Deterring diabetes

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An investigation of 21,271 male physicians reached similar conclusions; men who exercised at least once a week enjoyed a 29% lower risk of diabetes than sedentary men. And among 70,102 female nurses, those who walked the most were 26% less likely to develop diabetes than non-walkers.

Regular exercise can help prevent diabetes - and moderate exercise will do the job nicely. Walking for just 30 minutes a day is a great help. And for people who already have diabetes exercise is every bit as important. It can lower blood sugar levels and reduce - or even eliminate - the need for medication. Above all, physical activity reduces the death rate in diabetics.

Some examples: A 2003 study of 2 896 Americans linked walking for at least 2 hours a week to a 39% lower death rate; a Harvard study of 2,803 men associated walking with a 43% lower death rate; and a study of 3 708 Finnish diabetics linked moderate physical activity to a 39% reduction in the death rate.

But exercise does much more than lower blood sugar levels. Other benefits include better cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, reduced body fat, and reduced stress. All this makes exercise one of the 2 pillars of diabetes prevention for everyone. The other pillar is diet.

Diet

Nutrition is just as important as exercise for prevention, and 2 studies remind us that overall dietary patterns matter most.

Researchers from Harvard and Finland identified 2 broad dietary patterns. The healthy "prudent" pattern featured fruit and vegetables, whole grains, fish, and poultry, while the "Western" pattern was high in whole-fat dairy products, red meat, refined grains, and desserts.

On both sides of the Atlantic, the "prudent" diet was associated with a lower likelihood of developing diabetes. And the "Western" diet was linked to increased risk.

Here are some types of food that can affect your diabetes risk:

• Sugars Diabetics should avoid simple sugars and concentrated sweets. One report from Harvard's Nurses' Health Study linked the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to an increased likelihood of weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Even 1 beverage a day nearly doubled a person's risk. A second study found that a diet with a large amount of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates increased the risk of developing diabetes by 59%.

• Fibre Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Dietary fibre is a "good carb" that reduces the risk of diabetes and improves metabolic, cardiovascular, and intestinal health. Studies from the USA to Finland agree that eating large amounts of whole grains and cereal fibre protects against diabetes, ranging from about a third to 2/3 reduction of risk.

• Dietary fat A multinational study linked a high consumption of animal fat to a high prevalence of diabetes. One Harvard study linked saturated fat to risk, another implicated red meat and processed meats, and a third found that low-fat dairy products appeared to be protective.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Diabetes and Harvard Info
Posted by valerie, Abu Dhabi, UAE on Thursday 6 November 2008 at 08:54 UAE time


Harvard medical information is great to read if you are in the medical field and want science and research information but the practical side of these articles fall short of the mark. Research from US and Finland sound nice but lack correlation to the UAE. Additionally, the articles miss the "day to day" application of the message and opt for reiteration of facts that are, in essence, quite useless. Using experts like registered dietitians and other healthcare professionals who work with diabetic patients can provide real expertise such as grocery shopping and reading food labels, advice on how to handle fasting during Ramadan, practical glucose monitoring and the positive effects of exercise on glucose control. I expected more from Harvard and hope they can tailor the information to the market vs. filling a media space requirement.

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