In a collaborative video with TED&Talks, Neal Barnard, a clinical researcher and founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), shared insights into addressing diabetes with a bold new dietary approach.
This video has garnered nearly 4 million views and over 5,000 comments. Click HERE to watch the full original video. Below is a summary of the key takeaways from the video:
Reversing an “epidemic”: Diabetes
Currently, about 100 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. This puts them at risk of severe complications such as amputations, heart disease, or blindness. Alarmingly, we are even “exporting” this disease globally.
The term “epidemic” originates from ancient Greek: “epi” meaning “upon” and “demos” meaning “people.” While epidemics are often analyzed through statistics, maps, and charts, they directly impact the lives of breathing, living individuals.
My story: A lesson from the morgue
My journey began in the basement of a Minneapolis hospital. Before attending medical school, I worked as an autopsy assistant, or what some call a morgue attendant. My job was to move bodies from the freezer to the examination table for the forensic pathologist to perform dissections.
One day, a patient who had died of a severe heart attack was brought in. During the dissection, the pathologist used a tool resembling garden shears to open the chest cavity. After removing the ribs, he cut into the coronary artery and showed me the plaques inside—substances resembling chewing gum but as hard as stone. He remarked, “This is what comes from eating bacon and eggs every day. This is atherosclerosis.”
What shocked me even more was his revelation that two-thirds of adults begin showing signs of atherosclerosis by the age of 23 – the exact age I was at the time. Later, when I entered the hospital cafeteria, I saw that the day’s main dish was barbecued ribs. This made me reflect deeply on our dietary habits.
Diabetes is not a one-way street
Growing up on a cattle ranch in Fargo, North Dakota, I was accustomed to eating beef every day. However, my father – a diabetes specialist – soon realized that conventional treatments were ineffective. Patients were advised to restrict nearly everything: bread, fruits, potatoes, rice… yet their condition continued to worsen.
To understand the problem, I delved into the workings of muscle cells, where glucose – our body’s energy source – is processed. For glucose to enter cells, insulin acts as a “key.” But in diabetics, this key fails to function properly because the cells are filled with tiny fat particles, known as intramyocellular lipids.
In 2003, my research team received a grant to test a new approach. Instead of restricting carbohydrates, we asked patients to adopt a low-fat diet. We eliminated animal fats and oils while encouraging plant-based foods.
One patient, Vance, whose father had died of diabetes at age 30, tried this method. He lost 60 pounds (27 kg) in one year, and his test results revealed that his diabetes had completely disappeared. His story is a clear testament that diabetes is not an irreversible condition.
Genes are not dictators
The most important thing to remember is this: diabetes genes are not “dictators”; they are merely a “committee” offering suggestions. We can change our destiny through what we eat. High-fat foods and animal-based diets are not what humans are “designed” to consume.
Humans are herbivores by nature, as evidenced by the structure of our teeth, which are not suited for hunting or tearing flesh. Instead of consuming animal products, we should focus on plant-based foods, which align with our physiology and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Dietary changes can not only prevent diabetes but also reverse it. Start today, for your health and the well-being of your loved ones.
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