Posted by Ellen on January 05, 1999 at 08:36:33:
In Reply to: Re: ProBeta article in Diabetes Interview posted by Sandra Silvestri on January 02, 1999 at 14:44:27:
Sandra I will certainly write to Scott King!
After reading the following post by a mother of an 8 year old on the AOL Parents of Kids with Diabetes message boards today, I had to respond and bring up this subject again. Did I read a different article? Am I the only one here who feels this article gave way too much coverage to ProBeta and borders on irresponsible journalism where naive parents, who want more than anything to get their kids off of insulin, are concerned? Yes this is America and we have to read carefully, but she is only one person who may have jumped on the bandwagon. How many others are there as a result of this one article? Will Diabetes Interview post the increased revenue for ProBeta as a result of this coverage?
From AOL: Parents Of Kids With Diabetes Message Boards
"Subject: herbal remedies
Date: 1/4/99 10:42 PM EST
Hi Everyone!
Have any of you read the latest Diabetes Interview? it has such positive things to say about the herbal remedy-Probeta. It actually says they proved it works. It has restored significant pancreas function in the test users,and reduced hbA1c levels dramatically. Am i nuts to try it on my 8 year old?(dx 9/97)? The article says it significantly reduces insulin need in type 1. it is all natural from some Indian plant. Just want to know if anyone has had any experience or any thoughts.
R."
My reply to her is long.
Subject: Re: herbal remedies
Date: 1/5/99 7:40 AM EST
From: CamelsRFun
Gee R., after I read that article in full, I was left feeling full of doubt about a product that most likely does not do what it claims to do, especially in type 1 individuals.
Further, it was tested on male albino rats that had chemically induced diabetes and left them with "only a few operational beta and islet cells", rather than autoimmune diabetes which our children have. Then they tested these rats' "fasting" blood sugar rather than postprandials, which to me would have been far more interesting and indicative of islet function and performance.
The article claimed that Type 1 individuals were able to reduce their insulin intake. Hasn't the same claim been made with other supplements such as chromium? Had these people suddenly been monitored more carefully and been put on a tighter meal plan and thus ended up needing less insulin? It also happens that when people go on the pump, their total daily intake of insulin is reduced. They compared the 27 Type 1 individuals with "37 control subjects who had diabetes and were being treated with insulin" (didn't even state the control subjects were type 1). Before the study, the 27 had a mean blood glucose average of 232, after the study mean bg level 152. Looks like these people were taking better care of themselves too as part of the study. (I strive to have my son have a mean bg of 120!)
"The researchers, however, could not determine whether there was beta cell regeneration in the human subjects who took ProBeta."...they went on to say that obviously the subjects didn't want to have their pancreas' cut up and examined....puhlease!
I thought the following was particularly alarming to read in Diabetes Interview and borders on irresponsible journalism: "Baker says that the process of the body self-regulating its own blood glucose is a much healthier and safer alternative than taking insulin or oral antihyperglycemics."
Our children need insulin to live, at the present time, and people seeking any alternative might just take their child off of insulin and use this product and a prayer to regulate bgs.
Keith Campbell, CDE, Professor of pharmacy at Washington State University is quoted "If a double-blind study did not occur, then this is not a legitimate study. " "who also feel that much more research needs to be conducted on things such as determining the toxicity of the Gymnema plant, as well as conducting safety studies to determine whether other organs are impaired while pancreatic regeneration occurs."
Then they go on to quote Hebert, the CHAIRMAN OF THE COMPANY who makes this statement -"We wouldn't put something on the marketplace if it had deleterious side effects or affected other organs." PUHLEASE - Why is this quote even in here? This man has a vested interest to get the product into the marketplace ASAP.
At $68 for 120 pills and they tell you to start out taking 4 capsules a day if you have Type 1 and it can be between 3-6 months before you see results, that's a hefty investment in their product before you may realize it doesn't live up to its claim. More importantly, "In human trials, no children under the age of 10 were administered ProBeta, so PharmaTerra does not have a recommended dosage for such individuals."
There is NO WAY I would put this product in my child at this time. Let them run conclusive studies and let brilliant researchers confirm the results first.
I posted at The Islet Foundation message board http://www.islet.org my feelings about this article. Thanks for making me reread it and reconfirm my initial feelings of deep disappointment that Diabetes Interview gave it so much coverage.
Ellen