. It was very unpleasant for my wife,” he says. “At the time I was not trying any special diets, only avoiding sweet foods. I was given very little guidance. I felt pretty much at sea.”

Then, five years ago, specialists at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, invited him to a week-long NHS-funded diet course conducted by the diabetes patient education programme Dafne (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating). It was here that he was taught the diet regime that shocked his US doctor.

“I was told that I could eat what I wanted, so long as I counted the carbs on my plate. This would enable me to work out my requirement for injected insulin,” Milton said. Injected insulin must be used by diabetics to keep blood-sugar levels within healthy limits. Blood-sugar levels are particularly raised by carbohydrates, which the body turns into glucose. Insulin works by stimulating the cells within the body to take up the glucose in the blood.

Dafne is offered at more than 140 diabetes clinics in the UK and Ireland, and is considered part of routine care for type 1 diabetes. The philosophy of its teaching is that, rather than taking a fixed daily dose of insulin and having to stick to a diet that matches it, patients can rate their own meals for carbohydrate content and then adjust their insulin doses to match.

“I was told that 60 per cent of my diet should be comprised of carbs. I was encouraged to eat pasta and white rice. These were the things to measure,” Milton says. “My blood levels improved generally during the course. But later I still had big hypos and my overall control did not get better.” In fact, Milton’s condition was worsening. His blood-sugar levels were generally too high and his eyesight was starting to show signs of deterioration. Then, last year, he moved to New York and met the doctor who placed him on a different regime. “He told me to cut down as many carbs as possible and fill up with salads and greens.”

Milton was sceptical, but decided to try. He began a low-carb regime with no rice or pasta. Instead, he has salad for lunch, with other meals comprising vegetables, nuts and cheese. Since then, he says, his health has been transformed. “The doctor must be right. If you reduce your carbs, you can reduce the amount of insulin you take to balance it. I noticed that very quickly I was using a fraction of the insulin I had needed.”

Still, Milton worried if there was anything wrong with the regime.

The most publicised concern is that it may dangerously raise cholesterol levels, as it relies on fat such as cheese for energy to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates. He e-mailed his NHS consultant, who insisted on seeing him when he visited Britain in February. Tests showed an unprecedented improvement in Milton’s blood-glucose levels. His weight was far healthier too — down more than 33lb, to 14st. What’s more, his blood cholesterol levels had not risen.

Medical research increasingly supports low-carb diets fordiabetes sufferers. A four-year study of 48 people with type 1 diabetes who followed a low-carb diet found a lasting improvement in the 24 who managed to stick to the regime.

The Swedish research was published in the respected journal Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome.

The effects of low-carb diets have been studied more extensively in type 2 diabetes. In May, a two-year study at Sweden’s Linkƶping University showed that low-carb, high-fat diets may have a better effect on blood-sugar levels than high-carb diets. It compared 61 patients on either a low-carb, high-fat diet, or a high-carb, low-fat diet. It found a “clear improvement” in the blood-sugar levels of the low-carb patients within six months of starting the diet. Patients were able, on average, to drop their insulin doses by a third, the study in the journal Diabetologia said. The cholesterol levels of the patients improved, with an increase in their average level of “good” HDL cholesterol. No such improvements were seen in the high-carb, low-fat group.

Fredrik Nystrom, a professor of medicine, who co-authored the study, said: “You could ask yourself if it really is good to recommend a low-fat diet to patients with diabetes.”

In America, opinions have already swayed towards low carbs. The American Diabetes Association changed its advice on low-carb diets in 2008. It now considers them to be an effective treatment for short-term weight loss among obese people suffering from type 2 diabetes.

So why does the NHS persist with recommending high-carb, low-fat diets? The concern is that people with diabetes are known to have an increased risk of heart disease — and the high fats in low-carb diets are feared to worsen this. Instead, the Department of Health recommends that diabetics try to eat low-GI (glycaemic index) carbs such as brown rice and wholemeal grains, which are turned more slowly into sugars by the body, and thus cause fewer “spikes” in blood-glucose.

But “diabetic activists” such as the online community, via diabetes.co.uk, are critical of this approach. “Even low-GI carbohydrates are absorbed too quickly for many people with type 2 diabetes to prevent high post-meal blood sugar levels,” it says. “Department of Health guidelines are yet to take this into consideration, as they recommend 225g to 300g of carbohydrate a day. Why are the guidelines set as they are?”

But there may indeed be some cause for caution. In March, researchers from Warwick Medical School warned that high fat intake may provoke inflammation in diabetics’ arteries that can cause heart disease.

Dr Alison Harte, a University of Warwick research fellow, told a Society for Endocrinology conference that her studies showed how high-fat meals led to a large amount of gut-derived bacteria in the blood — and this was higher in diabetics, due to a “leaky gut”.“This creates conditions within the body that trigger inflammatory reactions which ultimately can cause a number of conditions such as heart disease,” she explained.

As a result of such conflicting evidence, British experts are giving low-carb regimes only a cautious welcome. Last year, Diabetes UK changed its advice for people with type 2 diabetes to say that a low-carb diet where less than 45 per cent of calories come from carbohydrates “may be suitable for a year”. Other expert organisations are following suit.

Why only a year? Chris Cheyette, a dietitian at King’s College Hospital and a spokesman for the British Dietetic Association, says: “We only have good enough research evidence to say that it is safe to spend a year on low carbs.”

Mr Cheyette adds that the best option for diabetics considering low-carb diets is to consult a dietitian. The only problem is that NHS dietetic services are struggling to keep up with demand from Britain’s ever-growing diabetic population. The waiting lists for advice are, as a result, constantly growing. “There simply are not enough of us dietitians out there,” he says.

Given the huge cost of caring for people with diabetic complications — one in five NHS hospital inpatients has diabetes — that seems like a false economy.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/article3477195.ece