In Whom Can We Trust?

Do you know who Jim Mann is?

If you have diabetes, you might have heard of him. If you don’t know him by name you probably know him by the way you are “supposed” to eat to control your diabetes.

Jim Mann is one of many published researchers within the field of diabetes and food advices. He also represents the Department of Human Nutrition and Medicine and the Edgar National Centre for Diabetes Research, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

In the book: Type 2 Diabetes: Principles and Practice by Barry J. Goldstein and Dirk Müller-Wieland; Jim Mann and Monika Toeller wrote chapter 5 – Nutrition in the Etiology and Management of Type 2 Diabetes.
In this chapter it is clearly stated what a person with type 2 diabetes should eat:
Page 68; Table 4
Advise
• Carbohydrate intake should be higher and fat intake lower than presently consumed in most countries – reducing saturated fats and/or trans fats (e.g. in cream, chocolates, fast foods, high-fat cheese, sausage, meat, spreads, and fatty bakery)
• The use of fresh fruit and vegetables (5 servings per day)
• Consuming preferably whole grain breads and cereals, parboiled rice, pasta, legumes
• The use of vegetable oils (e.g., olive oil, rapeseed oil, soya been oil) nuts, seeds, and oily fish
• Sugar does not need to be excluded but should be limited
• Alcoholic beverages, if desired, should be consumed as part of the total caloric intake (no more than 1-2 small drinks/day)
• Meals, snacks, and food choices should match individual therapeutic needs, preferences and culture.

In other words he also says that the recommendations for people with type 2 diabetes are the same as for people in general.

In another study: Free sugars and human health: Sufficient evidence for action? (Also written by Jim Mann). Where he states that there is insufficient evidence to recommend that sugar intake to be restricted. He uses a 1998 FOA/WHO report as a reference saying that there may not be a direct casual association between consumption of sugars and coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

However he is bold to say that drinks rich in free sugars may be particularly important in promoting weight gain and saying that children that consume a lot of sugary drinks are more likely to be overweight.

In the end of the report he calls for corrections of governments and health professionals. That the interest is shifted from focus on the economic gains of some food industries to the general public and health.

Great – right?!?!

Well after further investigation this incredible man – Jim Mann is also one of SRAS advisors. SRAS stands for Sugar Research Advisory Board. But after looking through their material SRAS is clearly a marketing device for SUGAR! SRAS is trying with many colorful Fact sheets to make sugar look healthy, good, and something every human need for survival…

So who is calling for what here??! Sugar is OK to eat is coming from a man with tight bonds to the sugar industry but published under Diabetes Research…

Can we trust the diabetic recommendations made by a man that is paid to lobby sugar?

Please note: Do not follow the recommendations mentioned above if you have Type 2 Diabetes. You are better off trying the LCHF diet.