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I curently have T2 diabetes but I realize that I could also be T1.5 -- i.e., LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults), an autoimmune disease just like T1 diabetes. About 20% of all T2 diabetics are supposedly suffering from LADA, which eventually leads to insulin dependency. By adopting a strict Paleo diet (gluten-, dairy-, legume-, casein-free), is it possible that you can stave off the destruction of your pancreatic beta cells?

You rarely read about gluten-free diets or gut permeability in diabetes literature. And strictly speaking, only T1 and T1.5 diabetes are supposed to be autoimmune. If that's the case, then those who are already T1 probably have had their beta cells pretty much burnt out. So a dietary internvention (such as strict Paleo) would be too late to "preserve" any beta cells, since they would have already been subject to autoimmune attacks.

But how about in the case of a yet-to-be diagnosed diabetic? That is, a T2 diabetic who hasn't yet tested positive for T1 antibodies (GAD, islet cell). Is it possible that you can prevent the beta cells from being attacked?

I hear about those with other autoimmune issues (ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, crohn's, etc.) pushing their diseases into remission. But never about preserving your beta-cell functionality in a diabetic suffering from an autoimmune form of diabetes.

Can sealing your "leaky gut" stop the progressive destruction of pancreatic beta cells? If not, why not, as other autoimmune diseases seem to become asymptomatic once the gut issue is resolved. Anyone?

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3 Answers

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I don't know..but I am counting on it and it is certainly worth a try.

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According to Dr. Bernstein, there are 3 kinds of Beta cells. Living, dying and dead. High blood sugar is also toxic to betas. Whatever you can do to bring your BS down to normal, short of using diabetic drugs, will help. With a high fat/moderate protein/low carb diet, some exercise, supplements that promote fat burning instead of sugar burning and lessen sugar glycation, Acetyl L Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Benfothiamine, Biotin, American Ginseng...great. Go gluten free, eat coconut oil to help heal your guts and probiotics. If we can preserve your Betas we can keep you from slipping into type 2. Rest your Betas by keeping normal...83 fasting and never over 120-130 after meals and you can keep the diabetes wolf from your door indefinitely. Keeping inflammation low and using herbal anti inflams like Tumeric, ginger, white willow, Omega 3's will help with the auto immune response. It is not too late for you by any means. Please have your C Peptide and your Insulin auto immunity checked.

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My C-Peptides are ~1.1 for FBG of 95-105. I've asked endo to test my fasting insulin but he says it's not necessary since my insulin is "on" as shown by the C-Peptide. I must not be producing much insulin. Since I already suffer from other autoimmune diseases, I would think the chance of T2 becoming T1.5 isn't insignificant. – Namby Pamby May 27 2011 at 5:16
Dr. Bernstein says 100% of his diabetic patients have 1 or more autoimmune diseases. He has 7! Still...take care of your betas. Keep your BS down. Betas are killed by high BS,high Insulin, Autoimmune attack, viral and OVERWORK. A study using an artificial pancreas quoted by Dr. Bernstein " they kept Type 2's blood sugars capped at 90 for 2 weeks. It took 2 years for their A1c to start to go back up. Just from resting their betes with low BS for 2 weeks". – Andre Chimene May 27 2011 at 16:38
Where was it that he said he has 7? Did he say what they are? Now, is Dr. B doing anything to address this? I.e., is he practicing gluten-free? I don't think he is and I know he's not dairy-free either. – Namby Pamby May 29 2011 at 4:08
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I (did) use a UK based low-carb diabetic forum (there seems to be some politics over it atm...) and one of the former members has successfully "cured"/reversed her type 2 diabetes.

She has had more than one oral glucose tolerance test and has normal, non-diabetic figures even when she includes carbs in her diet.

You can read her story here: http://www.lowcarbdiabetic.co.uk/My%20Friends%20Stories.htm (Karen).

I'm off to pick my children up from nursery now, but you may be interested in the work of Prof. Roy Taylor (he was my diabetes consultant when I lived in Newcastle Upon Tyne). http://www.ncl.ac.uk/biomedicine/research/groups/profile/roy.taylor#tab_profile

Research not done on LC/paleo, but it's promising!

There is certainly hope for us :-)

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Well, there are cases of obese T2s reversing upon losing significant weight when they were only mildly diabetic to begin with. Dr. Bernsteine mentions this. Also, we do have T2s becoming cured of diabetes after bariatric surgery, after undergoing what's called "duodenal switch surgery". Supposedly 98% T2s become cured. – Namby Pamby May 27 2011 at 5:21
No one is "cured" unless they change their diets to a high fat/moderate protein/low carb...even then they are not cured. They simply do not show symptoms yet of disease manifestation.They can't eat nearly as much. If they go back to their eating ways that caused the problem, the disease comes back. – Andre Chimene May 27 2011 at 16:42
Hence why my "cured" was in speechmarks :-) The research that Prof. Taylor et al have been doing is using MRI technology. WRT symptoms of disease - surely this is a sliding scale anyway? – Efaitch May 28 2011 at 20:56
Are you sure those who's had duodenal switch surgery are "cured" in the sense that they no longer have insulin resistance? They can't eat a lot because they shrunk their stomachs, but supposedly their IR is gone, even for normal foods. – Namby Pamby May 29 2011 at 4:11
It looks like this isn't published just yet: ncl.ac.uk/biomedicine/research/groups/publication/… – Efaitch May 29 2011 at 15:53
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