Diabetes is a serious disease and is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. Having diabetes doubles the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. In fact, stroke and heart attacks "account for 84% of diabetes-related deaths." Many other complications include kidney failure, blindness, nervous system damage, gangrene in the lower limbs (which lead to amputations), increased risk of cancer (especially colorectal cancer), and even premature death.
Although these statistics are troubling, Dustin Rudolph Pharm.D. offers several steps parents can take to help prevent their children from developing type-1 diabetes in his article, "Type 1 Diabetes - Avoiding Dairy Is Key To Prevention."
Type-1 diabetes is commonly referred to "juvenile-onset" diabetes, since it's diagnosed mostly from birth to the early teen years, but can also be seen in adults who are in their 30's-40's. Because the pancreas stops producing insulin with type-1 diabetes, lifelong insulin therapy is required. It is not reversible like type-2 diabetes. (To watch an emotional diabetes success story video, click here.)
While family genes play a role in influencing the onset of diabetes, avoiding known environmental triggers can significantly reduce the risk of developing this disease. In type-1 diabetes, Rudolph's article describes in detail how exposure to the beta casein protein (found in cow's milk) in infancy and early childhood triggers "an autoimmune reaction to occur in the body, resulting in antibodies being formed against the beta cells in the pancreas. The body then attacks and destroys these beta cells leading to permanent and irreversible damage to the pancreas organ."
Proponents of the dairy industry take great pride in promoting their products as "nature's most perfect food" since the amino acid sequence in dairy closely resembles that of the amino acid sequence in humans. However, as Rudolph explains, "This causes the body to mistakenly identify pancreatic beta cells for foreign cow's milk protein, resulting in the body destroying its own pancreas. Exposure to cow's milk during the first three months of life seems to be of greatest importance in producing this cascade of events, although later life exposure to dairy can also cause these same consequences in young children."
Other environmental factors can also influence the incidence of type-1 diabetes, including exposure to viruses, toxic chemicals, respiratory infections during the first 6-12 months of life, and cytotoxins.
"The best approach to defending yourself and your child against type-1 diabetes" Rudolph says, "is to take preventative steps when possible. Avoiding dairy products, breastfeeding your infant for as long as you can, and keeping young children healthy by avoiding exposure to others with contagious respiratory infections are all steps you can take to ensure the best possible protection against this debilitating disease." Once type-1 diabetes has developed, "Making changes to your diet and lifestyle by adhering to a low-fat, plant-based eating style can be of great benefit to you, helping to reduce the overall amount of insulin needed and prevent future complications, but it cannot completely replace the conventional medical system once this disease develops."
As parents, we all desire the best for our children. We're sure you would agree that protecting their future health and well-being is of utmost importance. We encourage your family to adopt a whole-food, starch-based, plant food diet which greatly reduces the risk of developing permanent disabilities associated with type-1 diabetes and lifelong insulin injections. Click on the link to read the entire article, "Type 1 Diabetes - Avoiding Dairy Is Key To Prevention."
For additional information regarding diabetes, click on the following links:
(1) How do our Food Choices Promote Autoimmune Conditions?
(2) Dairy Promotes Type-1 Diabetes
(3) Marketing Milk and Disease
(4) Type-1 Diabetes - Dr. Neal Barnard
(5) A New Approach to type-2 Diabetes - Dr. Neal Barnard
(6) Human Genes Can Be Turned On and Off by Diet
(7) The Pancreas – Under Attack by Cow-Milk
(8) Plant-Based Diet vs ADA Diet for Diabetes
(9) Dr. Neal Barnard's Reversing Diabetes
(10) Dr. Carney's Pinterest Board on Dairy
(11) Dr. Carney's Pinterest Board on Diabetes
(12) Meat Increases Risk of Diabetes
(13) Whitewash