Question
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 5 years ago and placed on insulin this past June. My biggest problem to date has been sugar control. My readings would jump all over the place for seemingly no reason and my fasting reading were always high. (over 200 and often over 220) Sometimes my blood glucose readings would drop or raise by more than 60 points in 2 hours regardless of what i did or ate or didnt eat.
After doing some digging one night a few weeks ago I think I may have stumbled upon the answer. Aspartame, also known as Equal, Nutra -Sweet. etc, which is found in most diet soft drinks and other sugar free products.
After reading several articles about how many people who used this sugar substitute were having sugar control issues among other issues I decided to try a small experiement. I stopped using it and consuming anything containing it.
In 2 weeks my fasting blood sugars have dropped to around 150 from the mid 200's (avg). Also I no longer have any unaccountable swings in my readings. Also in the past 2 weeks I have lost around 10 lbs not doing anything extra.
I have drank diet soda for 15 years or so. In the last 7 years Ihave went from normal blood sugar readings to being insulin dependant. Now either there is a connection to Apsartame or it is a coincindence. I do not know for sure. All I do know is that since discontinuing its use my health is rapidly improving and I have some hope of getting off the insulin all together. (I didnt need an injection yesterday and this AM my reading was 152.)
So if you are drinking lots of diet sodas and having sugar issues I suggest you try what I did and see if it helps you to.
Be warned however. The first week after stopping drinking diet soda I felt horrible. Constant headaches, kidney pains, muscles cramps and pains. etc. Some of the info I found indicates that aspartame is physically addictive and from what I went through I can believe it.
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Very very interesting Uturn. I will have to keep this in mind. I do not have diabetes, but my step father does, and he drinks a lot of diet soda.
The withdrawl symptoms could also have been caffeine withdrawl. I went through that when I was nursing and switched to caffeine free so the baby wasn't wired.YES! I spell colour with a U, cause I AM CANADIAN!!!
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i do not have diabetes, but it is in my family, so i worry.
i have wondered why people always associate cause and effect with sugar. sugar does not cause diabetes.
i also wonder about the syrup in soda of any kind. and the carbination.
i'm thinking the syrup is a major culprit, as it causes pimples. i have started drinking more water, to counter the 1 or 2, sometimes 3 cokes i have each day.
that 3rd one is usually to counter temporary post-digestion problems, usually caused by some place i used to kill my appetite..Government Ain't YO' Friend. Nor your Servant.
A Tax Reduces Incentive & Capacity. A Regulation is also a TAX.
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I can assure you the withdrawl was not caffiene related. I still get plenty through teas and coffee, though I do know and fully agree that caffiene withdrawl can be nasty too.
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Update:
I have not had to take an insulin injection now for almost a month.
My fasting blood sugar reading are down to between 120 and 130 every morning and my daily highs rarely climb about 150. Even during this last week as I am fighting the flu or something which always makes my sugar jump a bit.
I also have not had any unexplained spikes in my sugar readings and I continue to lose weight, though at a slower pace than the first month.
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You make a good case for avoiding genetically engineered foods. Just another reason I use great care when forced to eat at Flying J.
Glad you found the cause and effect, and Improvement to boot!Government Ain't YO' Friend. Nor your Servant.
A Tax Reduces Incentive & Capacity. A Regulation is also a TAX.
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Update number 2:
I am now down to fasting sugar levels in the very low 100's. 102 yesterday and 104 today.
Hopefully within 2 weeks I will be in orientation with someone.
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Excess carbs, however, can "bring on" latent diabetes. One can start with diabetes without even knowing it... the receptors for insulin get damaged quite often before the diagnosis is made. So, it's best not to go overboard with carbs/sugar.
Carbonation in sodas robs the bones of calcium, that's all I know. I have a chart that says the least problematic soda is Root Beer, and fortunately I like it.. It's best to drink very few carbonated drinks, though.
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Just to be clear.
The current thinking about Type 2 diabeties is that it is caused by the body being bombarded by too many "sugary" foods for a long period of time. Basically it is like walking barefoot. At first you feel every little piece of dirt, rocks, etc, but after a while your feet become tough and you no longer really feel what it is you are walking on.
Sugar comes from many sources including processed sugar, carbohydrates and startches (breads, potatoes, rice, etc.) Certain veggies, fruits, and dairy are all sources of carbs and natural sugars.
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You should check into the sugar buster diet. Like you said so many things turn to sugar in the body. My wife and I are not dibetics but the diet works well with weight lost. It is a lifetme change and I now enjoy the whole wheat breads, pasta and brown rice. You have to read labels. evan though label reads wheat the product still contains sugar. thy hae a book out which would be worth reading.
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I know someone that was classified as having type 2 diabetes. He found out yesterday. The doctor told him.... Absolutely NO Sodas !! Diet or regular sodas.
According to the doc. Diet soda is just as bad as regular.. His doc told him to replace sugar with "splenda", a sugar substitute...in his coffee, tea etc....
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Why not learn to drink coffee "like a man," with no sugar at all... and preferably no milk. If you actually like the taste of coffee, you'll soon hate it any other way than black. Don't wait until you have diabetes to curb your sugar intake.
P.S. The "like a man" phrase came from something that happened to my husband at a lunch counter. The waitress (probably a wizeguy) asked: "How do you take your coffee, like a man?" Of course the macho husband said: "yes."
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...can cause gum problems. I am a insulin dependent diabetic, was drinking carbonated flavored water, developed a serious gum infection. Started leaving the carbonated drinks completely alone, problem cleared up. As a test, started the carbonated drinks again, problem returned.
Carbonated drinks are few and far between....far far between!Crowfoot
Last Words, 1890
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just got "grounded" myself. failed DOT physical last week. got diagnosed with type 2 last year. I'm waiting right now for A1C results from my doctor. I don't drink much soda. usually 1-2 a day when driving. I take gloucovance twice a day. Does lowering the carbs make that big a difference? my fasting level is around 300. I know I have a bad diet. I refer to it as living on "canned carbs". Ravioli, beeferoni, etc. I'm wondering if high protein for a week will get me through the physical so I won't be unemployed while working on long term solution?http://www.lestoil.net/Hilda/prints.html
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Aspartame (nutra-sweet) is bad, bad stuff. The info is out there.
http://aspartametruth.com/diabetes.html
Soda/pop is not good for the body, in general, with processed sugars or the substitutes.