Question from Los Angeles, California, USA:

My ten year old son was diagnosed with type 1 three months ago. He is taking 1 unit of Ultralente at night. What about modifying carbohydrate intake to give the pancreas “rest”? Calories can come from other food besides carbs. Several prominent individuals (for example, Richard Bernstein, author of The Diabetes Solution) feel that small doses of insulin and lowered amounts of carbohydrate can prolong the honeymoon period indefinitely. As long as the child is healthy, growing and consuming enough calories, what are the benefits of giving large quantities of carbohydrate and increasing doses of insulin? I want my son to have some of his own functioning beta cells when and if islet cell transplantation becomes a reality.