My H2B (that's Hubby-to-Be in Bridespeak) likes to watch ABC for some reason that I can't quite grasp. I strongly suspect he's under the illusion that they're more truthful. Or he just likes watching old people talk in monotone, maybe its a soothing thing to him.
Yesterday, he put on ABC as he does in the middle of the day on a weekend. They advertised a segment to appear last night on diabetes and a 'miracle cure'. My spidey sense was tingling, alarm bells were ringing and the word poppycock flashed into my mind in Neon letters.
So at 9.30pm last night I settled down with a big bowl of popcorn, prepared for some entertaining comedy. I lie. I didn't have popcorn, can't eat the stuff because it tops out my 'reasons why I'm Hypo' list.
As predicted, ABC had no idea what they were prattling on about. Everyone listen up, Blueberry Tea is gonna kick your diabetes into gear. That's actually a new one. Hallelujah we are saved!! The Menzies institute has your back. If you look up the Menzies institute and search for their diabetes research you are met with this very succinct and to the point description of how they interpret diabetes: 'Diabetes is a disease'. Their words radiate such a strong understanding of my medical condition, so I'm definitely going to just shut up now and drink the blueberry tea.
Sorry I lie again. Seems to be a problem with me tonight. I'm not going to drink the blueberry tea. Because blueberry tea is not going to cure or help my Type 1 Diabetes, as ABC so informs me: "A herbal tea with blueberry as its base has attracted the attention of medical researchers at the Menzies Institute for its potential to reduce insulin dependence in diabetics."
Not only are they blanketing all types of diabetes again, but they specifically mention insulin dependence, which lends people to relate the report more towards people with Type 1 Diabetes. The article is based off a single-person case study - an elderly Type 2 patient on insulin. They also talk to a nutritionist who says she has done some trials of her own and that those who drank the tea had better glycaemic control. I'm no medical officer, but if patients have bothered to go to a nutritionist, it is likely that they have made other significant changes to their dietary habits alongside drinking the tea that would aid glycaemic control.
How does this miracle cure work, you ask? A senior researcher has the very simple answer: "The tea has enabled that hormone, insulin, to improve glucose uptake into muscle and by doing that it lowers blood glucose levels and it does that by stimulating blood flow,". How amazing, so does Viagra. Basically, if the ABC are saying a healthy lifestyle will help to aid control in diabetes, then the article is not really telling us anything we don't already know.
As a person with Type 1 Diabetes I only have 1 point to make really. Don't drink the tea. Well you can, but only drink it because you like to drink tea. Don't stop taking your insulin. We're called insulin dependent for a reason. Because our insulin-producing beta cells are effectively dead. You can test it out if you want - go dig up your poor old dead bunny Flopsy from the garden and give her a hit of this so-called good stuff. Chances are, if Flopsy doesn't come back to life spontaneously, neither will your beta cells.
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