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Quackery & Common Sense

When it comes to diabetes management, there are a lot of videos on YouTube which are basically fear-mongering for views and sheer quackery for the quick-fix chasers. If you're diagnosing and/or treating yourself according to crap you watch online, you will likely suffer for it.

If you're not sure, videos with titles like "Eat/drink this and reverse your diabetes in 24 hours!" or "The simple cure for diabetes that doctors don't want you to know!" or "Lose fifty pounds in a month (or even a week!) and end your diabetes with this trick!" are pure quackery. In my experience, pretty much any title with an exclamation point at the end is crap.

Hey, I've fallen for it, too. Turmeric, which is often plugged as a miracle supplement in such videos, seemed like something I could try to reduce my inflammation due to arthritis -- it's a spice, right? How could that hurt? I also cook with turmeric regularly. Simple thing to try.

At first taking 500 mg three times a week for a couple of weeks it actually did work some magic for me. My hands weren't as swollen or painful in the morning. The supplement seemed to reduce my tinnitus dramatically. However, high doses of turmeric can damage the liver and even kill you. Did you know that? Yeah, me neither.

They didn't mention that in the video that recommended the supplement; I did the research and found the information myself. Why did I look for it? Because I have common sense, and anything that is too good to be true generally is. I also don't add anything to my diet until I've researched it thoroughly for side effects and potential long-term use problems.

The same common sense made me refuse going on GLP-1 drugs last year. Anything that makes people lose that much weight that fast has to be too good to be true -- and turns out that it's looking like it is now with all the side effects and law suits.

How can you avoid the quackery? By just applying your common sense. If someone is promising you a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all treatment for a serious disease like diabetes, they are probably looking to make money off you. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2023 over forty million people in the US, or 12% of the population, were living with diabetes. It's probably a lot more now. That's also a lot of potential income for scammers. By manipulating your fears and offering you a non-existant guarantee of success, they are getting rich.

Honestly, there is no magical treatment or amazing secret cure for diabetes. What works for me: seeing my doctor regularly and having my blood tested. I test at home as well, three times a week, to monitor my blood glucose. Taking my meds. Sticking to my sugarfree, low carb diet. Daily exercise. Working on losing the last extra 20 lbs. I don't need. Resisting temptation. Keeping a positive attitude.

I am a sedentary person by nature. I'd love to sit around all day, not take meds and eat whatever I want, but those days are over now. I have to live responsibly and do the work. If you want to better manage your disease, start by talking to your doctor first about healthier ways to manage your diabetes.

Image credit: image by Tesa Robbins from Pixabay

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