A diabetes epidemic is ravaging our population, particularly communities of color, and we’re told it’s because of obesity and poor lifestyle choices. Here’s why that’s wrong. Action Alert!
Diabetes affects more than 10 percent of the US population, while one-third of Americans are estimated to have pre-diabetes (which can lead to type 2 diabetes). The conventional wisdom is that an increase in obesity and poor diet choices are the main causes, but there is much more to the story. Current treatment options are expensive and dangerous, but federal rules prevent us from unleashing the power of natural medicine on this epidemic of diabetes.
Emerging research we covered previously is pointing to a major cause of diabetes that has for the most part gone completely unnoticed and unrecognized: chemical exposures. Research has shown that obese people in the bottom 10% of toxin load do not have an increased risk of diabetes, while 30% of lean people with a high toxin load will develop diabetes. Research is also indicating that environmental toxins are causing obesity.
Another lesser-known cause is hypothyroidism. One study found adults in the lowest third of thyroid function levels were 1.4 times more likely to progress from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes than those in the highest third of thyroid function. About 1 out of 20 Americans above the age of 12 have hypothyroidism.
Diabetes disproportionately affects communities of color. Consider the demographic breakdown of the disease:
- 7.5% of non-Hispanic white people;
- 11.7% of non-Hispanic black people;
- 12.5% of Hispanic people;
- 9.2% of Asian American people;
- And 14.7% of American Indians/Alaskan Native people.
Millions of us are at risk for developing diabetes, and not just obese people. What can be done about it?
Drugs are widely prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, but can be very dangerous. A meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (random clinical trials) found that glucose-lowering drugs increased patients’ risk of death from all causes, including a 43 percent increase in cardiovascular mortality.
Avandia, a type 2 diabetes drug, was found to increase the risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death. Another drug in Avandia’s class, Rezulin, was pulled from the market for causing serious liver toxicity. Metformin, one of the most common diabetes drugs, has a decent safety profile but is not without side effects, including serious ones such as vitamin B12 deficiency, which can cause anemia, nerve problems, and cognitive impairment.
In 2017, the cost of diabetes management was $327 billion, including about $57.6 billion spent on drugs alone.
Meanwhile, the data on natural alternatives to these dangerous and expensive medications is extremely compelling:
- Chromium has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and lowers some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
- Inositol is another effective natural medicine for improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. One study comparing metformin and inositol in insulin-resistant women found no significant differences between the two study groups.
- 4000 IU/day vitamin D was found to reduce progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
- One study found that early intervention with nutrition and lifestyle prevents diabetes more effectively than the leading prescription drug (metformin).
All of these options are safer and less expensive than pharmaceutical alternatives. The average cost for 60 capsules at 500 mg of generic metformin is $20. For $13.95, 200 capsules at 500 mg of inositol are available. Sixty tablets of Avandia cost $248 on average. That means that inositol is about 4 times cheaper than metformin and almost 60 times less expensive than Avandia. When $51.5 billion is spent on diabetes drugs, imagine the savings from switching to natural medicine!
Sadly, you aren’t allowed to learn about these benefits. Only FDA-approved drugs can claim to treat, prevent, or mitigate a disease. To get FDA approval means spending millions upon millions of dollars on randomized controlled trials. These costs can be recouped by drug companies because their products are patent-protected. Natural products like supplements cannot be strongly patented, making it impossible for a company to recoup the costs of FDA-approval.
Natural medicine could make us healthier and happier, but in order for that to happen we need reforms that allow the free flow of information about the benefits of these products.
Action Alert! Write to Congress, urging them to support our legislation to allow the free flow of information about the benefits of supplements and other natural products. Please send your message immediately.
Well keep letting gmo’s, various chemicals to enhance growth or bug prevention. Tjen take that food and add chemicals to to preserve or flavor. Letting industry kill all. Geez, can you fix stupid.
I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2004. I eat a healthy diet of vegetables, legumes, fruits and alternate the meats. eating fish one night, small portion beef or veal, chicken or other poultry, pork and lamb. In the winter lots of wholesome vegetable minestrones’. I also have a mitral valve prolapse, diagnosed in 1979, and because of it, I was put on a Beta-Blocker, which by the way, I was taken off because it caused me to have suicidal tendencies. I was on it for about a couple of years. Very curious, because my dad ate healthy as well, but had high blood pressure. So the doctor prescribed him Toprol, which is a Beta-Blocker. Just a couple of years on Toprol, he was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, just like me. I truly believe, that the Beta-Blockers had something to do with my father and myself getting diabetes. I still eat healthy and try exercise. In the last 4 years, my mobility has deteriorated. I need to hold on to something so as not to fall.
Do your jobs, for once, and protect the people who elected you, instead of the pharmaceutical con-men who bribe you while they kill millions of citizens. Those deaths are on your souls, too.
