Another Misleading Headline, Sigh

Here we go again. A study is reported with a headline that implies something other than what the study shows.

The headline is "New research finds drinking 100 percent fruit juice does not affect blood sugar levels." Hogwash! Everyone with diabetes knows that drinking fruit juice of any kind makes blood glucose (G) levels go up, usually a lot.

It turns out what they meant was that drinking fruit juice doesn't make the next day's fasting levels increase a lot. My what a surprise! I have a glass of orange juice for breakfast and my BG levels skyrocket, but by the next morning they're down to where they usually are.

But that's not what the headline said.

Furthermore, saying that 100% fruit juice is innocent  implies that fruit drinks with added sugar are not. No, they didn't say that, but most people would think that.

The study did find that those who drank the fruit juice had higher insulin resistance. Did that go into the headline? Of course not.


Then there's the problem that this was a meta-analysis, in which researchers combine results from many studies in order to get statistically significant results, which depend on the size of studies. Such studies have many problems, including how they select the studies for the meta-analysis.

A similar study was sponsored by Juice Products Association, which suggests even less credibility.

But the worst sin is implying that fruit juice has no effect on BG levels, whether the studies were similar or not. We all know they do.

Misleading Headlines

A recent headline read, "Study links low carbohydrate intake to increased risk of birth defects."

Now, if you read that headline and didn't read the following story carefully, what would you think? You'd probably think that a lack of carbohydrate causes birth defects and hence low-carb diets should be avoided if you're planning to get pregnant.

But why would eating less carbohydrate cause birth defects? One explanation, and I think a good one, is that folic acid supplementation tends to prevent neural-tube birth defects, and for this reason the government mandated adding folic acid to enriched bread and other cereal products. Because people on LC diets don't eat much, if any, cereal products, they wouldn't be getting this protective folic acid.

Folic acid is also in liver and leafy greens like spinach, but some people may not like spinach and leafy greens, which is one reason bread and some cereals are supplemented.They assume everyone eats bread and cereal.

Many people don't read whole articles. They just read the headlines and assume they're accurate summations of the essence of the story. So why didn't the headline in this case say, "People on low-carb diets may need to supplement with folic acid if they could get pregnant." 

Another factor proposed to explain birth defects is any kind of dieting before conception or early in prenancy. One study showed that weight-loss dieting during the first trimester doubled the risk of neural-tube defects. This makes sense, as restricting calories could result in various deficiencies, including folic acid.

There's a lot of this type of spinning research studies. People have preconceived notions and analyze the research and write headlines from their point of view. Not long ago, the popular meme was low fat. That's now out and "more fruits and vegetables" is in. "Plant-based" is another popular meme.

I wonder what it will be 50 years from now?

BTW, a similar report came out in 2007. Why they're revisiting it is not clear.

The Most Important Thing

People sometimes ask me, "What's the most important thing to do if you're diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?'

My answer: "TAKE THIS DISEASE SERIOUSLY."

Well, actually, I don't usually shout, but I sometimes want to. If you're reading this, then I think you're taking this disease seriously, trying to learn as much as you can about it so you can control it.

But too many people don't. They want the doctor to give them a pill so they can go on exactly as they have in the past, eating too much, especially foods that make their blood glucose (BG) go up, and getting no exercise.

One problem in type 2 control is that the results of not controlling well aren't immediate. You won't break out in blue spots if you a big piece of chocolate cake with ice cream. Your hair won't turn pink if you eat a huge pile of mashed potatoes and gravy with Texas toast on the side. Some people feel bad when they have high BG levels. Others don't.

I was diagnosed with fasting levels in the 300s, and I went into the 400s after meals. But I felt fine.

No, the effects of high BG levels are insidious. The glucose gloms on to various substances in your body and eventually causes complications. The damage from the glucose can result in cataracts, retinopathy that can lead to blindness, neuropathy that can make your feet hurt all the time, vascular problems that lead to heart attacks, amputations, and impotence, kidney disease, and more.

None of these complications are pleasant. But if you take this disease seriously and control your BG to normal or near-normal levels, the chances that you'll get complications are low.

It's not easy.Watching your friends pig out at an ice cream stand while you drink a cup of black coffee, no sugar, isn't fun. Different people have different ways of dealing with this. Some can eat just a couple of spoonfuls of some treat and leave the rest. Others find it works best to avoid the treats altogether. I'm in the latter group. If I ate a couple of spoonfuls of some treat, I'd crave it all. When I haven't eaten bread, cake, and ice cream for years, I no longer want them, even if all around me are eating them.

This situation of not wanting the treats isn't instantaneous. It takes a while before you can deal with these situations easily. But persistence pays off.

Well, I'd rant on and on, but right now I'm craving a lamb chop with broccoli and butter, so I'd better go.