Research Collected: October 2013

Dietary carbohydrate dictates development of Type 2 diabetes in the Nile rat. (2013 Sep) Suggests that the Nile rat has a similar etiology of Type 2 diabetes mellitus to humans: high carbohydrate diets. “Dispersing dietary [carbohydrate] by fiber or replacing it by moderate fat (reducing the glycemic index and load) delayed the onset of diabetes but did …

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Mark Sisson’s fictional dialogue about macronutrients

I think writing a fictional dialogue can be a useful exercise to explore ways of better presenting information. There were 2 passages in Sisson’s piece that stood out to me as being similar to conversations I’ve had as of late and thus worth quoting: Actually, you know how you asked how I never quite need …

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Berberine as an alternative to Metformin

Metformin (Glucophage) is currently a popular drug prescription for treating Type 2 Diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. However 3 clinical trials from Chinese researchers suggest that Berberine, a substance found in several plants and historically used medicinally, is as good or better than Metformin. Summaries of the 3 studies and their references are listed below.

“The Origins and Drivers of Insulin Resistance”

An article available online from Cell called “The Origins and Drivers of Insulin Resistance” is very technical but well worth a read. The major take-away points are that research supports 3 primary drivers of insulin resistance: inflammation impaired lipid metabolism dysbiosis … we believe that inflammation, lipid metabolism, and the microbiota are the major interacting components …

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