We Suddenly Lost Our Dog To Hemangiosarcoma
'Please Help Us Get Justice For Our Dogs': 10 Horror Stories About The Dog-Sitting App Rover
Rover bills itself as the most popular pet-sitting app in the U.S., with tens of millions of bookings since the service was founded in 2011. But just like other gig-economy apps such as Uber and Airbnb, Rover is offered as a technology platform rather than a direct employer of pet-sitters. And that can lead to some real questions about who's responsible when something goes seriously wrong.
Working on Guy's Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Gizmodo filed a FOIA request with the FTC for consumer complaints about Rover lodged over the past four years. The FTC furnished us 85 complaints that mostly fall into two categories: First, there are the scams people have tried to pull off using the app—something that happens on virtually any app where people are being hired to provide a service.
In the second category, there are complaints from pet owners about things that have gone very wrong, including the most dire cases where dogs have been lost or even accidentally killed after escaping. And it's that second category we're taking a look at.
One of the complaints released to Gizmodo by the FTC is from a user in South Carolina who says she found a pet sitter on Rover in 2021 and dropped off her two dogs at the unnamed person's house. The dogs escaped, and weren't found until days later, according to the complaint—one dog dead after being hit by a car, the other alive. But the user says Rover didn't do enough to help when the dogs went missing.
"Rover printed 50 flyers when they heard of the escape and another 100 when I called demanding more. This was the extent of their assistance in finding our dogs," the user wrote in a complaint filed with the FTC.
That same user explained how their experience with Rover led them to find other communities on social media where people had also allegedly lost pets in the care of dog-sitters on Rover.
"After joining a Facebook group, I found out that this is not a limited instance and the death or severe injury of pets has happened countless times while under the care of Rover sitters," the user wrote.
Other complaints filed with the FTC explain the emotional turmoil of losing a pet after trusting they would be looked after responsibly.
"My family and I are devastated needless to say, we didn't just lose a dog we lost a family member," one Rover user from California wrote about an experience using the app in 2022.
The FTC redacted sensitive personal information from the complaints, such as the names of the people and dogs involved, which is standard practice when documents are released by federal agencies under the Freedom of Information Act. And while those redactions make it impossible for Gizmodo to independently verify each claim, there's value in identifying common complaints being made about any given company, as we've done with services like 23andMe, Robinhood, and FTX. Sadly, some of the complaints filed about Rover are every pet owner's worst nightmare.
For its part, Rover notes that in the event something goes wrong, the company offers what it calls the "Rover Guarantee," which provides up to $25,000 in reimbursement for some expenses like veterinary costs.
"We agree that even one bad experience is one too many, and we deeply appreciate the trust placed in Rover by pet lovers every day. Over nine million stays booked through our platform have received a five-star review from a pet parent," Rover spokesperson Dave Rosenbaum told Gizmodo over email.
Rosenbaum stressed that every pet sitter on the Rover platform is required to pass a background check and complete a safety quiz before they're allowed on the site.
"While almost every stay goes exactly as planned, in the rare instance where a pet is separated from their care provider during a stay, our 24/7 Trust and Safety Team will communicate closely with the sitter and pet parent to reunite the pet with their family," he said.
"To best support the search by the sitter and owner, we sponsor a substantial reward for information that leads to locating the pet, and directly contact other local sitters on Rover, inviting them to join the search efforts," Rosenbaum continued while noting the company donates flyers to hang in the area and posts in pet-finding forums.
Ten of the complaints Gizmodo received from the FTC via a FOIA are below. Very minor changes to spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been made just for legibility. The complaints are otherwise unedited regarding the substance of their given issues.
1) "We found the body of our first dog..."Easley, South Carolina - July 2021
On June 18th my fiance and I left town to attend a wedding of a friend in Memphis, TN. We left our two dogs in the care of a Rover pet sitter in Greenville, SC. She called us frantic on Sunday, June 20th to let us know that our dogs had pushed through her fence and were loose in her neighborhood. We found the body of our first dog, [redacted], on Monday, June 21st on [redacted], she had been hit by a car and did not survive. Our second dog, [redacted], was found alive by us Thursday evening on the same road, less than a mile from where [redacted] was found.
Rover printed 50 flyers when they heard of the escape and another 100 when I called demanding more. This was the extent of their assistance in finding our dogs. It also took until Wednesday for them to assign us an agent to our case. This happened after another call from myself. They refused to tell us if the sitter had been removed and as far as we know, she was still accepting bookings when our first dog was found dead and during the time [redacted] was missing. She is under the Rover website as [redacted] and as of 7/6/2021 she is still accepting bookings.
