Man With Type 1 Diabetes Lives for 90 Years

I came across an interesting story titled “Man Celebrates 85 years of Living With Diabetes” on kaaltv.com, June 30. It concerns American Bob Krause, who has just turned 90—nothing too extraordinary in these days of enhanced longevity.

What makes the story interesting is that when he was 5 years old, Bob was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

This condition is characterized by insufficient insulin secretion from the pancreas. As a result, blood sugar levels tend to be higher than normal. The conventional medical treatment for Type 1 diabetes is insulin injections.

However, despite treatment, many Type 1 diabetics die prematurely, often having suffered adverse effects from their diabetes, including blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, skin ulcers, and amputations. Bob Krause, on the other hand, appears to be in great shape (especially bearing in mind his advanced years).

What is clear is that Bob has managed his diabetes with meticulous care. What is especially noteworthy is that his eating regime contrasts sharply with the standard advice given to diabetics: Eat three meals a day and include starchy carbohydrates with every meal.

Actually Bob normally eats twice a day. His breakfast is usually made up of nuts with some prunes. His dinner is protein plus salad. He doesn’t eat much. And critically, he doesn’t eat much carbohydrate.

Back in the day before insulin was discovered and made available as a medication, diabetes was treated with a diet low in carbohydrate. Doctors back then took the view that if diabetics couldn’t handle sugar, then the best thing was for them not to eat it (in the form of sugar and starch).

That makes sense, and even a 6-year-old understands this concept. What a shame that many health professionals seem to be blind to what is obvious. And it’s a shame that leading diabetes charities continue to promote a diet that is, by virtue of its high-carb content, actually contraindicated in diabetics.

I’ve recently been told that Diabetes U.K. is changing its policy regarding carbohydrate consumption, though if it has, their dietary recommendations are yet to reflect this.

Reading about Bob reminded me of someone I met a few years ago after a presentation I delivered. She was a middle-aged woman who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes early in life. I asked her what her HbA1c level was (this is a measure of blood sugar control over the preceding three months or so).

Non-diabetics will usually have an HbA1c level of 5 percent or below. This lady’s HbA1c was normal—a highly unusual situation with a Type 1 diabetic of several decades standing.

How had she done it? Not by following standard dietary advice, that’s for sure. Her main meals were generally made up of meat or fish, accompanied by non-starchy vegetables. Not only was her blood sugar control good, but also she took tiny doses of insulin in comparison to most type 1 diabetics.

One of the pioneers of effective (low-carbohydrate) nutritional therapy for diabetes is Richard K. Bernstein, M.D., himself a Type 1 diabetic and author of “Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution.” You can learn more about Dr. Bernstein and his work on Diabetes-Solution.net.

Earlier in life, Dr. Bernstein was an engineer. Bob Krause was an engineer too. Is this just a coincidence? Perhaps not.

This is purely anecdotal, but I have found that many of the most creative thinkers in the area of health and nutrition have a background in engineering.

What is it about engineering that might make these people great nutrition and health commentators?

Here is the opening description of engineering to be found on Wikipedia: “Engineering is the discipline, art, skill, and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials, and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of people.”

Engineers don’t get very far designing bridges that don’t stay up or computer circuits that don’t work. Yet in health care, it seems money can be made from approaches that not only don’t work, but also jeopardize health.

I think we doctors and other health professionals often have a lot to learn from engineers.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com