Thank you, thank you, thank you! That’s what I would like to say to all the wonderful people who support the Dietary Science Foundation. Your consistent support has allowed us to move on to our next goal: to evaluate what kind of diet is most effective in counteracting obesity and type 2 diabetes. All Christmas donations we receive this year will go towards this research.

Before we start talking about the Dietary Science Foundation’s new venture, I would like to mention that the Stockholm County Council (SCC), through the so-called “ALF funds,” has decided to donate 600,000 SEK ($72.000) towards studying the effects of various types of diets on Type 1 diabetes. Fantastic! After a 600 000 SEK donation from the DSF, the study has now altogether received a total of 3.4 million SEK (4 million dollars), with help from other financiers (Skandia and SLL). This makes it the biggest study ever conducted in terms of researching how diet can be used to lower and stabilize blood sugar in type 1 diabetes!

Studies that can save lives

To be honest, it feels unreal that the Dietary Science Foundation has now made its second major project happen. This was exactly what I dreamt about when we started the foundation: independent high quality studies that could lead to change. When I write “thank you, thank you, thank you”, I really mean it. From the heart.

Expensive with inefficient dietary advice

Currently, we are setting up some new goals for the fund, such as: financing studies on how healthy diets can be used to treat both obesity and type 2 diabetes. For a long time, people with type 2 diabetes have received this kind of dietary advice:

This picture is taken from Bra mat for alla – mat vid diabetes och hjärt- kärlsjukdom (good food for all – food for people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease), a brochure that has been used extensively within Swedish care. If you get out the magnifying glasses you can observe that they recommend bread with each meal. Their lunch recommendation, a root-vegetable soup, is so low in calories that it requires supplemental pancakes for dessert.

So much points to the fact that this type of dietary advice is ineffective, and causes blood sugar levels to rise to unhealthy levels. In recent years, the health care industry has begun to advocate for slower carbohydrates, but many still struggle with blood sugar that fluctuates like a roller coaster. The Dietary Science Foundation therefore wants this dietary advice to be subjected to proper scientific review.

Like winning the lottery

And guess what? Better research in this area would be like winning the lottery for all of us. Not only are obesity and type 2 diabetes causing pain and needless suffering, but also they are our most expensive diseases to treat. They increase the risk of, for example: cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and complicated pregnancies.

All this sickness contributes to our current situation, in which the county council is struggling, and long waiting times are common. We simply can’t afford to go on like this.

You can be part of the effort by supporting the Dietary Science Foundation’s investment! As a monthly donor, you’ll be helping us work long-term. Also, ask for a donation to us on your Christmas wish-list (preferably at the top). Or just pick up the phone and Swish any amount to 123 900 42 43.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone. From the heart.