Please help us get justice for our dogs. Rover has only claimed they will consider our suggestions of things such as training for the Rover pet sitters, home inspections, and emergency contacts for the pets. After joining a Facebook group, I found out that this is not a limited instance and the death or severe injury of pets has happened countless times while under the care of Rover sitters. Rover refuses to take accountability for their pet sitters in these tragic instances.
2) "He was lost for a few days, then ultimately was hit by a car and died."West Sacramento, California- November 2022
Rover is a dog sitting business. We had used a sitter through them, who negligently lost my dog. He was lost for a few days, then ultimately was hit by a car and died. Rover has sent me scripted emails and only offered reimbursement for cremation when we had spent much more in time, effort, and money for dog care while we had him. I had asked for a return call 3 days ago and never received a phone call back despite the grief that my family is going through.
3) "As soon as they got home, they rushed to the water bowl, as if their life depended on it."Sicklerville, New Jersey- December 2021
This is a complaint based on this online company ROVER, to honored their commitment to accountability for its purported service and their unwillingness to assume any responsibility for the financial damages as a result of their negligence. The events as follows:
1.- During the period June 16- 23, we brought our dogs, [redacted] and [redacted], to be dog sitted at [redacted]'s house, which we had done now for years (under ROVER's agreement). Both dogs were in perfect health. However, immediately upon the return to our home on June 23, 2021, we noticed that the small dog, [redacted], was soiled in her rear and also both dogs appeared dehydrated. As soon as they got home, they rushed to the water bowl, as if their life depended on it. Few hours later, both [redacted] and [redacted] had massive diarrhea. [Redacted], the older dog a German Shepherd, had explosive diarrhea, which persisted for many days (but she did not require hospitalization). But [redacted], the small, younger pup, started vomiting on the evening of the 23rd and having diarrhea. The next day, [redacted] appeared very ill and we noticed blood both in her stool and vomit (we attached pics with the initial report/complaint to ROVER). We brought her, [redacted], to the ER. [Redacted] was diagnosed with ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC ENTERITIS a very serious condition for small breeds, secondary to ingestion of contaminated water, human food or other items.
2.- We were never notified of any attempts at bringing the dogs to the Vet while at [redacted]'s house, or any notifications about their health.
3. [redacted] is required to follow up with her Vet, but we have not been able to get a prompt appointment. We incurred an additional expense of $1,050.00 plus time, on top of the original $600 for the "service".
4.- We are requesting reimbursement for both, the fees paid for the sitting period and the hospital bills. This dog, [redacted], is particularly very loved by my wife, [redacted]. This whole experience has been very traumatic to her and life threatening to [redacted]. Attached find the evaluation notes and bills from the vet hospital.
4) "My family and I are devastated needless to say"Lynwood, California - July 2022
Hi my name is [redacted]
I used (as I always do) this service named Rover which is a pet sitting company while my husband and I celebrated our anniversary.
My husband dropped off our dog July 6, 2022.
I reached out to our dogs sitter via text message regarding how he was doing. She in turn responded there was an emergency.
Our Sitter [redacted] lost our dog not just any dog my daughters very 1st dog she saved her allowance for months to pay for.
My family and I are devastated needless to say, we didn't just lose a dog we lost a family member.
We've contacted Rover time after time, they haven't done anything regarding [redacted] which means she's still out there being a sitter for over pets.
5) "They are putting people and pets in danger..."San Jose, California - November 2021
Rover posts ads that read "Pet care services you can rely on, day and night." and "Trusted sitters" on Instagram. I booked a pet sitter through Rover, trusting Rover that my dog was in good hands while I was away. The Rover dog sitter lost my dog and I discovered that Rover is nothing more than a brokerage platform. They took no accountability or responsibility losing my dog and pointed me to the fine print that said Rover does not provide pet care services. Their advertising directly contradicts this and has hugely misled me. I learned that the sitter was responsible for the pet care services after my dog was lost. As a result I incurred huge financial costs to retrieve my dog and emotional distress in the process. They advertise 'pet care services' but do not actually provide them. They are putting people and pets in danger by advertising services they are not providing or taking any responsibility for.
6) "One of my dogs was found wandering the streets by a neighbor."Sacramento, California - August 2022
The company and dog sitters Rover recommended and deemed safe left my house an absolute wreck with ants, insects, spills on every surface of every room. Her job was simple and she had luxuries while she was here watching my two happy labradors. She filled my house with smoke which I'm still unable to get rid of. But above all she left my dogs on paid time in an unsecure location. One of my dogs was found wandering the streets by a neighbor. The other senior dog who she received specific clear instructions where to leave him so he would be safe had fallen. He was injured and is taking several days to recover. She also stole items from my home and has made it so I am unable to contact her. Rover won't give me her information so I can file a police report. They will not give me her last name, phone number, birthday or address. This is absolute fraud and negligence. Most importantly I fear for her other clients and she said she had many booked this next month. Please help me and our precious animals. This can and will not stand. I cancelled her services before completion and they owe me this amount and so much more.
