SC - Can medieval food be heart-smart?

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

And it came to pass on 25 Sep 99,, that Anne-Marie Rousseau wrote:

[snip]
> --AM, who's genes say she can eat as much butter and fat as she wants too
> without clogging the arteries, but had better watch out for the demon
> sugars effect on her Islets of Langerhans...

My lady, I know you said this humorously, but I must implore you not to 
perpetuate the myth that eating sugar causes diabetes.  Both Type 1 
(aka juvenile-onset) and Type 2 (aka adult-onset) diabetes have complex 
causes that have nothing to do with eating habits.  It is true that 
overweight can trigger the genetic potential for Type 2, but too much 
butter and fat will do more to pack on the extra pounds than too much 
sugar (fats having more calories per gram than carbohydrates).  There 
are many overweight people who do not develop diabetes, and slim ones 
who do.  Also, Type 2 diabetes is not likely to do anything to the insulin-
producing capability of your Islets of Langerhans.  Most Type 2s have 
too much insulin in their system.  They are insulin-resistant, and cannot 
properly utilize that insulin to metabolize the glucose in their blood.

My apologies for lecturing.  This is an issue that strikes close to home 
for me.  I am a Type 2 myself, and in the last few years, I have been 
learning how many misconceptions there are about diabetes.

Brighid


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net
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