Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Do Amish get type 1 diabetes?

Strangely, this was on my mind as Amanda and I wandered through Amish country yesterday, but Amanda is the one who asked it out loud. It's a good  question. The Amish are a fascinating culture. They live mostly in the past and are less affected by big city life and all that goes with it. They have much less medical care, though I don't know if they get the usual vaccines and such. I doubt it. And there are different groups of Amish, some stricter than others.

Do they get type 1 in the same numbers as the rest of us? I'd love to know. I did some research last night and found that they have significantly less type 2, though that is thought to be mostly attributable to an active lifestyle. I can tell you also that there's no high fructose corn syrup in their cookies or cooking in general. Same goes for other types of preservatives and junk that we eat. They cook the same way they've been cooking for hundreds of years.

We bought a cookbook.

But back to diabetes. If there was a way, I think this would be a fascinating study. The Amish are generally more genetically linked because they are a relatively small community. Do they get type 1 in the same percentage as the rest of the population? When they do, is it random, or can it be traced to genetics? What is the outcome of an Amish type 1, when you remove the canned and processed crap that the rest of us eat? I think knowing more about how it affects this group might provide some answers, or at least more questions to follow up on.

Regardless, we had a great visit in Amish country. We talked and giggled, we toured an Amish home and ate a fresh baked Amish cookie (best cookie EVER), we rode in a horse drawn buggy. We had sorely needed girl time.

Oh.. and how amazing is this. I just typed this post on my phone while riding in a bus through the PA countryside!

In order to improve our ability to help keep Sarah safe, she will soon be getting a diabetes alert dog. If you are interested in helping Sarah with this, please visit her facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ADiabetesServiceDogForSarah or her website at www.pawsforsarah.com

4 comments:

  1. Michelle! We have Amish here in Upstate NY and this summer were going back and forth to a lake and would pass through their towns, stores, etc. My T1 daughter asked me the same thing and if they do - would they use a pump, would they go to a clinic..."how would they do it Momma??" Now I am determined to find out some answers. There is a huge Amish market on Saturdays about an hour from us that we've been looking for a reason to visit. I will get back to you on what I learn. XO

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  2. Julia, I would love to hear what you find out! Let me know. :-)

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  3. This would be very interesting to know since type 1 diabetes has been linked to milk consumption. The Amish of course drink raw/unpasteurized milk, not the same garbage the English drink. I have read that many women have reversed breast cancer just switching from pasteurized milk to raw milk.

    One of the many articles out there on this link:

    Link Between Cow's Milk Consumption And Risk Of Diabetes Type 1
    http://drbenkim.com/diabetes-type-1-dairy.htm

    In case anyone needs it the Gerson Diet and Hallelujah Diet both reverse any type of cancer. Cancer cannot live in an oxygenated alkaline environment thats why these diet work, they alkalize the body.

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  4. I would also like to know if the Amish have the same type I diabetes rates as the English. There are many studies that show how milk causes an autoimmune reaction that destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Since the Amish do not drink the pasteurized crap the English drink and they consume raw milk, this would be VERY interesting to find out. My gut feeling tells me they probably do not even get type I diabetes.

    Pasteurized milk causes a MULTITUDE of health problems, I've also read where some women with breast cancer actually cured their breast cancer by switching from pasteurized milk to raw milk. It's been said that pasteurized milk is "cancer fertilizer", from the things I have read I believe it. Oh it also puts men at a VERY high risk of prostrate cancer, countries that do not consume milk their prostrate cancer rates are almost zero.

    Just for the record genetics has nothing to do with disease rates, please read "The China Study" by Dr Colin T. Campbell. One of the most important books you can read about health and nutrition.

    Couple of cancer curing diets in case anyone needs them, cancer cannot grow in an oxygen rich alkalized body, cancer only grows in a sick body!!!!!

    www.hacres.com
    www.gerson.org

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