7) "Our dog went missing and found 5 days later."North Miami Beach, Florida - May 2023
We had our dog placed with this company for pet sitting service Dec 23, 2022. Our dog went missing and found 5 days later. He had lacerations and broke tooth. Rover reimbursed the first invoice for laceration repair, then refuse to pay for second invoice for tooth extraction due to fracture. Their excuse was they could not see if the fracture are fresh. Even though the vet doctor note gave the dog two new diagnosis upon he was recovered by animal service. We started doing some digging about this company. The animal service at Orange County Orlando, Florida stated they are getting more and more pets missing by Rover.Com pet sitters. We saw many reviews about their sitter lost pet that they are sitting, refuse payment for damage, play phone game when we call them. With more than 10 calls we got the same pattern that customer spend long time then the case manager is not reachable, and the agent on phone can only leave message for the manager on case, but the manager never call back. This is not the company for pet sitting, they are not responsible, they did not offer any help to look for the pet they lost. The sitter family we had only followed our dog for a couple of block and concluded they are done.
This company should stay away from other people's pet. With their unfair practice toward customer after the pet suffered injuries. It is even worse for add more trauma on top of already horrible situation.
Please investigate and reach out to their upper management office, since we as customer can not.
8) "He had NEVER, EVER, had any sort of health issues whatsoever."Olympia, Washington - October 2021
My husband and I were on vacation in California recently. On our second day there, I get a call from our vet saying that one of our dogs, [redacted] , was being brought in on suspected heat exhaustion. We had both of our dogs boarded with a lady we found through Rover. It was going to be very hot in our area, so the sitter wanted to bring in extra fans. She let the dogs out in her backyard for a little while to play before putting everyone up. [Redacted] was barking like mad right after being put up and was barking when the sitter got back. Whether or not he was barking the entire time, who knows. He was caged for about 2 hours. When she got back, he was barking, but also going limp and was glassy-eyed. On the advice of her vet tech sister, she tried to cool him down on her own in front of fans and with cool compresses. When that didn't work, she took him into the vet. His temp was over 102 and he had bruising on his paws. When they finally got his temperature down, he started bleeding from his rectum, showed brain swelling, and neurological activity, which was indicating seizures. He had NEVER, EVER, had any sort of health issues whatsoever. I want to say it was at this point I called one of the doctors I work with and begged her to go and get our other dog, [redacted] , from this woman's house and watch him until we got back from our vacation. I didn't know what was causing all of this and at that point, I couldn't risk something happening to him. She was gracious enough to do that for us. Our vet worked on him for half a day, trying numerous drugs to try and get him stable enough for a possible blood transfusion at a specialist office in Tacoma. This transfusion was going to cost $7-10,000 and there was minute chance of it working, and an even smaller chance of good quality of life afterwards. We were in beautiful Pebble Beach speaking with one of the vet doctors who told us they were doing their best, but that she felt they were prolonging the inevitable. We had to make the decision on vacation for them to stop their efforts and to put him to sleep. As I said, he's never had any health problems whatsoever in the past. Was in perfect health. We called my mother-in-law to tell her and when we described his symptoms, she said they sounded like the effects of rat poison to her. We are sending him to Washington State University for a necropsy (animal autopsy) to find out what exactly happened. Whether his cause of death was natural or not (I'm inclined to believe the later), he had to have been scared and in pain. The vet's office assured us they made him comfortable and that he was surrounded by a bunch of ladies in the office. I was thankful for that, but it was very hard on us that we didn't get to say goodbye.
