[CarlC]

My sister-in-law is a Professor at the University of Southern California. She has her PhD in something I can’t pronounce, but her specialty is designing the drugs and delivery systems for the control of diabetes. She's a happy bubbly gal, and you would not know how hilariously smart she is until one starts to notice the technical books she reads. I can't pronounce them either. Todd mentions surrounding yourself with good people.......

We got on the subject of weight loss and sugars at a family gathering last year. In her educated opinion, as well as every Doctor out there, being overweight, having a poor diet, and not exercising is the onset to other severe health problems (like diabetes). Duh.

Sugar substitutes were another topic. I've never been wild about them, but in the quest to keep calories/sugars down during the diet war, I asked her opinion. Sugar substitutes are out for kids, but some are better than others for adults. Unlike others, according to her Splenda is the best one out there since it is not absorbed by the body. I have a sweet tooth, so it was nice to hear that there was something to help fill that void. It's not the same as the real deal, but I'm now used to it and only need it in the occasional coffee. Even grapefruit is sans sweetener now.

Off topic. The delivery systems conversation was great. The most effective way for an oral drug to work is to be able to deliver it to the organ in question in the form as it was made in the factory. That does not happen in the body since it's a chemical soup and hence changes the drug chemically before it reaches the target. Imagine wrapping the drug in a closely woven spherical net containing the drug, but does not allow bodily fluids to pass through. The net maintains shape until it reaches the intended organ. That organ emits a unique chemical that makes the net expand, making the spacing between the net lacings larger, hence allowing the virgin drug to be delivered. Wow. How cool is that?