# Reverse Type 1 Diabetes Naturally?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625 "2013-02-17T21:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/1 "2013-02-17T21:10:50Z")
A friend with good intentions is sending me what I can only assume is woo about _Reverse Type 1 Diabetes Naturally??_ > **[Helping The Ruralpreneur Build A Big Brand Online](https://daniwalker.com/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/)** > > Reverse Type 1 Diabetes Naturally Anyone with Type I or II diabetes may want to consider supplementing with nutrients that are scientifically proven to help reverse Type 1 Diabetes naturally. It seems like mularky to me. Have any of the doctors and science guys on this board looked at this stuff? I admit my google-fu is weak. Is this for real or easily debunked? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/2 "2013-02-17T21:15:16Z")
Type I is no insulin so you can only fix that by taking insulin. Type II you may not need insulin and there are ways to treat it without using drugs such as diet and exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/3 "2013-02-17T21:17:02Z")
Type I diabetes has been one of the top-five killers (or contributors thereto) on a planetary scale since before I was born. If this guy can cure it, where’s his Nobel Price and picture on the cover of Time Magazine? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/4 "2013-02-17T21:21:47Z")
Let’s do the Typical Woo Site checklist. Unrealistic testimonials? Check. Promotion of magical supplements with no link to research/clinical evidence? Check. Selling something?\* Check. \*“Dani’s passion for people lead her to creating an international business helping people turn their passions into profit through holistic healing and international marketing.” Looks like the site is trolling for clients, MLM prospects or both. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/5 "2013-02-17T21:33:05Z")
> [@](#): > > To go from 5-6 insulin shots a day to 1 at night has completely changed my health & prolonged my life. He does not know that he has prolonged his life. Needing to take insulin once a night means he IS a diabetic, and that he has not cured it, or even reversed it. > **[Resveratrol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol)** > > .mw-parser-output .ib-chembox{border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .ib-chembox td,.mw-parser-output .ib-chembox th{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:40%}.mw-parser-output .ib-chembox td+td{width:60%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .ib-chembox figure:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent){background:var(--background-color-inverted,#f8f9fa)}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-pa... Resveratrol > [@](#): > > At the present time, research on resveratrol is in its infancy and the long-term effects of supplementation in humans are not known. although > [@](#): > > In human clinical trials, resveratrol has lowered blood sugar levels So, if you feel that lowering your blood sugar levels counts as reversing diabetes, this may be the stuff for you. > **[Fucoidan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucoidan)** > > Fucoidan is a long chain sulfated polysaccharide found in various species of brown algae. Commercially available fucoidan is commonly extracted from the seaweed species Fucus vesiculosus (wracks), Cladosiphon okamuranus, Laminaria japonica (kombu, sugar kelp) and Undaria pinnatifida (wakame). Variant forms of fucoidan have also been found in animal species, including the sea cucumber. > Fucoidan occurs in the cell walls of the seaweed plant and serves to protect it from external stresses. The same... Fucoidan > [@](#): > > A study in rats indicated that pre-treatment with fucoidan increases mortality subsequent to meningitis infection. So, if you’re trying fucoidan, make sure you don’t get meningitis. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/6 "2013-02-17T21:35:07Z")
there is work on transplants for insulin producing cells but that is a long way off. That would be a cure for type I ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/7 "2013-02-17T23:53:29Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > there is work on transplants for insulin producing cells but that is a long way off. That would be a cure for type I Looks like it is still considered an experimental treatment, but it has definitely been done in many patients. See [Islet cell transplantation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islet_cell_transplantation) and [Edmonton Protocol](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_protocol) (Or google - you’ll get a bunch of other interesting hits). ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/8 "2013-02-19T00:21:44Z")
bump ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/9 "2013-02-19T00:31:43Z")
