Diabetes Health Tip #1: Fiber-Rich Grains May Cut Diabetes Risk
Eating whole-grain foods may lower the risk of metabolic problems that set the stage for diabetes and heart disease, a report from The Framingham Offspring Study reveals. Among more than 2,800 people who completed diet surveys, those who ate the most fiber-rich cereals and other whole grains were about one third less likely than those with the lowest intakes to have metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of abnormalities, including abdominal obesity, increased blood glucose levels, high blood pressure, low levels of HDL cholesterol, and elevated triglyceride levels. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
While there is some evidence that limiting carbohydrates may improve insulin sensitivity in overweight adults -- and thereby potentially cut their risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes -- not all carbs are alike. The new findings, say the study authors, support the idea that whole grains, particularly those rich in fiber, may help prevent metabolic syndrome.
The study included 2,834 adults whose average age was 54. The researchers found that higher whole-grain intake was associated with better insulin sensitivity and a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome -- mostly owing to higher fiber consumption. The link remained regardless of factors such as age, total calorie and fat intake, and exercise. Making fiber-rich whole grains a bigger part of overall carbohydrate intake, the authors conclude, may help lower the odds of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
And speaking of metabolic syndrome …
Diabetes Health Tip #2: Metabolic Syndrome Striking More Americans
About one in four U.S. adults has metabolic syndrome, according to a report in Diabetes Care. An earlier study of 6,436 men and women, using data from 1988 to 1994, revealed that just over 24% of Americans age 20 and older met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
In the current study, researchers looked at data collected between 1999 and 2000 on 1,677 people. They found that U.S. adults were faring worse, not better, as the century drew to a close, with more than 27% of Americans diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Especially high was the number of women with the syndrome, which increased by 24% between the two study periods compared with a 2% rise among men. Increased waist circumference, triglycerides, and blood pressures accounted for much of the increase in women. Overall, the researchers estimate that 64 million U.S. adults now have metabolic syndrome. To stop any further rise, the investigators urge “comprehensive approaches for improving nutrition and physical activity habits that target both individuals and the population.”
