Diabetes In Children Caused By ~

[Amillia]

I read out of the Book of Viatmins that England had done some experiments with a synthetic vitamin D in their milk back in the early 1900s and it caused diabetes in children.

I wonder if that is why we have such a high rate of this disease among young and old these days.

[Guest curvette]

Most certainly not. (if you are talking about type one Diabetes.)

[Amillia]

It didn't mention a type, just diabetes in children.

[Guest curvette]

I guess I don't understand the question. Are you wondering if the synthetic vitamin D supplement manufactured by a company in England 100 years ago has a link to Diabetes in children today?

Type one Diabetes used to be called Juvenile Diabetes because it usually (90%+) strikes children. People of Northern European descent are far more likely to develop this type of Diabetes than other ethnic groups. Because of this, there have been studies of the effect of vitamin D deficiency and type one Diabetes. (I know far more about it than I ever wanted to because I have a child with the disease.)

Type two Diabetes is usually adult onset Diabetes. This is the disease that is increasing exponentially in affluent countries and it's most definitely linked to our diet and lifestyle. They are two completely different diseases. Type one is auto-immune and it cannot be prevented. Type two is insulin resistant, develops over time and can often be controlled through dietary changes.

From what I've read, I can see the possibility that vitamin D deficiency could contribute to a child developing type one in some cases. I can't see a link though from a synthetic vitamin D in the early 1900's and Diabetes today.

[Amillia]

So was there diabetes as prevelant before this synthetic vitamin was developed?

[Guest curvette]

Hmmm...I don't know. Is this a particular synthetic vitamin D? As far as I know, the only substantial natural source of vitamin D is sunlight (and a few fatty seafood products.) Outside of that, I always thought that all vitamin D supplements were synthetic.

Type one Diabetes is always triggered by a virus or exposure to an environmental toxin. It sounds like this particular vitamin D supplement might have had some unknown toxin in it that was causing predisposed children's immune system to start attacking their insulin producing T-cells. This must have been incredibly sad because there was no way to control type one Diabetes until the late 20's, early 30's, so children who developed it just wasted away until they starved to death. No matter how much they would eat, their bodies simply couldn't utilize the food. It makes me shake just thinking about what parents went through.

[Amillia]

Originally posted by curvette@Feb 15 2005, 10:58 AM

Hmmm...I don't know.  Is this a particular synthetic vitamin D?  As far as I know, the only substantial natural source of vitamin D is sunlight (and a few fatty seafood products.)  Outside of that, I always thought that all vitamin D supplements were synthetic.

Type one Diabetes is always triggered by a virus or exposure to an environmental toxin.  It sounds like this particular vitamin D supplement might have had some unknown toxin in it that was causing predisposed children's immune system to start attacking their insulin producing T-cells.  This must have been incredibly sad because there was no way to control type one Diabetes until the late 20's, early 30's, so children who developed it just wasted away until they starved to death.  No matter how much they would eat, their bodies simply couldn't utilize the food.  It makes me shake just thinking about what parents went through. 

I didn't know all of that. Yeah I bet it was hard to live back then without all the new information and medicines they have today. I thought that vitmin D was found in bones and shells, but maybe that was just calcium. I am going to go look that one up.

[Amillia]

Vitamin D sources:

• Vitamin D is found in milk (fortified), cheese, whole eggs, liver, salmon, and fortified margarine. The skin can synthesize vitamin D if exposed to enough sunlight on a regular basis.

I guess there are a few sources outside of fortified dairy, but not many.

[pushka]

I don't know too much about this topic...except that I've recently been diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic, so am gonna have to make some big lifestyle changes...however, the dietary sources that you mentioned for Vit.D don't sound like the sort of things that the average child in England in the early 1900's would have been eating, unless they were part of the aristocracy...as the working classes here were in a really poor dietary condition at that time...

[Guest estump]

No, it can't be caused by milk, or vitamin D. Now tooo much of whole milk is hard for the body to digest properly. Drinking too much (because it is considered a carb/fat source) can lead to type 2 diabetes...too much of a good thing can do harm, sort of thing. They tell all diabetics not to drink whole milk. It's too high in fat!

Type 1 A as it is categorized is mediated autoimmune diabetes. This categorizes up to 90% of all type 1 diabetics. There is also a Type 1 B and it is categorized or called, Idiopathic diabetes. This means it isn't genetics that caused it. It can be trigged by a virus...or a serious surgery in the abdominal area. It's very rare that a person w/ type 1 is categorized in idiopathic diabetes. It basically means, unkown origin. I am categorized under Type 1 B status. We dont' know why I became a type 1 diabetic. We only know my health history and I was VERY ill when I was in fifth grade for most of the year, with Mono...but it was diagnosed for nearly five months. My doctors thought I was too young and it turns out that my high school tutor had it and didn't tell my teacher. So I caught it from her. She finally came forward and said she had had it by the time I was out of school so ill for two months.

I started having problems once I hit puberty about 1 year after my recovery, in the middle of sixth grade. I was diagnosed a bit later than most type 1 diabetics, because for a LONG time doctors refused to check me for it based on my familial history. I was finally diagnosed at 5, by a doctor who stated to all other physicians that it was ludicrous that I should have ever been taken off insulin after the birth of my second daughter.

Anyhow....

Whole milk is just bad for you, regardless. Don't drink it!

[Amillia]

Originally posted by estump@Feb 17 2005, 07:10 PM

No, it can't be caused by milk, or vitamin D. Now tooo much of whole milk is hard for the body to digest properly. Drinking too much (because it is considered a carb/fat source) can lead to type 2 diabetes...too much of a good thing can do harm, sort of thing. They tell all diabetics not to drink whole milk. It's too high in fat!

Type 1 A as it is categorized is mediated autoimmune diabetes. This categorizes up to 90% of all type 1 diabetics. There is also a Type 1 B and it is categorized or called, Idiopathic diabetes. This means it isn't genetics that caused it. It can be trigged by a virus...or a serious surgery in the abdominal area. It's very rare that a person w/ type 1 is categorized in idiopathic diabetes. It basically means, unkown origin. I am categorized under Type 1 B status. We dont' know why I became a type 1 diabetic. We only know my health history and I was VERY ill when I was in fifth grade for most of the year, with Mono...but it was diagnosed for nearly five months. My doctors thought I was too young and it turns out that my high school tutor had it and didn't tell my teacher. So I caught it from her. She finally came forward and said she had had it by the time I was out of school so ill for two months.

I started having problems once I hit puberty about 1 year after my recovery, in the middle of sixth grade. I was diagnosed a bit later than most type 1 diabetics, because for a LONG time doctors refused to check me for it based on my familial history. I was finally diagnosed at 5, by a doctor who stated to all other physicians that it was ludicrous that I should have ever been taken off insulin after the birth of my second daughter.

Anyhow....

Whole milk is just bad for you, regardless. Don't drink it!

Thanks Estump and Curvette. You have helped me understand a lot more than I ever knew before. I drink a lot more milk than I should, but we always have bought 2% because we were poor. I guess it wasn't such a bad thing for our kids.

[pushka]

Due to my recent diagnosis of Diabetes T2, I've bought a whole heap of 'healthier' foods...I've changed to Soy Milk and learned that it lowers cholestrol too...which I need to do...so I'm feeling really bright about it all!!