Reverse Type 1 Diabetes naturally? No. Just. No. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![lucaspa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@lucaspa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucaspa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/10 "2013-02-19T01:56:06Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > A friend with good intentions is sending me what I can only assume is woo about _Reverse Type 1 Diabetes Naturally??_ > > [Reverse Type 1 Diabetes Naturally](http://daniwalker.com/type-1-diabetes/) > > It seems like mularky to me. Have any of the doctors and science guys on this board looked at this stuff? I admit my google-fu is weak. Is this for real or easily debunked? The website talks about going from Type II to Type I. That doesn’t happen. In this case, Wikipedia has pretty much correct information: [Diabetes - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus) Type I is an autoimmune disorder where the cells that produce insulin – the pancreatic islet cells – are killed. It usually starts during childhood. Type II diabetes involves the insulin **receptor** on other cells. It starts in adulthood. So a person does not go from Type II to Type I. Now, once the islet cells are **gone** , nothing “natural” is going to bring them back. There is no “natural” substance that are going to cause new islet cells to appear. It gets worse. Even IF a substance caused the differentiation of new islet cells, the underlying autoimmune disease would kill them. So yes, the whole thing is “malarkey”. What’s worse, it’s **dangerous** malarkey if it gets Type I diabetics taking these drugs instead of insulin. There is work being done trying to cure Type I diabetes. It falls into 2 general categories: 1. Taking differentiated pancreatic islet cells from either an animal or another person and packaging them into a cylinder and implanting the cylinder into the fat next to the abdominal organs – called the “omentum”. The walls of the cylinder are made of membranes that have pores that allow sugar and insulin to go thru, but keep out antibodies so that the animal or human pancreatic cells inside are not killed by the immune system. 2. Getting pancreatic islet cells to differentiate from either embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells. However, this still has the problem of the underlying autoimmune disease, so there is the problem of keeping the islet cells from being killed by the immune system. Again, it looks like packaging them in a cylinder so that the immune system can’t get to them is going to be needed. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/11 "2013-02-19T06:58:42Z")
> [@lucaspa](#): > > … > > 1. Taking differentiated pancreatic islet cells from either an animal or another person and packaging them into a cylinder and implanting the cylinder … How does the information of these cells enter into the patients genome in order for him to recreate them? I never understood this regarding all fruits of stem cell research. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/12 "2013-02-19T08:28:20Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > How does the information of these cells enter into the patients genome in order for him to recreate them? > > I never understood this regarding all fruits of stem cell research. I think what’s being done here is not a genetic approach. It’s simply the implantation of insulin-producing cells in such a way that they won’t be rejected by the patient’s immune system. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/13 "2013-02-19T13:36:34Z")
As far as I’m concerned, insulin is as “natural” as both the supplements the OP’s page promotes. Seriously, I wonder how much less scary insulin would be if they figured out a way to put it in a pill? As far as drugs go, it’s been around a long time, it’s more or less a natural thing that a healthy body produces on its own, and its side effects and long-term effects are well known. Really a very unscary drug IMO, except for the whole “needle” thing. I’ll take it over brand-new “supplements” that have only been widely used for a few years and of which we know very little about long-term and/or side effects. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/14 "2013-02-19T15:45:11Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > How does the information of these cells enter into the patients genome in order for him to recreate them? > > I never understood this regarding all fruits of stem cell research. IIRC the “magic” of stem cells seems to be that they figure out where they are - pancreas, bone marrow, etc - and develop into the appropriate mature cells. Presumably this is due to some sort of signal from adjacent cells; stem cells are (sort of) the base, undifferentiated cells from which the rest of cells develop as the embryo develops from a lump to a complete human body. Whatever the signalling is that tells cells how to develop in a fetus, that same signalling is received by stem cells from adjacent adult cells. Presumably this is some sort of chemical signal. ---
**Author:** ![lucaspa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@lucaspa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucaspa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/15 "2013-02-20T03:04:40Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > How does the information of these cells enter into the patients genome in order for him to recreate them? > > I never understood this regarding all fruits of stem cell research. For#1, there i no information from the animal cells to the human cells. The pancreatic islet cells are from, say, a cow. Those cells are isolated within the cylinder and never make contact with human cells. For #2, EVERY cell has all the DNA of every other cell. What makes a differentiated cell different from other differentiated cells are what genes are turned on and which ones are turned off. For instance, pancreatic islet cells have gene to produce insulin “turned on” so that it is transcribed to mRNA and then to protein. Part of what makes a bone cell different from a heart cell is that the bone cell has the genes to make type I collagen, bone sialoprotein, and osteocalcin turned on while a heart cell has the genes to make