T is for Type-1 Diabetes

Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas does not produce insulin. Insulin turns food into energy and controls blood sugar levels. T1D can develop at any age and remains insulin-dependent for the duration of life.

(Type-2 Diabetes is a condition in which the body does produce insulin but does not use it well, and is associated with modifiable lifestyle risk factors. Gestational Diabetes develops during pregnancy and may require the injection of insulin as management Those with Gestational Diabetes may be more likely to develop Type-2 Diabetes following pregnancy.)

There are around 130,000 people living with T1D in Australia, which represents approximately ten percent of all people diagnosed with some form of diabetes. T1D has a strong genetic link and environmental factors trigger the onset of diagnosis, such as stress or infection.

While T1D cannot be prevented, there is evidence that it also has something to do with lifestyle, diet, or dairy consumption as an infant. Some countries and regions have T1D rates hundreds of times higher than others, such as the difference between China (0.1 instances for every 100,000) and Finland (36.5/100,000). The rates of T1D have been increasing by 3% per year, significantly greater than the genetic rate of change. The rate of change has increased since the middle of the twenty-first-century which suggests there was a cultural shift in the regions which led to an increase of T1D instances. Combined with an attempt to shift Western culture away from alcohol consumption and an excess in the availability of dairy, “the agriculture community, the scientific community, and governments all came together” to promote dairy consumption.

The key may be the difference between two main types of the cow milk protein casein, A1 and A2. In countries with higher rates of T1D, consumption of A1 milk is higher than in countries with lower rates of T1D. Where a country consumes a higher rate of A2 milk, the rates of T1D are similarly low to countries with lower rates of dairy consumption, suggesting the consumption of A1 milk plays an important role in triggering T1D. Exposure to A1 milk “appears to increase the risk of type 1 diabetes by about 50 percent”.

It has been proposed that breastfeeding protects against the development of T1D, however it is more likely that when reducing or eliminating breastfeeding, babies are fed milk-based formula which subsequently maintains the increase in risk. It is not so much a benefit of or protection of breastfeeding, but a benefit of generally avoiding dairy products.

Bacteria called mycobacterium paratuberculosis may also be a trigger for T1D as it has been found in the blood of most type-1 diabetics. Although originally thought be have been consumed through milk, it may be that it has been consumed through meat products, particularly slaughtered dairy cows. “[E]ating meat during breastfeeding was associated with an increased risk of both preclinical and full-blown type 1 diabetes by the time their child reached age 8.”

In contrast, the management of T1D can be significantly improved by improving nutrition and adopting a plant-based diet. Those with T1D adopting a plant-based diet have found that their insulin requirements considerably reduced and they experienced less hypoglycemia. Studies have shown that eating more grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds led to better blood sugar control: “[T]he more whole plant foods, the better the blood sugar control.”

What can be done?

While T1D is genetically linked, preventing or delaying the onset T1D in children and improving the management of T1D in those diagnosed can be achieved by removing dairy products from all forms of consumption, and implementing higher serves of whole fruits, whole vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. If considering this change, much of the work is done for you at Doctors for Nutrition and Nutrition Facts.