9) "The dog bowls had mold growing in them"South Gate, California- August 2022
I am filing a complaint due to gross negligence, damages to our property and breach of contract by Rover pet provider [redacted] . On 08/21/22 night, I notified [redacted] that pet [redacted]'s owner [redacted] would relieve him shortly after 7:00 A.M. We asked [redacted] to give the pets, [redacted] and [redacted] their medication prior to his departure to ensure medication compliance. [Redacted] arrived at 7:05 A.M. [redacted] answered the locked door; [redacted] observed another man and pet provider [redacted] had been sleeping in my bed as they exited our bedroom. The dogs had not been given medication in a timely manner. The dog bowls had mold growing in them. Our hardwood floors had dog feces and urine. The dog pads in the kitchen were filled with urine. The dog beds have feces. We purchased extra supplies such as dog pads, etc. But [redacted] noticed that he had not used any additional pads. [Redacted] was not cleaning up the soiled pads and/or wiping the dogs. [Redacted] wiped down the dogs and bathroom, kitchen and living room area due to the extent of the odor and lack of cleanliness. Dogs were groomed days prior to [redacted]'s care, and when [redacted] arrived, the dogs were dirty. Dog food bags are filled with food; I have concerns dogs were not being fed. Our dog [redacted] has a laceration in his right ear that appears to be infected. Pet provider [redacted] was instructed to hand the key to [redacted] but did not turn in our key.Upon further exploration we have documented that pet provider [redacted] was staying in our home outside of the 7:00 am-8:00 pm shift, had 3-4 men on our property without our consent, negligent and did not meet the dogs' needs, did not provide medications at appropriate times for Diabetic dog [redacted] and dog with Epilepsy [redacted], etc. [redacted] did not arrive on time to provide meds on the first day of coverage and neglected our dogs' physical and medical needs throughout his time in our home. We have concerns of exposure to Covid-19, monkeypox and bodily fluids. The locks were changed. We are staying elsewhere due to safety.
10) "I was afraid if I confronted the sitter and was too direct—they might not come back to care for my animals."I went away on vacation for 2 weeks and hired a sitter through Rover (the pet sitting company). I did everything through the app as I was instructed to do. The sitter and I clearly discussed what the expectations were for while I was away. I have screenshots showing the conversation and her enthusiastic agreement. Payment was rendered through the Rover app as well (I paid $567).
I have a Ring doorbell installed outside of my apartment that time stamps when someone is outside of my door (entering leaving too). It became very clear on Day 2 of my vacation, that the sitter was not following through on what we had discussed. At all. Unfortunately, this left me in a very uncomfortable position because I was afraid if I confronted the sitter and was too direct—they might not come back to care for my animals. I was in Europe on my vacation, so it would not have been plausible to get back home in time for my pets if I made the sitter angry. Long story short, she continued to not care for my pets appropriately while I was away.
Immediately upon my return, I reached out to Rover Support regarding this issue. On their website, it clearly states that money is not released to the sitter until 2 days after the job has ended. Meanwhile, I did not hear anything back from anyone in their Support team for several days. By the time someone did respond, I was told that it was too late. I submitted screenshots of my conversation with the sitter, time stamps from my Ring doorbell proving that she was in and out of my apartment within 3 minutes, and I also submitted the video clips the Ring doorbell recorded as well to prove that it was the sitter going in and out.
After a month of going back and forth with the Support team (through phone calls and emails that went unanswered for days)—I was told that my money was gone and could not be refunded. When I followed up with the Support team—I was informed that no supporting evidence was submitted and that's why I was denied a refund. No one will speak to me on the phone. When I call, I'm told that the Resolutions team do not have phones and cannot speak with me, but that they will inform them of my call so that they can follow-up in an email.
I have been nothing but kind to these people at this point and cannot even begin to fathom why this has been handled this way. I feel like I have literally been robbed. This is not okay. If needed, I can submit anything and everything the FTC may need to support my claim. I just don't think they should get away with this. I understand that $600 is not a HUGE amount of money—but this feels like I have been blatantly ignored, lied to, dismissed, and stolen from by the company.
Please help me in resolving this. I appreciate your time and consideration. Thank you immensely!!
Blaming Food For Obesity Is Like Blaming Water For Drowning
By Edward ArcherReal Clear Wire
There is a politically expedient but problematic fiction that 'consensus' matters in science. Since a million matching opinions do not constitute a fact, a consensus — either real or apparent — is not a statement about evidence but an exercise in groupthink in which the status quo is made explicit.
Thus, scientific progress requires conservative and heretical thinkers — conservatives protect the authority and continuity of science, whereas heretics put forth creative dissent in an attempt to push the limits of what we know. Nevertheless, few people are willing and able to challenge the status quo — and those who have were often reviled, incarcerated, or executed (e.G., Galileo, Semmelweis, and Vavilov).
Consequently, when facts conflict with theory, academic researchers often ignore the facts rather than confront the consensus. As a result, the 'marketplace of ideas' — and research funding — are predestined to conformity, sycophancy, and stasis. In other words, the more pervasive the consensus, the more servile the research, the less probable the progress.