calcium receptors, myosin, and desmin. But cardiac myocytes do NOT transcribe the genes for type I collagen, bone sialoprotein, and osteocalcin. Stem cells have the cabability to differentiate into different cells types. As this process happens, the proteins specific to that cell type are expressed and proteins specific to other cell types are suppressed. That suppression is usually permanent so that a differentiated cell type cannot go back to being a stem cell. So, embryonic stem cells are VERY primitive and it is possible for them to go down all the various differentiation lineages – form cell types. After all, they do that during embryonic development. At 5-7 days of gestation (after sperm and egg come together), ALL the cells in the embryo are embryonic stem cells. But then the various differentiation steps start happening and the result, 9 months later, is a baby with about 200 different cell types. So, taking embryonic stem cells, it is theoretically possible to generate any specific cell type: such as pancreatic islet cells. Some adult stem cells (stem cells found in adults) are nearly as primitive. They too have the possibility to go down many if not all the differentiation lineages. Now do you see the possible “fruits” of stem cell research? If not, keep asking and I’ll keep answering until you do. ---
**Author:** ![lucaspa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@lucaspa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucaspa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/16 "2013-02-20T03:17:25Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > IIRC the “magic” of stem cells seems to be that they figure out where they are - pancreas, bone marrow, etc - and develop into the appropriate mature cells. Presumably this is due to some sort of signal from adjacent cells; stem cells are (sort of) the base, undifferentiated cells from which the rest of cells develop as the embryo develops from a lump to a complete human body. Whatever the signalling is that tells cells how to develop in a fetus, that same signalling is received by stem cells from adjacent adult cells. Presumably this is some sort of chemical signal. Unfortunately, most stem cells (and there are dozens of different types of stem cells) do NOT “figure out where they are … and develop into the appropriate mature cells”. Embryonic stem cells, for instance, usually do NOT do this. In fact, if you implant embryonic stem cells in a mass, you always get a teratoma, not “mature tissue”. Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) usually require pre-differentiation in a culture dish before they are implanted. Now, many of the signals present in the fetus do not seem to be present in the adult. The cells that produced them in the fetus have differentiated further or died and no longer produce the signal. Instead, there seems to be a signal present to produce scar tissue fibroblasts. THAT is what is produced when most tissues are injured. There are 2 conspicuous exceptions to this in adult humans: bones and liver. Bones regenerate after they are broken and so does the liver if it is partially injured. One of the surprises we found with the adult stem cells my lab works with is that they DO seem to respond to endogenous signals to differentiate into the cell types in the tissue when placed in that tissue: cartilage AND bone in articular cartilage defects, mesothelial cells in the peritoneum, cardiac myocytes in the heart, fibrocartilage in the meniscus, the 3 types of neuronal cells in the spinal cord or brain, etc. However, in the case of pancreatic islet cells and Type I diabetes, there are no pancreatic islet cells in adjacent tissue – they have long ago died. Instead, all there is are parenchymal cells – who presumably would have signals for more parenchymal cells. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/17 "2013-02-20T15:54:33Z")
> [@lucaspa](#): > > Unfortunately, most stem cells (and there are dozens of different types of stem cells) … my lab works with… IANAB Thank you. One reason I like this site is a much more informed person comes along to give a detailed answer. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Milton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@Mr.Milton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Milton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/18 "2013-02-20T19:36:17Z")
FWIW: > **[Dogs Cured of Type 1 Diabetes](https://www.the-scientist.com/the-nutshell/dogs-cured-of-type-1-diabetes-39767)** > > Beagles no longer showed diabetes symptoms following a single course of gene therapy. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/19 "2013-02-20T20:13:50Z")
> [@lucaspa](#): > > The website talks about going from Type II to Type I. That doesn’t happen. In this case, Wikipedia has pretty much correct information: [Diabetes - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus) I guess they’re hoping people won’t realize that type I and type II diabetes are essentially different diseases, tenuously linked by both being in the pancreas. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625/20 "2013-02-20T20:29:40Z")
> [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](#): > > I guess they’re hoping people won’t realize that type I and type II diabetes are essentially different diseases, tenuously linked by both being in the pancreas. If that? Isn’t it that Type I you don’t make insulin, Type II you make lots but the body’s muscle(?) cells ignore insulin. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-type-1-diabetes-naturally/650625.md?page=2)