Amazing Health Facts Magazine

God knew about fats. He commanded Israel to avoid bad fat —“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat” (Leviticus 7:23). Amazing Health Fact Diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to produce or properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). Glucose backs up in the bloodstream, causing blood sugar to rise dangerously high. Signs of diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, increased hunger, blurry vision, irritability, tingling or numbness in hands or feet, wounds that don’t heal, extreme fatigue, and frequent skin, bladder, or gum infections. A U.S. Department of Agriculture study revealed that Americans eat an average of 32 teaspoons of sugar each day in their foods. 7 Amazing Health Fact reduced the risk of heart disease by 23 percent. Furthermore, those who consumed the largest amounts of fruits and vegetables had a 31 percent lower stroke risk. Fruits and vegetables are also naturally high in fiber, which has been shown to lower LDL (lousy) cholesterol. Diabetes: Is it true that diabetes is caused by eating sugar? If eating simple carbohydrates (highly refined foods, such as sugar) contributes to excess body weight, then yes, the risk of type 2 diabetes is increased. However, research has shown that consuming complex plant-based carbohydrates (food as grown) actually reduces the risk of developing diabetes. One study of 36,000 women in Iowa found that those who ate the largest amounts of unrefined carbohydrates and fiber had the least incidence of diabetes. Furthermore, a study conducted at the National Public Health Institute in Finland found that people who ate the largest quantity of whole grains had a 61 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes! What about fat? The two most significant risk factors in developing diabetes have to do with fat. Being overweight is one risk factor — but the most prominent factor is consuming large amounts of dietary fat. A study involving 1,300 Colorado residents determined that those with low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets were much more likely to develop diabetes. In another study of young men, researchers fed high-fat, low-carb diets to one group and a high-carb, low-fat diet to another. The group with the high-fat diet developed “chemical diabetes,” but the low-fat group had no signs of diabetes by the conclusion of the study. Eating highly refined foods has also been shown to increase the risk of developing diabetes. One study determined that consumption of partially hydrogenated oils is responsible for approximately 40 percent of all cases of type 2 diabetes in the United States! Can type 2 diabetes be reversed with diet? A total vegetarian diet not only prevents but can even reverse diabetes. In a study conducted at the world- renowned Pritikin Center, 40 medication-dependent diabetics were given a low-fat, plant-based diet combined