"diabetic" news and stories

Operating purely from a health perspective, Epicurious set out to taste some sugar-free chocolates to see if there was one on the market that didn't "taste like chalk." In this case, they were taste testing the treats with a Halloween loving but candy-deprived diabetic, so the test was not conducted from a weight-loss or low-carb mindset . This is a solid indication that the tasters really were putting taste first, and not the nutrition label. The chocolates were grouped by brand:

• Hershey's - Winner: Sugar Free York Peppermint Patties, Loser: No Sugar Hershey bars ("truly awful")
• Guylian - Winner: Dark chocolate bar, Loser: Hazelnut bar (unless you're a big hazelnut fan)
• Asher Chocolates - Winner: Espresso truffles and vanilla caramels, Loser: Peppermint patties (not minty enough)
• Godiva - Winner: Milk and dark assortment, dark chocolate candy bars, Loser: None.

In general, the tasters felt that you got what you paid for when it came to sugar-free chocolates. The Godiva chocolates were the best of the bunch and were remarkably similar to "real" chcolates. Darker chocolates, which have less sugar even in regular bars, will transition more smoothly than milk chocolates. Combining the chocolates with other strong flavors, like hazelnut, coconut or mint, can cover up any minor flaws in the chocolate and will make even a poor-quality no-sugar chocolate acceptable most of the time.

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A study organized by researchers at George Washington University, the University of Toronto and the University of North Carolina, in conjunction with the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, has concluded that following a low-fat, vegan diet may actually reverse the symptoms of diabetes.

The study had participants with type II diabetes and assigned them to either a vegan diet or the standard American Diabetes Association diet. Vegans cut out all animal products, including dairy and meat, and had less refined sugar. The ADA diet varies based on factors such as body weight, cholesterol, so it is much more specific in what dieters can eat. The vegan diet was easier to follow because the people in that group did not have to count calories or measure portion sizes, unlike the ADA diet, and this was evidenced by the fact that fewer people in the vegan group dropped out of the study than in the other group.

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