I linked to a post Lynques has...I thought you might find it interesting.

Cross post on garlic and diabetes

-- Anonymous, August 05, 2001

Answers

Response to SHT garlic and Diabetes

I read the material and found there were some serious inaccuracies contained within the anecdotal information. Where there are such misstatements, the remainder of the information becomes suspect. For instance, Schulze says that "A lot of [diabetics] don't [realize they shouldn't be eating sugar], and they don't think of all the things that they're eating that have refined sugars or sweeteners in them." Nonsense! Any diabetic with a modicum of comprehension knows damn well he or she shouldn't eat refined sugar! Nobody reads a nutrition label more carefully than a diabetic. We are allowed a small amount of sugar, contained in fruit, for instance, but we know not to overdo it. It's true that some diabetics ignore their doctor's advice but I would never say "a lot." If he has proof via rsponsible research, then I'd like to see it.

Schulze claims that "Garlic has been proven in university studies to not only reduce your blood sugar, but it also increases your own insulin production." I'd like references to those studies so I can read them--he doesn't even mention one university's name as an example, yet says there are 50-60 university studies showing garlic helps diabetes. I do know garlic has some demonstrated positive health qualities but I can't remember it as being efficacious in reversing gangrene.

Searching on "garlic NEAR diabetes," I found that a study on garlic was "conducted by the San Antonio Evidence-based Practice Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Veterans Evidence-based Research, Dissemination, and Implementation Center (VERDICT), a Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence. It was requested by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health." "The authors found no evidence that garlic has a beneficial impact on blood pressure or diabetes."

When Shulze talks about what treatment he gave the woman, he's very vague about quantities and says "I think. . ." and "Oh, I would say. . ." He gets very enthusiastic when he describes how this woman was healed, but he doesn't know more exactly what quantities of garlic and cayenne were used. Sounds very fishy to me.

Schulze says, "I don't meet people with diabetes who are vegetarian that don't drink Coca-Cola." Well, I was strictly vegetarian and had weaned myself from Coca-Cola many months prior to the onset of diabetes. My Coke consumption wasn less than a 6-pack a week for at least five years prior. He complains about fruit juice too--I very rarely drank fruit juice either; it's far too sweet and acidic!

What really bothers me is that Schulze says that amputation stems from poor circulation. Cirulatory problems are only part of the story. Amputation is usually the end result of an infected foot ulcer or wound. Diabetics are prone to infection, especially on the feet where even minor nerve damage (neuropathy--a common complication) reduces or completely eliminates the body's ability to feel pain or excess heat. A simple abrasion can turn into an ulcer and, if unnoticed and untreated, can penetrate deeply into the foot and be extremely difficult to treat. Many diabetics also have artery disease which restricts blood flow. Hence, it is fairly common to see a diabetic with both neuropathy and arteriosclerosis--a double whammy.

I'm not at all comfortable with Schulze's anecdote and it's a great shame because I think garlic has other health benefits we all can use.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Response to SHT garlic and Diabetes

Hope you don't mind if I copy and paste right under...because if people are reading MISINFORMATION......they should see the other side, too! thanks for this input.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

My attempts the last few months at a better diet (specifically better fats) led to lots of almonds, and as of last Monday a badly fractured tooth. I'll be fitted for a crown in another month.

Maybe my original idea of not-possible-to-eat-too-many-donuts was safer.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Life is short, enjoy the donuts!

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Oh yeah, SAR, meant to say you could do that if you wish.

Brooks, do we have to address you as Your Majesty? Are you getting one with a gold VW on it?

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001