Although this unfortunate reality is evident across many fields, it has been extremely detrimental to nutrition science. For more than 50 years, 'Diet-centrism' — the theory that foods and beverages cause ill-health, obesity, and cardiometabolic diseases — has been accepted by physicians, researchers, and the public almost without question. Yet despite the unity and ubiquity of the consensus, there are centuries of evidence refuting diet-centric beliefs. Thus, because a million matching but ill-informed opinions do not constitute a fact, the consensus linking calories, 'carbs', meat, milk, sugar, salt, fat, cholesterol, and 'ultra-processing' to death and disease is not a statement about scientific evidence but the obsequious — and sterile — status-quo made explicit.
Accordingly, herein I present the heretical idea that the naïve determinism of 'Diet-centrism' — 'you are what you eat' and 'what you eat is killing you' — is not only simplistic and unscientific but specious because it ignores the fact that individual differences in metabolism (how the body 'handles' foods and beverages) is what matters most in diet-related health and disease.
Historical Evidence: It's not the Food
Before the 20th century, obesity and cardiometabolic diseases such as type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were uncommon. Yet over the past 50 years, the prevalence of these maladies in horses, humans, dogs, cats, lab, and zoo animals increased to epidemic proportions. Given that these herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores have always consumed different diets, the claim that foods and beverages have suddenly caused parallel epidemics in different species is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence. Yet there is no valid evidence supporting this belief.
To begin, humans have consumed highly palatable, 'ultra-processed' foods and beverages for thousands of years. Refined sugar, salt, butter, and cheeses date from 4000-8000 BC, and pasta, pizza, and pretzels were consumed in the 1st century AD. Although the consumption of 'french-fries' ('chips' in the UK) only began in the 17th century, potatoes fried in salt and animal fat quickly became the main source of nutrition in Ireland. By the 19th century, the Irish consumed ~4-5 lbs. Of potatoes per person per day, with men consuming ~8-12 lbs./day. This is the equivalent of ~40 supersized servings of 'french-fries' every day for a lifetime. Yet despite consuming massive amounts of 'carbs', saturated fats, and salt, the Irish had little obesity or cardiometabolic diseases.
Similarly, the Amish — an ethno-religious group in the US — consume a high-calorie, highly-palatable diet that includes meat, potatoes, gravy, eggs, breads, pies, and cakes, and "is quite high in fat and refined sugar." Yet, the Amish have a greater life expectancy and substantially lower obesity, T2DM, heart disease, and cancer than other Americans.
Importantly, all humans start life consuming ~40% of their daily calories as dietary sugars and 25% as saturated fat — either in breast milk or infant formula (an 'ultra-processed', sugar-sweetened beverage with 'added' sugars, salts, and fats). Thus, recommendations to restrict 'added' sugars and 'processed' foods would prevent the feeding of most infants in industrialized nations. And contrary to current rhetoric, nations with the highest rates of sugar-sweetened beverage (formula) consumption by infants have the lowest rates of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases (Japan and Norway). Moreover, sugars added to foods and beverages enter the same metabolic pathways as intrinsic sugars. Thus, the glucose molecules in breast milk and the fructose molecules in fruit are exactly the same glucose and fructose molecules as in soda, sports drinks, and your favorite candy. This basic fact of biochemistry shows that the term 'added sugar' has no place in scientific discourse.
Furthermore, the medicinal use of sucrose (table sugar) for malnutrition and diarrheal diseases saves the lives of over 600,000 children each year. Thus, so-called 'added' sugars save more lives than any pharmaceutical agent. So if 'food is medicine', then table sugar is the greatest medicine of all. [Note: the phrase "let thy food be thy medicine" was fabricated by a journalist and attributed to Hippocrates to sell a diet book in the 1920s.]
Additionally, the most comprehensive report on dietary sugars — published before the current anti-sugar hysteria — concluded that "feeding normal human volunteers at levels of fructose approximating the 90th percentile intake levels of the U.S. Population failed to demonstrate adverse effects on insulin sensitivity or glucose tolerance [cardiometabolic health]." And contrary to current rhetoric, over the last two decades the use of sugars & sweeteners in the US declined ~16% as obesity and T2DM increased almost 40% and severe obesity increased 96%. Thus, less sugar is linked to more obesity and diabetes — and this so-called 'sugar paradox' is ubiquitous (see Australia and the UK).
In sum, by ignoring contrary evidence, academic researchers and their 'diet-centric' consensus created a "fictional discourse on diet-disease relations".
The Logic of Causality
The search for universal criteria by which to infer causality has eluded philosophers of science for centuries. Yet, at its simplest, the search for causes is the search for 'differences that make a difference' — mere associations are meaningless. For example, water (and other liquids) are associated with 100% of drowning deaths. Therefore, in the absence of water no one drowns. Yet despite the perfect correlation and counterfactual evidence, no educated person argues that water causes drowning because not everyone who drinks, bathes, or swims, drowns. In other words, water is not causal because it is not the 'difference that makes a difference'.