I think we have a right to exercise our choices of treatments by having information concerning not only big pharma drugs but natural supplements as well. I have been controlling my diabetes by using natural alternatives. I hate ads showing how great some drug is supposed to be, to then hear all the dangerous side-effects it causes. I want the opportunity to way both sides. I’m pretty sure my dad’s heart attack was related to the Merck drug he was taking back in the 90’s. It was eventually discontinued because of the fatal side effect. Besides, I know for a fact that if a researcher won’t come up with the numbers to get a drug on the market they DO get fired. Know if for a fact as happened to a family member. Another reason I’m not a big Pharma person. Got the Covid vaccine, but there was a lot of anxiety involved making that decision. Still not sure it was the best one.
Dear Congressmen,
I am writing today urging you to take stronger actions to allow free flow of information about supplements for our health! I am so confused that this has not already happened? It could save our overloaded health system. I have been taking care of my own health for at least 30 yrs with none of all that rubbish the “medical experts” claim can happen. And when I read the contra indications of any pharmaceutical or over-the-counter drug I am perplexed why we are not shouting the benefits of natural health care! Of course we all know what it is, it’s called follow the money! But if we have a healthier nation without all the side effects and deaths from Big Pharma and addictions We undoubtedly have a better society, less death, less addiction, less mental illness, and an Economical way for people to take care of their own health! Now I know you think this will destroy the economy, just like big oil! But it won’t. There is such a disconnect between Eastern and Western medicine and it all It’s because of money. I want to take care of my own health. I am 64 and healthier than most people my age. Doesn’t mean I don’t go to doctors doesn’t mean I don’t take pharmaceuticals when I need them, just means it’s up to me and not someone else to take away my right to care for my health the way I know works. Please start changing this scenario, because our healthcare has become out of control. I just watched a documentary where this millennial set out to ask questions to a lot of important people behind diabetics heart disease etc. etc. and hospitals and funny no one would talk to him after the first one and they cut their microphones and told him he couldn’t talk to them and to get out and a hospital spokes person even came out and said she had to cancel his appointment because the hospital was there to make money and they can’t talk about what he wanted to talk about. In other words they didn’t need to lose that limb, but the hospital needs the money. Disgusting. And so are those who vote to take away American peoples right to take care of their own health.
NATURAL BEFORE TOXIC MEDICINE!
Only FDA-approved drugs can claim to treat, prevent, or mitigate a disease. To get FDA approval means spending millions upon millions of dollars on randomized controlled trials. These costs can be recouped by drug companies because their products are patent-protected. Natural products like supplements cannot be strongly patented, making it impossible for a company to recoup the costs of FDA-approval.
Natural medicine could make us healthier and happier, but in order for that to happen we need reforms that allow the free flow of information about the benefits of these products.
We need to protect our natural supplements from the threat from the large medical pharmacies. When I discovered that Turmeric would work as well as an inflammatory as the 9Ibuprofen I had been taking I was amazed.. The typicaDoctor has very little awareness of the natural supplements although there are volumes of legitimate research on supplements including dosages.. Drs. typically prescribe Calcium without the supporting substances for bone health. The list of issues with medicine and pills is endless. The side effects of many modern prescriptions are alarming. Almost no one dies from natural medicine.
Protect your right to have access to natural medicines..
We can do better. The American people need to know how to eat, exercise, and live to the fullest while enjoying nature and a calm attitude.
Good information. Thanks.
Penicillin causes diabetes. We allow beef producing farms to put penicillin in the feed of the cows because the cows eat a grain diet which is not natural to them and therefor need the penicillin to keep them healthy. Therefor the American population is constantly having penicillin fed into them every time they eat a hamburger or any other beef. Don’t let the pharmaceutical industry tell you penicillin is safe, it isn’t. Do a little investigating. I’m sick as hell of everyone blind as hell to this. Prior to 1990 all cattle were grass fed, that stopped the end of the 80’s. Diabetes was fairly rare before 1990 and then it became more and more common and it keeps getting worse. Pull your head out of your ass.
Hi. I’ve been wanting to send this info about diabetes 2 for 4 years. I had a heart attack and died 6 times. I’m going to skip the medical problems I encountered afterward and get right to the point.
My A1C was 5.7 which was shown in my records. My next blood work showed a point increase to 6.7. It stayed there for a year or so until they changed my doses on some meds. I saw it go up a little. Then I started taking other pills and the A1C rose to 8.3. I kept asking why it was happening. I was told I had to take a sugar lowering pill. I began looking at my tests. Comparing it to new pills or higher doses and sure enough I was completely sure it was the pills that caused UT. I asked the doctors. Some didn’t answer me. Some asked me if I checked my sugar. No I don’t. I told them I don’t buy sweets and don’t eat them and use stevia for everything.
