ENCORE: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diabetes and Diet, Part 1

About this episode

Gary Taubes discusses the historical context and implications of dietary approaches to diabetes management.

Gary Taubes on Rethinking Diabetes: Diet, Insulin, and the History Behind Low-Carb Treatment: Journalist Gary Taubes is author of “ Rethinking Diabetes: What Science Reveals About Diet, Insulin, and Successful Treatments .” The book traces diabetes treatment history and argues that carbohydrate restriction was standard care from 1797 through the early 20th century until insulin therapy shifted practice toward drug-centered management and higher-carbohydrate diets. Taubes explains how insulin’s discovery changed dietary priorities, how later technology (radioimmunoassay) revealed that most diabetes is type 2 with insulin resistance and high insulin rather than deficiency, and why giving more insulin can worsen weight gain. They discuss major trials (including ACCORD, ADVANCE, and Look AHEAD) that failed to show benefits from intensive drug-based glucose control, the influence of low-fat guidelines, Richard Bernstein’s role in blood-glucose self-monitoring and low-carb control, controversies about obesity models, ketosis vs ketoacidosis, GLP-1 drugs, and LDL increases on ketogenic diets.

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Ronald Hoffman

Guest: Gary Taubes

Topics covered

• Diabetes
• Diet
• Insulin
• Low-Carb Treatment
• Obesity Models
• Ketogenic Diets

Keywords

• diabetes
• diet
• insulin
• low-carb
• obesity
• ketosis
• GLP-1 drugs
• weight gain

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ACCORD, ADVANCE, Look AHEAD

Books & works: Rethinking Diabetes: What Science Reveals About Diet, Insulin, and Successful Treatments

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