To be precise, water is a sine qua non for drowning (an indispensable part or essential element) — not a cause. Thus, given the same environment (the presence of water), individual differences such as the inability to swim, intoxication, or insentience cause a person to drown.
The Illogicity of Blaming Food
Foods and beverages are a sine qua non for life — everyone must eat and drink. Yet just as water does not cause drowning because not everyone who drinks, bathes, or swims, drowns — diet does not cause poor metabolic health because not everyone who eats and drinks becomes obese or diabetic. Yet in contrast to the perfect correlation between water and drowning, there is no clear correlation between diet and obesity.
For example, muscular, male athletes consume more calories, 'carbs', sugars, salt, fat, cholesterol, and 'ultra-processed' foods than obese, sedentary women, yet have lower levels of adiposity and T2DM. Thus, more foods, beverages, and physical activity are linked with better health and less disease. Clearly, athletes' bodies 'handle' their diets differently than those of sedentary people. Therefore, metabolism — not diet — is the 'difference that makes a difference' in health.
Similarly, in a 2013 study, my colleagues and I found that the people performing the least amount of physical activity gained the most fat mass — despite consuming less calories, less fat, and less sugar than those who ate more, performed more activity, and maintained their weight. Conversely, reducing physical activity causes an immediate decline in insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. Therefore, physical activity-induced differences in metabolism — not diet — cause differences in caloric intake, fat mass, and health.
Moreover, metabolism is the 'difference that makes a difference' in the 'Oral Glucose Tolerance Test' (OGTT) — a widely used test for diabetes and insulin resistance. In the OGTT, blood sugar is measured after patients consume a standard dose of dietary sugar. Over time, patients with weaker metabolisms have higher blood sugar than those with stronger metabolisms. Thus, given identical amounts of dietary sugar, differences in metabolism cause differences in blood sugar. It is nonsensical to argue that the dietary sugar caused the differences in blood sugar when each patient consumed the same amount.
What confuses most people — and [too] many researchers — is that different foods and beverages cause different metabolic responses. For example, consuming sugar or starch causes greater increases in blood sugar than consuming fat or protein. However, as the OGTT shows, it is not the increase in blood sugar after a meal that matters to cardiometabolic health but the decrease over time.
Stated simply, consuming dietary sugar increases everyone's blood sugar — but not everyone's blood sugar returns to 'normal' after a meal (e.G., diabetics). Thus, the diet-induced increase in blood sugar is irrelevant to cardiometabolic health because it is not the 'difference that makes a difference'. What matters are the metabolic differences that cause blood sugar to decrease — or not — after a meal.
Yet most importantly, as a recent "intensive food-as-medicine program" showed, altering your diet has little effect on cardiometabolic health over time, whereas adequate physical activity "obliterates the deleterious effects of a high-caloric intake". This explains why muscular athletes can consume massive amounts of calories, 'carbs', and 'ultra-processed' foods yet remain lean and healthy.
In sum, differences in metabolism — not diet — cause differences in cardiometabolic health.
'Differences that Make a Difference' in Obesity and Metabolic Strength
If people perform hard physical labor, they will consume more food, water, and oxygen than if they sat quietly in an office. Therefore, increased physical activity causes increases in metabolism that — in turn — cause increases in consumption (eating, drinking, and breathing). Therefore, if you 'burn' more calories through physical activity, you increase your metabolic strength, consume more calories, and maintain your weight. This fact explains why exercise rarely leads to weight-loss but is essential in health and preventing weight gain.
Conversely, when people reduce their physical activity 'too much' (below their 'metabolic tipping point'), they weaken their metabolism. This causes them to consume more calories than they burn. In time, this leads to 'acquired' obesity and cardiometabolic diseases — independent of diet. In other words, a minimum amount of physical activity is needed for health, and individuals with extremely low levels will, over time, become obese, diabetic, or both — regardless of the foods and beverages they consume.
Importantly, if a woman's physical activity is too low, her metabolism will be too weak to 'handle' pregnancy and she will consume too many calories. As a result, her children will be born fatter and with weaker metabolisms. In other words, they 'inherit' a life-long predisposition to obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. [Note: the non-genetic process of inheritance by which a mother's prenatal metabolism irreversibly alters her descendants' metabolism is known as a 'maternal-effect'].
