common principles drawn from the episodes
Sami Ullah Malik interviews Dr Leeds about the conversations in this series
In this episode Sami Malik and Anthony Leeds discuss the conversations in this fourth series and the geographic location of viewers. Dr Leeds said that there were large groups of viewers in South Asia, East Asia and South-East Asia as well as in the middle East. The audience in European countries was growing too and there was sizeable interest in Canada and the USA. Asked why it was important to know where the audience was located, he explained that in preparing questions for speakers and the notes and web-links located under the videos he tried to obtain the most useful sources from those regions where they are available. He pointed out that he also tried to extract clear public health messages that should be of use to those with limited resources and limited access to healthcare practitioners.
Sami Malik then asked if there were any common principles that could be drawn from the episodes about diabetes remission and age-related macular degeneration. Dr Leeds said that both conditions are chronic degenerative conditions predominantly affecting older people where underlying metabolic changes are partly driven by poor diets. Poor diets provided either an excess of dietary energy thus causing body fatness in diabetes or insufficient protective anti-oxidants from plants in the case of age-related macular degeneration. Both conditions take a long time to develop and could be prevented or at least their progression could be slowed down.
It is well established by several large-scale studies that type two diabetes can be prevented by losing weight and maintain a weight loss of as little as 4kg (about 8 pounds weight) and that age-related macular degeneration can be slowed by providing supplements of highly concentrated anti-oxidant carotenoids from plants. Once diagnosed, type two diabetes can be put into remission by a weight loss of 10-15kg followed by weight maintenance. While genetic and other factors play a part in causing both conditions both are examples of where diet and lifestyle changes can be beneficial. Both conditions are examples of where early detection and early interventions are important.
With the completion of a number of clinical trials in several countries and the ‘roll-out’ of diabetes remission programmes in England and Scotland, Dr Leeds noted that he would like to see similar programmes rolled out in those countries most severely affected by obesity and diabetes, namely Malaysia in South-East Asia and Pakistan in South Asia. Some progress is being made towards achieving these goals.
On macular degeneration he said that he’d like to see sufficient further work, such as a large-scale observational study of a ‘roll-out’ of supplementation in early age-related macular degeneration with an analysis of cost benefits and savings, in order to inform guideline writers with a view to the incorporation of supplementation with carotenoids into public health practice guidelines. The intention would be to catch people at risk of age related macular degeneration before they need medical treatment and try to slow down disease progression.
Web-links to useful resources are given below:
Type 2 Diabetes remission:
Research-spotlight-low-calorie-liquid-diet
Weight-loss-can-put-type-2-diabetes-remission
Other diabetes weblinks are located at: Update-on-diabetes-remission
Age-related macular degeneration;
Nutrition-research-centre-Ireland
Discovers and diet as key factors for eye health
Age related macular degeneration
Other AMD web links are given at: Dietary carotenoids and | age-related macular degeneration (bittertruth.uk)
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