Category: Diabetes

A compound found only in this food can help stop type 2 diabetes and fight obesity.

Avocados contain a fat molecule that could help prevent diabetes and maintain healthy weight by improving blood glucose levels, glucose metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.

Avocatin B (AvoB), which is found only in avocados, has the ability to counter incomplete oxidation processes in the muscles and pancreas and lowers insulin levels.

Participants in this study were given an AvoB dietary supplement alongside eating a Western diet.

The results showed that those who were on AvoB supplements lost weight and improved insulin sensitivity with no adverse effect on skeletal muscle, liver or the kidneys.

More than one-in-three of US, British and Canadian teenagers and adults are overweight or obese, which in turn can lead to type 2 diabetes.

The insulin hormone sends a signal to the body to grab glucose and use it as a fuel for energy.

But people with diabetes are insulin resistant meaning their body cannot properly remove the blood glucose.

Those problems can result in poor fat metabolism and increased fatty acids (fat accumulation) in the insulin sensitive tissues such as liver and muscles.

Fatty acid breakdown occurs in the mitochondria, tiny cells known as powerhouses since they generate energy in the body.

In normal situations, the body burns the fat through the fatty acid oxidation process but diabetes or obesity blocks this process and fat oxidation won’t be completed.

The study shows that AvoB in avocados can counter the incomplete oxidation process in the pancreas and skeletal muscle.

Professor Paul Spagnuolo, the study’s leader, said:

“Eating avocados alone would likely be ineffective, as the amount of natural avocatin B varies widely in the fruit and we still do not fully understand exactly how it is digested and absorbed when we consume a whole avocado.

Although avocados have been touted as a weight-loss food.”

Mr Nawaz Ahmed, the study’s first author, said:

“We advocate healthy eating and exercise as solutions to the problem, but that’s difficult for some people. We’ve known this for decades, and obesity and diabetes are still a significant health problem.”

The study was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Ahmed et al., 2019).

Doing this before drinking coffee helps us keep blood sugar levels under control and lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

A cup of strong coffee in the morning before breakfast might help to perk us up after a poor night’s sleep, but it also has an unexpected knock-on effect.

Drinking caffeinated coffee before breakfast imbalances blood sugar levels which results in developing insulin resistance.

However, coffee after breakfast seems to be safe as it doesn’t cause this negative metabolic effect.

Although one poor night’s sleep has little effect on our metabolism, a coffee before breakfast causes glucose intolerance, a study reveals.

Glucose intolerance is a metabolic condition that can lead to prediabetes and heart disease.

Our blood glucose levels must be kept within the normal range to minimize the odds of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Because of this, researchers emphasise the considerable health problems of drinking coffee before breakfast, given how popular morning coffee is across the world.

Previous studies show that lack of sleep over multiple nights or even over one night can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome (combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity).

This study suggests that one night’s sleep deprivation won’t elevate blood glucose and abnormal insulin response in the morning.

Yet, they found that a strong black coffee an hour after waking caused a 50 percent increase in blood glucose levels.

Previous research has shown that caffeine potentially can cause our body to become resistant to insulin.

Professor James Betts, study co-author, said:

“We know that nearly half of us will wake in the morning and, before doing anything else, drink coffee — intuitively the more tired we feel, the stronger the coffee.

This study is important and has far-reaching health implications as up until now we have had limited knowledge about what this is doing to our bodies, in particular for our metabolic and blood sugar control.

Put simply, our blood sugar control is impaired when the first thing our bodies come into contact with is coffee especially after a night of disrupted sleep.

We might improve this by eating first and then drinking coffee later if we feel we still feel the need it.

Knowing this can have important health benefits for us all.”

The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition (Smith et al., 2020).

This fish contains nutrients that can prevent type 2 diabetes and diminish heart disease risk.

Eating sardines at least twice a week can protect people with prediabetes against developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Oily fish, including sardines, are excellent sources of healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids which reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

On top of the protective effect against cardiovascular disease, consuming a diet rich in sardines help prevents T2D.

According to a study, sardines contain high quantities of nutrients such as taurine, vitamin D, calcium, fluorine, and omega 3 (EPA and DHA) that can stop or delay the development of T2D.

Taurine is a semi-essential amino acid, abundant in oily fish and has a hypoglycemic effect (lowers blood sugar).

Dr Diana Díaz-Rizzolo, the study’s first author, said:

“Not only are sardines reasonably priced and easy to find, but they are safe and help to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

This is a huge scientific discovery.

It is easy to recommend this food during medical check-ups, and it is widely accepted by the population.”

Two portions of sardines

For this study, 152 adults with prediabetes (blood glucose levels between 100-124 mg/dl) followed a T2D-prevention nutritional program for a year.

