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From Life Extension News:
04-28-11
“Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have for the first time determined that the ketogenic diet, a specialized high-fat, low carbohydrate diet, may reverse impaired kidney function in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They also identified a previously unreported panel of genes associated with diabetes-related kidney failure, whose expression was reversed by the diet. The findings were published in the current issue of PLoS ONE…
“Our study is the first to show that a dietary intervention alone is enough to reverse this serious complication of diabetes,” said Dr. Mobbs. “This finding has significant implications for the tens of thousands of Americans diagnosed with diabetic kidney failure, and possibly other complications, each year.”
The researchers also identified a large array of genes expressed during diabetic nephropathy not previously known to play a role in the development of this complication. These genes are associated with kidney failure as a result of the stress on cellular function. The team found that the expression of these genes was also reversed in the mice on the ketogenic diet…
Dr. Mobbs and his team plan to continue to research the impact of the ketogenic diet and the mechanism by which it reverses kidney failure in people with diabetes, and in age-related kidney failure. He believes the ketogenic diet could help treat other neurological diseases and retinopathy, a disease that results in vision loss.”
Notice where I bolded where they talked about reversing the genetic expression of the disease! This is HUGE (as are its broader implications).
Naturally, they’re embarking on a quest to find a drug that can “mimic” the effects of a ketogenic diet….Sheeesh! HELLO!!!
To read the Life Extension News article, click here
The full article on the Life Extension website makes reference to a ketogenic diet being “too restrictive” to eat long term, and that’s why they’re looking to create a pill. I’m not defending this statement or attitude at all. (Indeed, I roll my eyes whenever people around me insist that the way I’m eating is not feasible for them, ever, under any circumstances, so they won’t even try.) Just putting the “pill” idea in context. It’s unfortunate, however, that they are taking that route instead of going the nutrition route. It’s just another way to keep us sick and a burden on the economy and medical industry instead of making what people perceive to be uncomfortable changes to be healthy.
I saw this around the same time as you posted this…..notice how widespread the media coverage has been??? (yea right)
I wasn’t surprised. I read an article about a nephrology group that was treating kidney failure with protein. The diet was essentially higher protein (compared to RDA), very low carb and moderate fat. They were seeing reversal of disease! I read this maybe 10 years ago? I’ve tried to find it since without luck.
This makes sense to me. Protein helps repair the body, fat too. Restricting carbs keeps things from getting worse while increasing protein and fat promotes repair!
What the heck?? They know that DIET will help but the solution they’re looking for is pharma?
“Knowing how the ketogenic diet reverses nephropathy will help us identify a drug target and subsequent pharmacological interventions that mimic the effect of the diet,” said Dr. Mobbs. “We look forward to studying this promising development further.”