Can Low-Carbohydrate Diet Benefit Type 2 Diabetes? Recent research found that a low-carbohydrate diet could benefit people with mild type 2 diabetes (T2D) by preserving their beta cells. First, a little description: Diabetes : Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body either becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. It is often managed through lifestyle changes, medication, or insulin therapy. Insulin : Insulin is a hormone that allows cells in the body to take in glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream, helping to lower blood sugar levels and provide energy to the cells. In diabetes, the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or can't use it effectively. Beta Cells : Beta cells are specialized cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Pancreas : The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach that plays a crucial role in digestion and blood sugar co
The Citrus Paradox: What Oranges Tell Us About Human Nature Imagine, for a moment, that you're standing in a grocery store in 1954. The produce section is sparse by today's standards, but there, among the limited offerings, sits a display of oranges. Simple, ordinary citrus fruits. What you don't realize is that you're looking at one of humanity's most fascinating paradoxes — a food that can simultaneously heal and harm, protect and imperil. Let me tell you about Dr. Heidi Silver, a research professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who has spent years unraveling what might be called “the citrus contradiction.” Her discovery started with a simple observation: People who consumed grapefruit before meals lost more weight than those who didn't. Fruit Market, Barcelona (Wikimedia) But this wasn't the most interesting part. What fascinated Silver was the complex web of biochemical reactions that made this possible — a web that would eventually reveal som