They were divided into two groups with the same diet but only the sardine group had 200 grams of sardines every week (two cans of sardines in olive oil).

They were asked to consume sardines with bones and skin as these contain good amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

After one year, 22 percent of participants in the control group developed diabetes whereas only 8 percent in the sardines group remained extremely vulnerable to the disease.

The sardine group also had increased “good” cholesterol (HDL), reduced triglycerides, reduced blood pressure, decreased insulin resistance index and increased adiponectin (a protein hormone important for the breakdown of glucose and fat).

Dr Díaz-Rizzolo said:

“As we get older, restrictive diets (in terms of calories or food groups) can help to prevent the onset of diabetes.

However, the results lead us to believe that we could obtain an equally significant preventive effect in the younger population.”

Eating fish not taking supplements

Regularly eating sardines appears to have the protective effect against diabetes, but this is not true for dietary supplements.

Our body obtains taurine, omega-3, calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients from a healthy balanced diet that includes oily fish, but supplementation of these micronutrients won’t have the same effect.

Dr Díaz-Rizzolo explained:

“Nutrients can play an essential role in the prevention and treatment of many different pathologies, but their effect is usually caused by the synergy that exists between them and the food that they are contained in.

Sardines will therefore have a protective element because they are rich in the aforementioned nutrients, whereas nutrients taken in isolation in the form of supplements won’t work to the same extent.”

The study was published in the journal  Clinical Nutrition (Díaz-Rizzolo et al., 2021).

A supplement that may help to manage pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Medication, certain diets, and exercise are effective in fighting diabetes, but there is a possible new way to control the disease.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia suggest that ketone drinks sold as a food supplement might help people with diabetes to keep their blood glucose levels under control.

Dr Jonathan Little, study lead author, said:

“There has been a lot of excitement and interest in ketone drinks and supplements, which have really only been on the market and available to consumers for the last couple of years.

Because they’re so new, there’s very little research on how they can influence metabolism and we’re among the first to look at their use in non-athletes.”

Type 2 diabetes is a life-long disease that causes the body’s blood glucose or sugar level to spike.

The condition occurs when either the body doesn’t respond to the insulin hormone or the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin.

Glucose is the main form of energy carried by the blood to all cells.

But people with diabetes, due to a lack of insulin, can’t use glucose for energy and so the excess sugar stays in the blood.

Dr Little said:

“It’s a disease that’s becoming alarmingly common in Canada and approaching what many would consider epidemic levels.

While type 2 diabetes can be controlled with medications or injectable insulin, many people are looking to options that don’t require taking pills every day or that are less invasive.”

A ketogenic or keto diet involves eating very low carb and high fat foods.

When a person is on a keto diet, the body produces ketones which are a source of energy from the fat breakdown.

However, ketone supplements claim they can do the same without restricting carbs.

Dr Little said:

“There is mounting evidence that a low carbohydrate ketogenic diet is very effective in controlling blood sugar and even reversing type 2 diabetes.

We wanted to know what would happen if artificial ketones were given to those with obesity and at risk for type 2 diabetes but who haven’t been dieting.”

So they tested this idea and asked participants to take a ketone drink on an empty stomach and half-an-hour later they consumed a drink that contained 75 grams of sugar.

Dr Little explained:

“It turns out that the ketone drink seemed to launch participants into a sort of pseudo-ketogenic state where they were better able to control their blood sugar levels with no changes to their insulin.

It demonstrates that these supplements may have real potential as a valuable tool for those with type 2 diabetes.”

But he pointed out that ketone supplements are not the perfect answer in controlling the disease.

Dr Little said:

“There are a number of problems that we still have to work out, including the fact that we still don’t know what the long-term effects of consuming ketones are.

And not to mention that the drink itself tastes absolutely terrible.”

A study suggests that the keto diet improves human health only if applied for a very short time as its negative effects begin straight after a week of dieting.

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Myette-Côté et al., 2019).

A staple food that is effective in reducing blood glucose levels and the risk of diabetes.

Millets, a type of cereal crop including sorghum, are highly nutritious and due to their low Glycaemic Index (GI) can lower blood glucose levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

A study found that people who ate millet every day saw a 15 percent reduction in their blood glucose levels.

Also, the blood sugar levels for those who were diabetic went to pre-diabetes and from pre-diabetic to the normal range.

The research suggests that minimally processed millets lead to a better glycaemic response.

Millets are 30 percent more effective in reducing the GI than refined grains such as white flour and white rice.

Carbohydrates present in the food determine a person’s glycaemic response to a food or meal and the GI is a rating system for foods based on their number of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels and so a high GI food will cause a quick rise in blood sugar levels.

It is likely that the number of people with diabetes will be 51 percent higher by 2045.

