According to a new study, drinking moderate amounts of wine helps men and women with Type II diabetes improve their markers of cardio-metabolic risk. I’ll tell you more about that important study in a moment. But first, let’s back up…
As I often say, many factors contributed to the perfect storm that caused today’s Type II diabetes epidemic. And three of the factors clearly involve prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
First, let’s look at cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. There’s no doubt about it, statins increase your risk of developing Type II diabetes. Plus, Type II diabetes is the leading cause of cardio-metabolic disease. It’s mind-boggling when you think about it: the very drugs prescribed to patients to prevent heart disease actually cause it!
Second, we now know antibiotic use also increases the risk of developing Type II diabetes. Experts think these drugs might increase your risk of developing the disease because they disrupt the normal gut microbiome (probiotics) and basic metabolism.
Third, research shows Tylenol (acetaminophen) — America’s “first-line” pain reliever drug — causes false blood sugar readings. That situation can be a disaster for managing diabetes. There was never any good reason to take this toxic, ineffective drug. And now you can add yet one more reason never to take it for anything ever.
Now — onto the good news.
Wine acts as an “anti-statin”
New evidence published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows men and women with Type II diabetes who drink moderate amounts of wine improve their cardio-metabolic risk. Thus, it appears drinking wine has the opposite effect of a statin drug in this regard.
Of course, generally speaking, we already knew moderate alcohol consumption prevents heart disease. In fact, during my medical training, we saw many patients who consumed excess alcohol. They had many problems, such as brain and nervous system problems, liver problems, and pancreas problems. But their cardiovascular systems invariably looked young and healthy.
Also during my medical training, we saw many Type II diabetic patients who swore having a drink with lunch, and another drink or two in the evening with dinner helped them control their diabetic symptoms.
Of course, their doctors — and my teachers — frowned on this practice. They accepted the politically correct party line held by most of the medical profession at the time. They assumed any and all alcohol consumption was bad for your health. (Indeed —as I explained last month — some in the medical profession still hold this incorrect view.)
The new study came from Israel, which seems less concerned with political correctness in recent years. And it shows those old-time diabetics from my medical training days knew what they were doing.
From Chardonnay to Shiraz — health benefits no matter what your preference
For this new study, Israeli researchers followed 224 patients with controlled Type II diabetes. Turns out, those patients who drank 150 mL/day of wine — which is about 5 oz. or one typical glass of wine — with a Mediterranean diet had better blood sugar and lipid profiles compared to those who drank an equal amount of mineral water on the same diet over two years.
Plus, contrary to popular thought, both red and white wine showed benefits.
In fact, patients who drank white wine had significantly lower blood sugar levels. Plus, both white wine drinkers and red wine drinkers had significantly improved lipid levels.
For years, I have advised researchers to stop chasing a supposed “magic bullet” present in red wine only. It’s obvious — again from this research — the benefit comes from the alcohol itself, which is present in all wines, beers, and liquors. There is no magic phytochemical in the red wine, such as resveratrol.
Last month, I presented evidence of a growing politically correct campaign against any and all alcohol consumption. The prohibitionist researchers couched their calls for abstinence in presentations of their research that actually show the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. But these puritanical researchers discard the real science and facts in the service of political correctness.
Finally — a natural way to manage diabetes worth raising a toast to
Many people have asked me over the years about natural approaches to controlling their Type II diabetes. Indeed, many herbal and nutritional supplements can help lower blood sugar. But, in order to manage diabetes, we need to know that a given dose and schedule of a treatment not only lowers blood sugar but that it also results in long-term blood sugar control as measured by hemoglobin A1C. Furthermore, we want to know the treatment reduces the risk of diabetic complications of the eye, heart, kidney, and peripheral nerves over the long term.
Amazingly, only one Type II drug clearly helps control blood sugar and prevent its long-term complications: metformin. It derives originally from the ancient European folk remedy French lilac. Other diabetes drugs on the market still haven’t been proven to work in this way, plus they have serious side effects.
I will continue to look for alternative ways to prevent and control Type II diabetes. And I will keep you updated as I discover more.
In the meantime, don’t let the prohibitionists scare you into giving up moderate alcohol consumption. It’s naturally good for managing Type II diabetes as well.