Update:
Ellen’s new book “The Ketogenic Diet for Type 1 Diabetes” is now available.
In response to reader requests, here is the information on how to order both
of these books:


Photo of the cover of the book, Conquer Type 2 Diabetes with a Ketogenic Diet.
Diabetics, listen up! You now have available a new and important book authored by Ellen Davis and Keith Runyan, M.D. entitled Conquer Type 2 Diabetes with a Ketogenic Diet. It is second in a promising series of ketogenic diets for special conditions.(1)

Ellen has a Master of Science degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition, and Dr. Runyan is a practicing physician specializing in obesity, kidney disease, and diabetes who is himself a type-1 diabetic. Despite their expertise and personal knowledge, they strongly advise that your personal physician be involved in review and application of information in this book.

As diabetics well know, the ketogenic diet is only one of a number of diet plans suggested specifically for them. These diet plans run the gamut from the “occasional sweet treats are OK” bribe to the pragmatic “no carbohydrates at all” design. Despite the diversity of suggestions, there is only one absolute: For every molecule of glucose you put in your stomach you MUST provide a tad of insulin to manage it. If your body cannot produce insulin, you must have an outside source. A logical decision is the one that science tells us is the correct one; eat as few carbohydrates (glucose) as possible to put the least demand on your body. And have no illusions about carbohydrates. They are all made almost entirely of glucose.

Before continuing to tell you why Conquer Type 2 Diabetes with a Ketogenic Diet is so very important to your well being, let’s reflect on why we must have so much concern about the amount of glucose we eat. It is because when Man appeared on earth, he was given a circulatory system that served all parts of his body delivering food and removing waste. This circulatory system was part of the deal – Man could not do without it. Glucose happened to be part of the food component of the circulating medium (blood). There would be no problem with glucose if Man were permitted to add all the glucose he wanted to the glucose food component, but the natural laws that govern the science of physiology said “No, there are limits, top and bottom.” There we are; if we want to live, we are required to maintain a blood glucose level roughly between 80 and 120 milligrams per deciliter.

In its relationship with insulin, glucose can be thought of as playing the paradoxical roles of master and servant. The concentration of glucose in the blood governs the release of insulin from the pancreas; in turn, the released insulin governs the concentration of glucose in the blood. Control of the glucose level in the blood is one of the body’s fundamental regulatory mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis, the stability of the internal environment of the body. It is for this reason that the concentration of glucose in the blood must be kept within a relatively narrow range in order to maintain healthy life functions in all of the cells and tissues of the body.

What does glucose have to do with diabetes? Except for people who have diabetes from childhood (type-1), this question cannot be answered by most adults. If you have been diagnosed as having type-2 diabetes, you would be wise to learn as much as you can so you can handle living with diabetes with as much dignity and comfort as possible. You cannot survive in denial or cheat with a forbidden candy bar. You cannot fool Mother Nature.

Part One of the book sets the stage for embarking on a ketogenic diet, including a number of important factors to be considered before making a final decision. Chapter 1 tells the stories of both type-1 and type-2 diabetics who suffered the gamut of problems faced in a life with diabetes and their powerful positive experiences with ketogenesis. These personal stories confirm frequent reports that type-2 diabetes can be well controlled or even reversed. A first-person story describing dismay at being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, the search for help, and the experiences of the first six months on a ketogenic diet are quite encouraging to people concerned about diabetes and/or ketogenic diets. (2)

Chapter 2 is an information-packed discussion on the nature of diabetes, the benefits of ketogenesis, the errors of dietary myths, and the criteria for judging the appropriateness of a ketogenic diet for the patient in question. It appears that the ketogenic diet is fitting for both type-1 as well as type-2 diabetics, assuming that there is medical supervision and no other health contraindications. Thus, this book has a huge added value of also serving type-1 diabetics who have a much more difficult time than type-2 diabetics in balancing their critical glucose-insulin needs.

Part Two is devoted to implementation of the ketogenic diet. It discusses goals, composition, and personalization of the diet. Very importantly, it includes information on monitoring tools and management of common and uncommon side effects associated with a ketogenic diet

Part Three presents four detailed chapters that deal with managing blood sugar and insulin levels. This section contains medical information relevant to drug treatment, insulin delivery equipment, and other information of value to the attending physician or healthcare provider.

Part Four is the final section: Chapter 10 talks about exercise for diabetics, diabetic athletes, and non-diabetic athletes; Chapter 11 explains the role of ketogenesis in obesity and weight loss; and Chapter 12 concludes the section with a discussion of a number of other important but diverse factors, such as vegetarianism, stress, and skeptical physicians. The book wraps up with about 40 pages of appendices that provide valuable support to the conduct of a ketogenic regimen for type-1 and type-2 diabetic patients.

Lastly, we offer some additional comments that will hopefully stimulate the diabetic reader to muster the courage, discipline, and determination to purchase this book and implement its recommendations.

It is a well known observation that people who have type-2 diabetes are very likely to end their days as victims of Alzheimer’s disease. This association could be due to the stimulation of the enzyme delta-5 desaturase* by insulin, which forces synthesis of arachidonic acid from linoleic acid and promotes chronic inflammation known to be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. (3, p.180ff)

To reduce or eliminate the adverse effects of linoleic acid: First, follow a ketogenic diet (by eliminating carbohydrate foods a ketogenic diet, will reduce the need for insulin), and second, eliminate the intake of all vegetable seed oils (vegetable oils, such as safflower and canola, are the major source of excessive amount of linoleic in the American diet). Use only animal fats, including fish oil, which are predominantly omega-3 fatty acids, as the dietary fat component.

Another risk for Alzheimer’s disease that is reduced or eliminated by a ketogenic diet relates to brain biochemistry. A ketogenic diet produces ketone bodies that, like glucose, can pass the blood-brain barrier. Ketone bodies are an excellent replacement for glucose as an energy source for the brain. Energy production in the mitochondria of brain cells yields considerable amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when using glucose as fuel, whereas essentially no ROS are produced when using ketone bodies. Unless neutralized, ROS can be lethal to brain cells. The story of the remarkable microscopic powerhouses known as mitochondria is told in a book by Nick Lane.(4)

* An enzyme in the metabolic pathway of the omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

References

  1. Conquer Type 2 Diabetes with a Ketogenic Diet – Ellen Davis, Keith Runyan, M.D
  2. Recovery from Type-2 Diabetes: A True Story – Alice Ottobonie, Fred Ottoboni
  3. Modern Nutritional Diseases, 2nd. Ed. – Alice Ottoboni, Fred Ottoboni
  4. Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life – Nick Lane