Consequently, the fact that women 'move less' than they did five decades ago explains the recent rise in 'inherited' (childhood) obesity and adolescent T2DM. For example, from 1965 to 2010, the time women spent doing housework decreased by ~2 hours per day while sedentary time increased by 1 hour/day. This reduced the number of calories burned by ~250/day and doubled the amount of time spent sitting. By 2020, women spent more time sitting in front of the TV and using social media than cooking, cleaning, childcare, exercise, and laundry combined. As a result, their metabolisms became weaker — and because metabolic strength is essential for a healthy pregnancy, the decline produced successive generations of obese children with weak metabolisms.
Moreover, because all mammals share the metabolic pathways of pregnancy, my work suggests that 'maternal-effects' caused the parallel epidemics of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases in horses, humans, dogs, cats, lab, and zoo animals.
Conclusion
Consensus in academic research is rarely a statement about evidence. More often, it is an exercise in groupthink in which the status quo — right or wrong — is made explicit. Thus, progress needs heretics who are willing and able to challenge the consensus. Accordingly, I presented the heretical idea that humans have always consumed highly palatable, processed foods and beverages without increases in obesity or cardiometabolic diseases. Moreover, 'acquired' and 'inherited' differences in metabolism — not diet — cause obesity and poor metabolic health. Thus, the 'diet-centric' consensus linking calories, 'carbs', meat, milk, sugar, salt, fat, cholesterol, and 'ultra-processing' to death and disease is not only simplistic, but sterile and unscientific.
Nevertheless, given that science progresses 'funeral by funeral' and that food-based fears generate profitable marketing campaigns (e.G., low-fat and no 'added' sugars) and billions of dollars to fund academic research, 'Diet-centrism' will be the dominant paradigm in nutrition 'science' for the foreseeable future. Bon appétit.
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16 Best Foods For People With Diabetes
1. Fatty fishSalmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, and mackerel are great sources of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which have major benefits for heart health.
Getting enough of these fats on a regular basis is especially important for people with diabetes, who have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
DHA and EPA protect the cells that line your blood vessels, reduce markers of inflammation, and may help improve the way your arteries function.
A 2021 research review indicates that people who eat fatty fish regularly have a lower risk of heart attack and overall cardiovascular disease.
Research also indicates that regular fish consumption can help manage blood pressure and body weight, which can help prevent diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Fish is also a great source of high quality protein, which helps you feel full and helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
Summary
Fatty fish contain omega-3 fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation and other risk factors of heart disease and stroke. Plus, it's a great source of protein, which is important for managing blood sugar.
2. Leafy greensLeafy green vegetables are extremely nutritious and low in calories.
They're also very low in digestible carbs, or carbs that the body absorbs, so they will not significantly affect blood sugar levels.
Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens are good sources of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C.
Another 2021 review of research suggests people with diabetes can significantly benefit from vitamin C therapy.
Vitamin C acts as a potent antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory qualities.
Increasing dietary intake of vitamin C-rich foods may help people with diabetes increase their serum vitamin C levels while reducing inflammation and cellular damage, according to a small 2017 study.
Summary
Leafy green vegetables are rich in nutrients like vitamin C as well as antioxidants that protect your heart and eye health.
3. AvocadosAvocados have less than 1 gram of sugar, few carbohydrates, a high fiber content, and healthy fats, so you don't have to worry about them raising your blood sugar levels.
Data provided via the 2019 Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) suggests that avocado consumption is also associated with significantly lower body weight and body mass index (BMI). The study involved participants consuming a specific amount of avocado and self-reporting their height and weight at scheduled intervals. Participants had to meet certain criteria to join the research cohort.
This makes avocados an ideal snack for people with diabetes, especially since obesity increases the chances of developing diabetes.
Avocados may have properties specific to preventing diabetes.
A 2019 study in mice indicated that avocatin B (AvoB), a fat molecule found only in avocados, inhibits incomplete oxidation in skeletal muscle and the pancreas, which reduces insulin resistance.
More research is needed in humans to establish the connection between avocados and diabetes prevention.
Summary
Avocados have less than 1 gram of sugar and are associated with improved overall diet quality. Avocados may also have properties specific to diabetes prevention.
4. EggsRegular egg consumption may reduce your heart disease risk in several ways.
Eggs may decrease inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, increase your HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and modify the size and shape of your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
A 2020 study showed that eating 12 eggs a week over 4 weeks for breakfast helped lower blood pressure in adults with prediabetes.
A 2017 research review indicated that eating 6–12 eggs per week as part of a nutritious diet and health-promoting lifestyle did not increase heart disease risk factors in people with diabetes. Experts noted that research limitations prevented being able to provide definitive conclusions.
Summary
Eggs may improve risk factors for heart disease, promote blood sugar management, protect eye health, and keep you feeling full.