Some doctors told me you can’t go on like this because it’s bad for your organs. Kidneys. Finally one doctor that I changed to agreed it was the meds. I told him that’s terrible. These meds are giving me a new disease. Take me off these meds and let’s see if the glucose drops down. Ok nobody would. Time went by and sanecold story. My son says mom what’s the names of your pills that causes your sugar to go up. Instead of giving them to him to check out I began googling each one. For example I just entered. Lisinipril and sugar. Or metropolol and sugar. The postings came up and confirmed that the pill could cause glucose to go up. Ok I was always blaming the heart pills because those were the first meds I ever took. Except for a water and thyroid pill I took for 47 years. But I was surprised to find out that all my pills caused the glucise to go up. I thought no wonder people are turning diabetic 2. I saw a plan form. If every patient had a little bit of some chemical in them then eventually people would develop diabetes 2 and have to buy needles and testing machine. Then maybe have to take insulin ( one doctor threatened me with insulin) . it would give the big pharma many long term patients. I then checked who was making the pills and looked like they came from China . everything fell into place. Now I knew why the doctors never suggested changing to different pills and the reason was because it didn’t matter. All the pills caused this disease eventually. So. I’m taking berberine and Citrix bergamot to lower my sugar levels. I’m still eating the same way I always did. Because of covid I haven’t had many tests to check the new levels. I avoided statins. I take Cholestoff original instead. So please check out the pharma pills and I hope you find the ingredient that is causing the problem. Thank you for your work to help us all. God bless.
It is only common sense, when who ever is covering up by censoring important information is only hiding something for there personal financial gain no matter what the subject and it has to stop. My trust in Government has went to ZERO.
I can attest first hand that natural choices can reverse diabetes. I had it and now I don’t. But Americans don’t want to deny themselves of poor choices and seem to want a quick fix instead. A simple switch from sugary snacks to brassicas and other veggies saved my life.
You did not mention BERBERINE, a natural plant based formula that does the same thing as Metformin. The side effects: it detoxes the heavy metals out of the brain, thereby reducing or eliminating the possibility of Altzheimers. Add “Lectin Blockers to the mix, and you have a very effective solution without side effects. Both products are cheaper than Metformin. Add B-12, Zinc, Vit D, and Chromium, along with Selenium, and you can reverse the symptoms gradually..
Hi, I am 82 years of young & I am fit & active & haven’t been to a Dr. or had a Cold or Flu for the past 36 years since I started taking Vitamins, Minerals & Herbs to keep my Immune System in tip top order. I am 86 kg’s & 186 centimeters tall.
I consume a lot of Raw-sugar, in as much that i have 2 tsps. in Herbal Teas, & 3 tspns. in my Coffee along with 1 tsp. Coconut Oil.
I believe that obesity & Diabetes 2 is mainly caused by eating too much Starch.
We eat way too much Potato Crisps, Pizzas, Foods containing White-flour ( which has been bred up to contain 4 times the amount of Starch it used to have, & it also now has 40 times the amount of Gluten it used to have).
The body converts starch to Glucose, &, what is not used is stored as Fat.
With the consumption of so much Starch, the Pancreas cannot produce enough Insulin to handle the increase in Glucose, also, our soils are diminished in Chromium which is also needed along with the insulin & Magnesium to be able to enter the Cells & deliver the Glucose for processing.
Keep well,
I have heard that marijuana is supposed to help diabetes. Do you have any information about this? Would like a reliable source!
Support the legislation to allow the free flow of information about the benefits of supplements and other natural products
Please support legislation to allow the free flow of information about the benefits of supplements and other natural products. It could save a lot of lives and save people a lot of money.
Serious extensive research MUST BE DONE IMMEDIATELY to test for a cause and effect relationship between anti-depressants and other psychotropic meds and the development of insulin resistance (and/or metabolic syndrome), pre-diabetes, diabetes and obesity. I personally have met individuals who developed diabetes after being prescribed Serozone/Seroquel. Getting Diabetes is not an acceptable risk or acceptable side-effect of medication for depression. Adding an increase risk for developing the type of obesity that comes with insulin resistance will also increase a PERSON’S RISK FOR WORSENING DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE! I can attest from my own experience that neither extreme dieting nor stopping anti-depressants can reverse the weight gain. My daughter was put on Seroquel and gained 100 lbs in one year. The weight has remained over a decade after discontinuing use of the drug.
Human lives first, not payola. Our representatives in Washington forget, we put them there and we can have them removed. They serve at our pleasure, not the other way around . Do not fear, one day they will wake up and do the right thing.
I am glad that ANH-USA mentioned chemical exposures as a cause of diabetes. But like the vast majority of so-called ” alternative websites ” you only mentioned ” environmental toxins ” as the cause. I say that the biggest cause of diabetes in the USA has been 67 years of unmitigated PSYCHIATRIC DRUG PUSHING which puts highly toxic chemicals directly into peoples’ mouths. So I ask: When is this cause ever going to be exposed ?
I would also add that in 2005 Eli Lilly was sued for 1.4 billion dollars for pushing Zyprexa, a psychiatric drug that causes diabetes. But the rest of the psychiatric drugs causing diabetes have yet to be exposed.
Your article overlooks one major treatment: abstention from all sugars, grains and starchy vegetables, including rice, corn and limited winter squashes. On this regimen I brought my A1c from 8.9 at diagnosis to 4.6 today. There is no cost, and anyone can do it. The only requirement is will power.
There is a growing voice out there that the cause of diabetes is consumption of PUFA’s might be a cause. I avoid them like the plague and only eat animal fats, coconut, avocado and olive oil. Mostly animal fats. They seem to be stored in our fat and require at least 2 years of avoidance to remove. They are in almost all processed foods, so reading labels is imperative in order to avoid them.
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic blog!