Many African Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to manage their disease but fail to disclose this information to their healthcare provider. In fact, studies show that only 40 percent of African-Americans compared with 55 percent of non-Hispanic whites report telling their doctors that they were using a complementary therapy. Most people with diabetes who use CAM follow diet-based therapies to manage the disease. Not sharing your use of CAM with your healthcare provider can be dangerous. Some diet-based therapies may cause nutrient deficiencies and are not based on sound scientific evidence.
Here’s the low down on six of the most common diet-based therapies people use to treat diabetes.
Alkaline Diet
This diet is based on the fact our body has a pH of 7.35 to 7.45, which makes it slightly alkaline. Proponents of the alkaline diet believe humans evolved on a diet much more alkali-forming than diets eaten today. An excess of grains and animal products is believed to cause an acid overload, leading to muscle wasting, kidney stone formation, kidney damage, and the dissolution of bone.
The fact is the body works hard and efficiently on its own to keep the blood at the proper pH regardless of what we eat. You don't need to alter your diet to try to change the pH level. Although the alkaline diet won't change your pH level, it can be a healthful diet for people with diabetes. It is primarily a vegetarian diet with emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, soy, nuts, legumes, and olive oil.
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Food-Combining Diet
The theory behind the food-combining diet says that ifprotein and starch are eaten simultaneously the body will wear itself out by producing both alkaline and acidic digestive juices, which nullify each other and interfere with digestion. This diet promotes eating proteins and starches at separate meals. Vegetables can be eaten with both protein and starch, but fruits should be eaten alone. Its’ proponents say this diet will encourage weight loss and improve digestion.
There’s no valid scientific evidence showing that food combining is beneficial for weight loss or digestion. For people with diabetes, this diet is contrary to the American Diabetes Association’s nutrition recommendations for optimal blood glucose control. Balancing a meal with both protein and carbohydrate promotes fewer carbs at the meal, resulting in more stable blood glucose and insulin levels.
Macrobiotic Diet
This diet incorporates the Asian philosophy that foods are either yin (cooler) or yang (warmer) and that particular health conditions require food that will cool or warm the body. The macrobiotic diet is vegetarian-based, consisting mainly of brown rice, whole grains, and vegetables.
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Researchers are examining whether a macrobiotic diet can prevent and treat diabetes. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that a macrobiotic diet could be a successful therapy for type 2 diabetes. The macrobiotic diet is naturally high in fiber, which helps to slow the conversion of starch to glucose, thus keeping the blood glucose more stable. In fact, participants in this study were able to reduce their insulin by as much as 64 percent.
Raw Food Diet
Based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, the raw food diet consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, and seaweed. Followers believe that heating food above 118 degrees F destroys helpful enzymes in food, but eating food raw or carefully dehydrated increases energy, improves digestion, promotes weight loss, and reduces the risk of chronic illnesses including diabetes.
This diet is very restrictive and could cause nutrient deficiencies in calcium, iron, B12, and protein. Contrary to the belief of raw food diet proponents, the enzymes needed for digestion are produced by the pancreas and small intestines. Research on the raw food diet is underway, but no studies have looked at the diet’s effect on diabetes specifically.
The Maker’s Diet
The Maker’s Diet is based on eating foods that God “intended” for us to eat, such as whole natural foods, including organic meats, fruits, and vegetables. It also encompasses the four pillars of health—physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional—including increasing physical activity, reducing stress, and finding faith.
The diet claims to improve health and promote weight loss, which will lower the risks for chronic illnesses including diabetes. There are many benefits to adopting a lifestyle that will increase physical activity, reduce stress and help one find faith. This is particularly true when it comes to diabetes that can be a challenge physically, spiritually and emotionally. However, there is no significant, valid, research on The Maker’s Diet.
Ayurvedic Diet
The Ayurvedic diet is based on a system of medicine that originated in ancient India. It attempts to balance and restore harmony in the body by using diet, yoga, and herbs. Ayurvedic practitioners claim bringing harmony back to the body will help with weight loss and decrease the likelihood of chronic illnesses including diabetes.
Ayurvedic treatments rely heavily on herbs, plant, oils and common spices such as turmeric, holy basil, Coccinia indica, gumar, fenugreek, and jambul powder. There’s evidence suggesting Coccinia indica, holy basil, and fenugreek have a glucose-lowering effect.
Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Ayurvedic practices varies. More rigorous research is needed to determine which practices are safe and effective.
It’s important to have an open dialogue with your healthcare provider about your diabetes management and the use of CAM. Always speak to your provider before you make any changes to diet, exercise or your diabetes management routine.
Constance Brown-Riggs, is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Follow Constance on social media @eatingsoulfully
