diabetes (who do not produce any insulin themselves) to cut their daily insulin intake by 38
percent. For patients with type 2 diabetes (who can produce some insulin) the diet reduced
the need for injected insulin by 98 percent. This diet is in line with the nutritional guidelines
of the American Diabetes Association, but people with diabetes should always consult with
their doctors and/or dietitians before altering their diet.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Allergic reaction. According to the Merck Manual, legumes (peas, beans, peanuts) are one of
the 12 foods most likely to trigger classic food allergy symptoms: hives, swelling of the lips
and eyes, and upset stomach. The others are berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries,
strawberries), chocolate, corn, eggs, fish, milk, nuts, peaches, pork, shellfish, and wheat (see
wheat cereals).
Production of uric acid. Purines are the natural metabolic by-products of protein metabolism
in the body. They eventually break down into uric acid, forming sharp crystals that may
cause gout if they collect in your joints or kidney stones if they collect in urine. Fresh and
dried peas are a source of purines; eating them raises the concentration of purines in your
body. Although controlling the amount of purine-producing foods in the diet may not signifi-
cantly affect the course of gout (which is treated with medication such as allopurinol, which
inhibits the formation of uric acid), limiting these foods is still part of many gout regimens.
Food/Drug Interactions
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are drugs used to
treat depression. They inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body that metabolize
tyramine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods. Tyramine constricts blood
vessels and increases blood pressure. If you eat a food containing tyramine while you are
taking an MAO inhibitor, you cannot effectively eliminate the tyramine from your body.
The result may be a hypertensive crisis. Some nutrition guides advise avoiding dried split
peas while using MAO inhibitors.
Peas