Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes: Why the Advice Is Different and What T1Ds Need to Know About Insulin Resistance

No topic across the insulin resistance landscape generates more passion, frustration, and legitimate fear than the conflation of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Creators who use the generic term "diabetes" in titles promising a "cure" or "reversal" are met with a swift and powerful response from the Type 1 community. These viewers are not just annoyed; they are concerned about the life-threatening danger of applying lifestyle-based advice for a metabolic condition (Type 2) to their lifelong autoimmune disease (Type 1). Their comments are a desperate plea for clarity, respect, and responsible communication from health influencers.

The core concern is safety and the spread of dangerous misinformation. For a person with Type 1 diabetes, insulin is not the enemy; it is a life-saving therapy replacing a hormone their body can no longer produce. Advice like "fast to lower your insulin" or "you can beat diabetes" is not only false hope for them, but following it could be fatal. Furthermore, there is profound confusion and fear around the term "ketones." For a T1D, high ketones in the presence of high blood sugar signifies Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), a medical emergency. This is entirely different from the safe, therapeutic state of nutritional ketosis (high ketones, low blood sugar) that people with Type 2 diabetes or metabolic issues aim for.

The most crucial, non-negotiable tip is to understand the fundamental difference in the root cause of these conditions. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body destroys its own insulin-producing cells. It is not reversible and requires lifelong insulin therapy. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic condition of insulin resistance, where the body produces too much insulin over time, and cells stop responding to it. This condition is often reversible with diet and lifestyle changes. Before acting on any advice about "diabetes," you must first identify which condition is being addressed.

The new source materials highlight how different creators' content fuels or clarifies this confusion.

• • Jessie Inchauspé (Glucose Revolution): Her content, particularly the video titled "You CAN Beat Diabetes," is a primary source of frustration for the Type 1 community. Commenters repeatedly and urgently ask her to specify "Type 2" in her titles and content, explaining that the generic term is misleading and dangerous for T1Ds. While her hacks are praised by T2D viewers for helping them achieve remission, the lack of distinction creates significant friction and fear among those with the autoimmune form of the disease.
• • Dr. Benjamin Bikman (on The Diary Of A CEO): In his interview, Dr. Bikman provides a clear, scientific distinction between the two conditions. He explains that "in the person with type one diabetes their immune system has destroyed their beta cells so they don't make insulin anymore that's why for a person with type 1 diabetes insulin is a life-saving therapy". A viewer on his video summarized the difference perfectly: "Type 1 and type 2 are completely different animals... Type 1 diabetics don't have much or any insulin produced... Type 2 diabetics, at least earlier in the course of the disease, produce insulin, but their muscle tissue is not sensitive to it". This type of clarity is what the audience is asking for.

If you have diabetes and are watching a health video, your first action is to listen for the words "Type 1" or "Type 2." If a creator uses the generic term "diabetes" while discussing a "cure," "reversal," or "beating" the condition, assume they are talking about Type 2 and that the advice is not safe for Type 1.

• Mistake: A person with Type 1 attempts to "reverse" their diabetes by stopping insulin and drastically changing their diet.
  Fix: This is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. A person with T1D must always work with their endocrinologist. Diet can help them achieve better glucose control and use less insulin, but it cannot replace the need for it.
• Mistake: A T1D fears a ketogenic diet because they associate all ketones with DKA.
  Fix: Understand the difference between DKA (high ketones + high glucose) and nutritional ketosis (high ketones + low glucose). While a T1D can technically achieve nutritional ketosis, it must be done under strict medical supervision to prevent DKA.
• Mistake: A T2D fears fasting because of the risk of low blood sugar, confusing their situation with a T1D's need for constant glucose management.
  Fix: Understand that for most T2Ds (especially those not on insulin injections), the body has robust systems to prevent dangerous hypoglycemia by producing its own glucose. The risk of lows is much greater for T1Ds or T2Ds on specific medications.

• • “My daugther was diagnosed with T1D, could you educate moms like me on T1D please?”
• • "As a type 1 diabetic who takes insulin (and is now insulin resistant, go figure…) I’d like to understand what high blood sugar means in light of mitochondrial degeneration."
• • "I was on just tablets but they put me on insulin. Sometimes my glucose goes to low?"
• • "Can you do an episode about reactive hypoglycemia, please?"

The words "diabetes" and "ketones" mean drastically different things depending on the context of Type 1 versus Type 2. The raw comments reveal a clear and urgent need for content creators to be precise in their language to prevent spreading dangerous misinformation. For viewers, the takeaway is equally critical: you must understand the specific cause of your condition. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease requiring lifelong insulin replacement. Type 2 is a reversible metabolic disease of insulin excess. Applying advice for one to the other is not just ineffective—it can be deadly.