5. Chia seedsChia seeds may be a healthful food for people with diabetes.
They're extremely high in fiber, yet low in digestible carbs.
In fact, 11 of the 12 grams (g) of carbs in a 28-g (1-ounce) serving of chia seeds are fiber, which does not raise blood sugar.
The viscous fiber in chia seeds can actually lower your blood sugar levels by slowing down the rate at which food moves through your gut and is absorbed.
A different 2017 study involving 77 adults with overweight or obesity and a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes showed that eating chia seeds supported weight loss and helped maintain good glycemic control.
Additionally, chia seeds have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and inflammatory markers.
Summary
Chia seeds contain high amounts of fiber, which may help you lose weight. They also help maintain blood glucose levels.
6. BeansBeans are a type of legume rich in B vitamins, beneficial minerals (calcium, potassium, and magnesium), and fiber.
They also have a very low glycemic index (GI), which is important for managing diabetes.
In an older study involving more than 3,000 participants at high risk of cardiovascular disease, those who had a higher consumption of legumes had a reduced chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Summary
Beans are cheap, nutritious, and have a low glycemic index (GI), making them a healthy option for people with diabetes.
7. Greek yogurtAn older long-term study involving health data from more than 100,000 participants found that a daily serving of yogurt was linked to an 18 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Research shows yogurt and other dairy foods may lead to weight loss and improved body composition in people with type 2 diabetes.
The high levels of calcium, protein, and a special type of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in yogurt may help keep you feeling full for longer.
What's more, Greek yogurt contains only 6–8 g of carbs per serving, which is lower than regular yogurt.
It's also higher in protein, which may promote weight loss by reducing appetite and thus decreasing calorie intake.
Summary
Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, may promote healthy blood sugar levels, reduce risk factors for heart disease, and help with weight management.
8. NutsResearch on a variety of different nuts has shown that regular consumption may reduce inflammation and help prevent weight gain.
Nuts may also help people with diabetes improve their heart health.
Research from 2019 involving more than 16,000 participants with type 2 diabetes found that eating tree nuts — such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios — lowered their risk of heart disease and death.
Research also indicates that nuts can improve blood glucose levels.
An older research review involving people with type 2 diabetes found that eating walnuts daily improved blood glucose levels.
This finding is important because people with type 2 diabetes often have elevated insulin levels, which are linked to obesity.
Summary
Nuts are a healthy addition to a balanced diet. They're high in fiber and can help with heart health, blood glucose levels, and weight management.
9. BroccoliBroccoli is a highly nutritious vegetable.
A half cup of cooked broccoli contains only 27 calories and 3 grams of digestible carbs, along with important nutrients like vitamin C and magnesium.
One 2024 study in mice found that consuming broccoli led to a reduction in blood glucose.
This reduction in blood glucose levels is likely due to sulforaphane. The body converts glucosinolates, which are found in broccoli, to sulforaphane and then uses it in metabolic processes.
Summary
Broccoli is a low calorie, low carb food with high nutrient value. It's loaded with healthy plant compounds that may help protect against various diseases.
10. Extra-virgin olive oilExtra-virgin olive oil contains oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat that may improve glycemic management reduce fasting and post-meal triglyceride levels. It also has antioxidant properties.
This is important because people with diabetes tend to have trouble managing blood sugar levels and have high triglyceride levels.
Oleic acid may also stimulate the fullness hormone GLP-1.
In a review of 32 studies looking at different types of fat, olive oil was the only one shown to reduce heart disease risk.
Olive oil also contains antioxidants called polyphenols.
Polyphenols reduce inflammation, protect the cells lining your blood vessels, keep oxidation from damaging your LDL (bad) cholesterol, and decrease blood pressure.
Extra-virgin olive oil is unrefined, so it retains antioxidants and other properties that make it so healthy.
Be sure to choose extra-virgin olive oil from a reputable source, since many olive oils are mixed with cheaper oils like corn and soy.
Summary
Extra-virgin olive oil contains healthy oleic acid. It has benefits for blood pressure and heart health.
11. FlaxseedsAlso known as common flax or linseeds, flaxseeds have a high content of heart-healthy omega-3 fats, fiber, and other unique plant compounds.
A portion of their insoluble fiber is made up of lignans, which may help decrease heart disease risk and improve blood sugar management.
A review looking at 25 randomized clinical trials found a significant association between whole flaxseed supplementation and a reduction in blood glucose.
Flaxseeds may also help lower blood pressure.
A 2016 study involving participants with prediabetes showed that a daily intake of flaxseed powder lowered blood pressure — but it did not improve glycemic management or insulin resistance.
Summary
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