Thanks for your help…will keep you posted!

Give that a whirl for a month and let me know how things go. You could get a fasting insulin level (along with androgens) pre and post and htis would give us a good idea how you are responding.

In need of a little guidance…I’m a 29-year old female, active, 115 lbs. at 5’5″ and have begun eating LC Paleo (am well-adjusted at 50 g carb/day) after happening upon all the info that supports it. I’ve recently been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), though have basically have known for years this was a problem. My doctor wants to put me on a birth control pill to induce menstruation. I really abhor the idea of being on ANY medication, so I’ve started researching natural alternatives. A low carb diet with chromium supplementation has supposedly been shown to be effective for treating this, as it seems that it might be caused by insulin resistance. So my questions for you are:

1. Have you had any clients/blog followers who can attest to what is going around on the internet and/or do you know of any research to support these claims…most of the info I’ve found is testimonial and/or sites that don’t provided any research.
2. The diet also suggests eating fermented soy products…what are your thoughts on this? I’m not a fan of soy…

I want to have a baby within the next few years, so I’m really holding out hope here…thank you in advance for any info you can provide.

Just checking in to let you know our little girl is still going strong! We visited with the new endo on Friday. He reviewed her last few weeks of blood sugar readings from her glucose meter on his computer (very cool how he jacked it in with a USB connection. I need that cable and software!).

He saw that she was almost completely in optimal range (70-140) with only a couple of outliers (a couple lower, a couple higher) and a mean of 96. He concurs that she needs NO insulin at this time. I was happy to have a Doc say that to me!

He did a blood draw in order to do the 4 antibody tests that the first doc did not do. He wants her back in two months but will call us when the results of the tests are back from the lab.

I don’t think the lab results will change anything we are doing, but it will be nice to know a little more about what we are dealing with here.

Thanks for the support everyone! Most regular people think grains and dairy are a MUST, especially where young kids are concerned. I know I am considered somewhat of a heretic in many circles.

-Mom

You are hanging out with too many dietitians! I’ve explained it on this blog, so has Mike Eades at his blog. Then read the FAQ and find the line regarding acid base balance.

Thanks,

Light’s Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival has got to be one of my all time favorite books. Keep up the posting of results as real world results tell more than a bunch of researchers fractionating rat brains ever will.

Stephen

Read both, many many times. Wiley only mentions it once in each book.

“high levels of insulin down-regulate the production of this protein, leaving excess amounts of enormous growth factors like estrogen circulating to ensure reproductive capability when the carbohydrate food supply is high.”
pg.149 Lights Out

Did some research on SHBP and led me to some good stuff. Too high of estrogen seems to put FSH out of wack. Interesting shit. Thanks Robb!

In a nutshell: elevated insulin leads to too much estrogen (and other androgens). If you want to research this look at insulin and sex hormone binding protein (SHBP).

Both my kids suffer from allergy related asthma (they were both diagnosed by 6 weeks of age- strange I know) and have been on Xopenex solution since (seems to really only flare up during weather changes and manifests itself through serious bouts of coughing). My oldest (9 yoa) has been on Singular since age 2. I control it quite well and it they’re both very active kids. I’d just like to get them off meds if they don’t have to be on them.

Thanks much!
Jennifer

Robb,

I am trying to wrap my head around Insulin and its effects on infertility. Is it the fact that when your body can’t read insulin anymore because you ate too much damn sugar you won’t activate estrogen receptors? Or does insulin resistance somehow lower the estrogen production, therefore your estrogen is to low and chronic to make any preovulatory peak? Combination of both?

We believe that the autoimmune disease type 1 diabetes (T1D) may be preventable through diet if caught early enough. This seems reasonable because it typically takes some time for the complete destruction of beta cells, which make and release the hormone insulin that controls the level of glucose in the blood.

The following report from Michelle is very interesting because some type 1 diabetics are “brittle.” In other words, the beta cells are completely destroyed and cannot produce insulin. Diabetes becomes apparent when 80-90% of the beta cells have been destroyed.

In Michelle’s case, there may have been sufficient function in some residual cells that were allowed to regain function when the change in diet halted the autoimmune response.

Here’s Michelle’s experience and you can follow her progress on her blog.

“I’m a type 1 diabetic and have been on the Paleo Diet for 7 months. After weeks of going Paleo, my insulin needs dropped dramatically, and after 6 months, I quit taking insulin altogether!

The Paleo Diet is a miracle for autoimmune type 1 diabetes! I just started a blog about it: http://michellestype1diabetes.blogspot.com/.”

Michelle

Dairy and Diabetes

Eliminating dairy, as Michelle did by following the Paleo Diet, may remove potential proteins found in cow’s milk that may be involved in T1D, such as:

Beta (ß)-lactoglobulin (BLG)

BLG is a protein found in the whey portion of cow’s milk (but not in the whey of human’s milk) that has structural homology with the human protein glycodelin, which is responsible for the modulation of T-lymphocytes1. This means that BLG could generate antibodies to glycodelin, and indirectly lead to autoimmunity in genetically susceptible children1, especially if introduced early in life when there is increased intestinal permeability1, 2.

