Vegan Diet May Help Fight Diabetes

Around 30% of children born in the year 2000 will develop Diabetes later in life if significant changes in lifestyle do not appear, commented Caroline Trapp, Director of Diabetes Education and care for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C., in her article published in Juneau Empire.

Citing a recent study published in Diabetes Care, Caroline said that people who consume more protein from meat and other animal products are at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes. According to Caroline, researchers analyzed the diets of nearly 40,000 participants and found that for every 5% of calories consumed from protein instead of carbohydrate or fat, the risk of developing Diabetes increased 30%. Increased animal protein intake was also related to increased weight and blood pressure. Vegetable protein was not associated with Diabetes risk.

The Director of Diabetes Education and care for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine further added that meat-heavy diets are contributing to the Diabetes epidemic, but plant-based diets could help fight it. Recent studies find that a low-fat vegan diet is as effective as oral medications at lowering blood sugar. However, Caroline suggested that changes in diet or medication should be made in consultation with a health care professional.

Knowledge of Family History Helps Prevent or Delay Diabetes

Many people who develop Type 2 Diabetes in the later life have one or more family members with the disease. Hence, it is very important to share about your family history of Diabetes with your doctor. People with a family history of Diabetes can take steps to prevent or delay the development of the disease.

What is more advantageous of taking the steps to prevent Diabetes is that it is also good for your overall health. You can prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes even by losing a small amount of weight  5% to 7% or 10-14 pounds for a 200-pound person and becoming more active. It is recommended that everyone should be active at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Keeping a log of what you eat and when you exercise can help when speaking with your healthcare provider and it will help you track your progress. 

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health Services is partnering with the National Diabetes Education Program  (NDEP) in recognizing National Diabetes Awareness Month in November 2010  by encouraging people to know their family history.  

DHHS Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas says, "I am encouraging all state employees as part of my affiliation with the State Wellness Advisory Group to increase their awareness of the health risks of diabetes, including their family history, and how to reduce their chances of developing this serious illness."

Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health at DHHS, says, "You can’t change your family history, but knowing about it can help you work with your healthcare team to take actions on the things you can change, such as losing weight, exercising more, and eating better. So speak with your family to find out if you have any close relatives who have or had diabetes. If any woman in your family had gestational diabetes while pregnant, she is also at increased risk for diabetes in the future and so is that child."

Study: Diabetes May Not Increase Risk of Eye Disease

It may not be obvious that Diabetes patients will have an increased risk of developing eye disease, revealed a new study led by Dr Jennifer Sun, at the Beetham Eye Institute at Joslin Diabetes Center. However, this claim is against general medical opinion.

The research claims that Diabetes patients may even be protected against proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Study

97 patients who had lived with Diabetes for over 50 years were analyzed.

Results

The majority of them escaped vision loss despite the extremely long duration of the disease.

Dr Jennifer Sun said that this data may help identify other factors that protect against retinopathy complications.

For those who opt for eye therapies like intravitreous injection and chemotherapy drugs, another study revealed that the therapies do not open risk for heart disease. This study was led by Dr Lesley Curtis and colleagues at the Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina.

Rise in Magnesium Intake Lowers Risk of Diabetes

According to a 20 year study undertaken by Dr. Ka He of the University of North Carolina, USA, and his colleagues, the risk of diabetes is 47% less in people who consumed magnesium and vitamin supplements in their food. However, he mentioned that large clinical trials should be carried out to validate the relationship between magnesium and diabetes.

The study explains the association of whole grains, a rich source of magnesium, with lower risk of diabetes. The other options for rich content of magnesium include green leafy vegetables like spinach; the chlorophyll molecule in the leafy vegetable contains magnesium. In legumes, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains also contain magnesium. In addition, tap water is a good source of magnesium as it contains natural minerals.

Supporting this study, the National Institutes of Health, said, “Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose (sugar) levels. Low blood levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) are frequently seen in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Hypomagnesemia may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance. Individuals with insulin resistance do not use insulin efficiently and require greater amounts of insulin to maintain blood sugar within normal levels. The kidneys possibly lose their ability to retain magnesium during periods of severe hyperglycemia (significantly elevated blood glucose). The increased loss of magnesium in urine may then result in lower blood levels of magnesium. In older adults, correcting magnesium depletion may improve insulin response and action.”

FDA Yet to Approve Diabetes Drug “Bydureon”

United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to approve Amylin’s Diabetes drug “Bydureon” as more tests were expected to be run on the drug, revealed the drugs company Amylin Pharmaceuticals in a statement. The FDA has decided that it would like to run a QT test to know how the drug affects patients’ heart rate.

The Food and Drug Administration has requested the results of a study which would evaluate the efficiency and safety of the drug. According to the company that has produced the Diabetes drug, it is aiming to respond to the FDA’s requests by the end of next year. Hence, only when the company’s response comes, it can be said that whether the drug will be approved or not.