Type 1 Diabetes Treatment.

To conventional doctors, Type 1 diabetes treatment is a classic example of an autoimmune disease. That means that the immune system mistakenly identifies part of the body as an outside invader and attacks it with substances called antibodies.

According to conventional medicine, Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes occurs because the immune system attacks and kills the cells of the pancreas, the organ that produces the hormone insulin, which ushers blood sugar (glucose) out of the bloodstream and into the cells of the body. To make up for the shortfall of insulin, people with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections. And, since Type 1 diabetes typically begins in childhood, which means a lifetime of insulin dependency.
There are some alternative doctors, however, who believe that the cause-and treatment-of Type 1 diabetes is radically different from what conventional medicine espouses. Here are three diet-related steps that some alternative health practitioners believe can help prevent or treat this disease.

COW'S MILK: A Must to Avoid for type 1 diabetes treatment.
"If the genes for Type 1 diabetes are in your family, meaning that any relative has had the disease, you are putting your children at risk for developing Type 1 diabetes by feeding them cow's milk instead of breastfeeding," says Jonathan Wright, M.D., a nutritionally oriented physician and director of the Tahoma Clinic in Kent, Washington.

Some international doctors and scientists in diabetes research say that cow's milk is a cause of Type 1 diabetes, Dr. Wright says. Here's why. In a study conducted in Finland, researchers looked at blood specimens from more than 100 children with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes. In every child, they found "exceptionally high levels" of an antibody to a part of the protein in cow's milk. Next, the researchers discovered that the sequence of amino acids (the chemical building blocks of protein) in the cow's milk protein was exactly the same as the sequence of amino acids in the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas. "In other words," says Dr. Wright, "they theorize that diabetes is not an autoimmune disease, as is commonly thought. It may be an intense allergic reaction to cow's milk, and the antibodies created during that allergic reaction also 'cross-react' with the islet cells of the pancreas, destroying them."

A group of Italian scientists who looked at the Finnish study decided to conduct additional research, investigating the correlation between their country's various levels of milk consumption and the prevalence of Type 1 diabetes. (Milk consumption is high in the north of Italy and low in the south.) They found what scientists call a direct correlation-the higher the consumption of milk, the higher the incidence of the disease. If dairy products are the cause, cutting them out is the solution, Dr. Wright believes.

'The first thing we tell the parents of a child newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes is 'Pour the cow's milk down the drain and throw the dairy products in the garbage,'" he says. This, he believes, stops the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells and either helps keep children from becoming dependent on insulin injections or dramatically reduces the amount of insulin they need to take each day. But stopping the intake of dairy foods may also prevent Type 1 diabetes, he believes. "If there is any history of Type 1 diabetes in your family, but your children have not developed the disease, my advice is to never allow them to consume any cow's milk or other dairy products," Dr. Wright says.

GLUTEN: A Likely Suspect
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, oats, barley, and other grains. (Buckwheat, rice, and corn are the exceptions.) Although Dr. Wright says that gluten isn't a proven cause of Type 1 diabetes, he believes it's definitely a suspect. That's because gluten can trigger another hereditary allergic condition called celiac disease, a severe intestinal illness. Certain human leukocyte antigens (HLA) that are associated with celiac disease are also associated with the development of Type 1 diabetes.

"If gluten triggers one allergic disease, it may have something to do with another, and we want to try to eliminate all the possible causes of Type 1 diabetes from the diet," Dr. Wright says.
To remove the gluten from your child's diet, you'll need to avoid all foods containing the grains mentioned above. You'll also need to steer clear of a wide variety of common gluten-containing foods and ingredients, such as distilled white vinegar, hydrolized vegetable protein, and malt extract. Fortunately, says Dr. Wright, there are many cookbooks available that will help you shop for and prepare food that's gluten-free.

NIACINAMIDE: To the Rescue
Niacinamide, one of the B vitamins, is the number one nutrient for treating Type 1 diabetes, says Dr. Wright. He describes a scientific study in which experimental animals were given chemicals that kill the islet cells of the pancreas, instantly causing diabetes. When a group of the animals was given niacinamide before ingesting the chemicals, however, none of them developed diabetes; the nutrient shielded the islet cells from harm.

"If we give enough niacinamide early enough in the progress of the disease, it is possible to 'rescue' pancreatic islet cells and restore more function to the pancreas, either eliminating or decreasing the need for insulin injections," he says.

For young patients, Dr. Wright prescribes 1 gram (1,000 milligrams) of niacinamide twice a day or 0.5-gram (500 milligrams) three times a day. For adults who develop Type 1 diabetes, he prescribes 1 gram three times a day.

In the vast majority of patients, this level of niacinamide intake doesn't have side effects, Dr. Wright says. Occasionally, however, the vitamin will tax the liver slightly, causing nausea, and the dosage should be reduced. He adds that no one should take this nutrient without the approval and supervision of a doctor or other health professional experienced in the prescriptive use of supplements.

Exercise for Less Insulin.
People with Type I diabetes who exercise for 35 to 40 minutes 3 or 4 days a week may be able to cut their insulin needs by 20 to 25 percent, says Eric P. Durak, director of Medical Health and Fitness in Santa Barbara, California, and an expert on diabetes and exercise. Reducing insulin needs by that amount means that they may need fewer insulin shots overall, putting much less wear and tear on injection sites.

Durak suggests that for maximum enjoyment and fitness, people with Type I diabetes include different kinds of exercise in their sessions: a bit of aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking or jogging), a bit of strength training (working out with weights), and a bit of stretching.