Bovine insulin (BI)

Cow’s milk, human’s milk, and presumably milk from all mammals contain insulin2. Immunity to BI is common in children who consume cow’s milk or who have been exposed to infant formulas containing cow’s milk2. Because BI differs from human insulin by only three amino acids, it can generate antibodies against human insulin in genetically susceptible individuals with increased intestinal permeability and other gut dysfunctions2 and/or enteral virus infections in their early years2, 3.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA)

This is another protein in cow’s milk that doesn’t exist in human’s milk. Antibodies against a specific peptide in BSA, called ABBOS, have been found repeatedly in the majority of patients with T1D4-6. This is relevant because there is molecular mimicry between the peptide ABBOS and a beta-cell surface protein p694, one of the autoantigens attacked by T cells in T1D patients.

Peptide beta (ß)-casomorphin 7 (BCM-7)

BCM-7 results from the breakdown of proteins into peptides and amino acids during digestion of the A1 variant of bovine ß-casein7. Since this peptide has opiate-like activity7, it could “influence the development of gut-associated immune tolerance, or suppress defence mechanisms towards enteroviruses, both of which have been implicated in the aetiology of diabetes mellitus type 1”7.

Grain and diabetes

By following the Paleo Diet, Michelle also eliminated grains that include gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats). Gluten is a well-known environmental trigger of another autoimmune disease frequently associated with T1D called celiac disease8.

There is an interesting report in medical literature of an adolescent, who had abnormal blood glucose and insulin levels, testing positive for islet cell auto-antibodies (a marker of T1D development) and celiac disease. After following a gluten-free diet for 6 months, the adolescent became islet cell auto-antibody negative, and presented normal glycemia (glucose in the blood) and insulinemia (insulin in the blood).9

It is also known that diabetes progresses faster in rats when gluten is included in their diet early in life10, 11.

One research study reported that: “Diabetes onset was delayed and diabetes incidence was significantly reduced in female mice that received the wheat and barley protein-free diet throughout life”12.

Similarly, a gluten-free diet in people with a high risk for T1D led to significant improvements in their insulin response during a glucose tolerance test13.

The main reason why gluten may be involved in T1D (and other auto-immune diseases), and why celiac disease is normally associated with other autoimmune diseases involves one of the proteins in gluten – gliadin. Gliadin up regulates zonulin14 (a protein expressed in gut tissue), thereby increasing gut permeability (not only in celiac patients, but also in “normals”)14, which is a very important factor underlying T1D2,15-20.

Other factors involved in increased intestinal permeability

As readers are aware, there are other dietary factors in Neolithic foods that can increase intestinal permeability. This includes lectins (present in legumes and grains), saponins (found in legumes, potatoes, peppers, alfalfa sprouts, root beer, quinoa and amaranth), and alcohol.

Fatty acids, vitamin D and diabetes

In addition to eliminating dairy and gluten, the Paleo Diet may help stop beta cell destruction by correcting the omega-6/omega-3 ratio21.

We also recommend that people optimize their vitamin D status by getting enough sunlight or with supplements. This may also help to halt beta cell destruction and prevent the development of T1D22.

Next time, we’ll take a look at new research that shows how well the Paleo Diet protects you from disease compared to other diets. We’ll also suggest ways to help your kids keep up their great nutrition at school.

Amazing story, I’m always blown away when I see posts like this. And well done to the family in question, you did the right thing! I only wish I’d know the efficacy of a paleo approach when I was diagnosed T1 in 1998.

It sounds to me like it could be a combination of your points 1 and 2. The honeymoon is very rarely strong enough to mean NO insulin is required – it sometimes means reduced dosages, or often just means you get really stable bloods for a while. In fact, I believe it’s common practice to intentionally keep injecting some insulin to give the recovering islet cells a “crutch” and try to prolong the honeymoon. But I can’t remember ever hearing of a honeymoon period where insulin treatment has to cease altogether for a matter of weeks as the patient cannot tolerate even a single unit of exogeneous insulin – that implies the islet cells have recovered a LOT of function, far more than normal. Low carb eating alone doesn’t usually account for this – so the removal of environmental irritants could well be the saviour here.

Seriously, the best I’ve ever heard of is people simply having excellent control for a long period – A1C’s of 5.1 or so – while needing relatively small amounts of insulin. These are the cases that get hailed as examples of the best you can expect from the honeymoon period, so complete cessation of insulin for 2+ weeks seems pretty outstanding to me!

I’ll keep my fingers crossed the condition stays in remission – certainly a low-carb paleo approach will give the child the best possible chance of this, or of maintaining great control if worst comes to worst and the condition presents again.

Slight aside, but great to see the content flowing regularly again!

Nick