For type 2 diabetes, drug intervention is the norm despite the risks.

This video was originally published on NutritionFacts.org and was republished with permission. NutritionFacts.org

The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can sometimes be just the beginning. Just having this disease puts one at a higher risk for other health conditions including amputations, loss of sight, heart problems, even death. And that is not a complete list by any means, making diabetes a disease to be taken very seriously. Unfortunately, many diabetics will be misled to fight diabetes with drugs rather than naturally with food.

One example of how well this works was illustrated when a randomized study of ten thousand diabetics was conducted with the goal of lowering blood sugar levels to prevent further health complications. Subjects were put on an intensive program with a combination of five types of drugs with or without insulin injections. The results were mixed at best. Though blood sugar levels in the patients were successfully lowered beyond that of the standard treatment, mortality rates were high enough to stop the study. Researchers were concerned the higher risk of mortality was not worth the marginal benefits of the intensive drug regimen.  Even standard insulin therapies are associated with debilitating risk factors and accelerated aging.

Because lifestyle is a factor in determining risk for diabetes, another study was done and aimed at decreasing weight. The hope was that this would decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications that diabetes can bring. After conducting the study for nearly ten years it was stopped due to the fact that while mortality rates had not increased, they had not decreased either. The reason being? Their diet had not changed what they were eating at all, simply the portion size. When another study was done on subjects following a vegan diet, blood sugar, weight and cardiovascular all improved. This is why when trying to fight diabetes, drugs and portion control alone cannot compare to a true lifestyle change.