In 2019, the number of diabetics was 463 million, but the figure will increase to 700 million in 2045.

A sedentary lifestyle and the type of food we consume appear to be the main causes of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Refined grains are staples that in many countries make up 80 percent of the daily calorie intake.

Therefore, replacing these with more nutritious and low GI staple foods would be the key in managing and preventing diabetes.

Professor Ian Givens, the study’s co-author, said:

“Awareness of this ancient grain is just starting to spread globally, and our review shows millets having a promising role in managing and preventing type 2 diabetes.

In the largest review and analysis of research into different types of millet compared to other grains such as refined rice, maize and wheat we found that millets outperform their comparison crops with lower GI and lower blood glucose levels in participants.”

The researchers point out that millets have a GI of 52. 7 which is 36 percent lower than staple foods such as white flour, white rice, and maize.

Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director-General of ICRISAT, said:

“The global health crisis of undernutrition and over-nutrition coexisting is a sign that our food systems need fixing.

Greater diversity both on-farm and on-plate is the key to transforming food systems.

On-farm diversity is a risk mitigating strategy for farmers in the face of climate change while on-plate diversity helps counter lifestyle diseases such as diabetes.

Millets are part of the solution to mitigate the challenges associated with malnutrition, human health, natural resource degradation, and climate change.

Trans-disciplinary research involving multiple stakeholders is required to create resilient, sustainable and nutritious food systems.”

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition (Anitha et al., 2021).

These two drinks together were found to reduce the risk of death by 63 percent in diabetes patients.

Drinking green tea and coffee together daily has been shown to reduce the risk of death from any cause among diabetic people.

When diabetes patients consumed 4 cups of green tea with an additional 2 cups of coffee every day the chance of dying fell by 63 percent, according to a study.

Cancer, dementia, breaking bones, heart disease, and vascular disorders are more common among people with type 2 diabetes.

Although various powerful medicines for treating type 2 diabetes are available, changes in lifestyle including eating habits, improving diet, and exercise seem to be the main way to defeat this disease.

Scientists have suggested that the daily consumption of green tea and coffee could offer some health benefits since these drinks contain several bioactive compounds such as phenolics, theanine, and caffeine.

For 5 years, they followed almost 5,000 Japanese with type 2 diabetes and asked them to complete a food and drink questionnaire every day.

The team found that the risk of death from any disease including cancer and heart disease was lower in those who drank either green tea or coffee or both than those who didn’t drink them.

Interestingly, a higher consumption of these two beverages was linked to an even greater reduced risk of dying.

Drinking a cup of green tea every day showed a 15 percent reduction in mortality risk, 2 or 3 cups a day lowered the odds by 27 percent, and having 4 cups reduced the risk by 40 percent.

For coffee, 1 drink a day was linked to a 19 percent reduced risk of death while having 2 or more cups a day reduced the odds by 41 percent.

Drinking 2 cups of coffee plus 2 or 3 cups of green tea a day lowered the odds by 51 percent.

A combination of at least 2 cups of coffee and 4 cups of green tea per day led to a 63 percent risk reduction of death from any cause.

The biological effect of these two beverages are not fully clear.

However, the researchers explain that green tea contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants.

Natural compounds such as phenols and caffeine in green tea and coffee can lower cholesterol, improve blood flow, and change insulin sensitivity and its production.

The study’s authors wrote:

“This prospective cohort study demonstrated that greater consumption of green tea and coffee was significantly associated with reduced all-cause mortality: the effects may be additive.”

The study was published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care (Komorita et al., 2020).

Eating high amounts of this type of carbohydrate makes you live longer.

Eating more high fibre foods is linked to a longer life, research finds.

However, it has to be from unprocessed foods.

Dietary fibres are indigestible carbohydrates as our body can’t break them down into sugar.

Fibre helps the body to keep blood sugar in control and makes you feel full for longer.

Consuming 35 g of fibre a day will reduce the risk of early death by more than a third.

Experts say that high fibre intake increases life expectancy, improves blood sugar levels, and causes weight loss, however, processed foods won’t have these beneficial effects.

One study found that consuming 35 g of fibre per day will lower the likelihood of early death by 35 percent compared with those who have only 19 g of fibre a day.

Fibre-rich foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

Dr Andrew Reynolds, the study’s lead author, said:

“Try a few different ways to increase your fiber intake, see what works best for you.

If you eat white refined bread or rolls, try changing to wholegrain bread or rolls.

Try brown rice, try brown pasta, try adding half a tin of legumes to meals you already make.”

In this study, adults with prediabetes who consumed foods rich in fibre had lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as losing weight.

Another study has shown that not all foods with fibre are equal.

For example, whole grains are rich in fibre but their beneficial health effects will weaken with processing.

Participants were asked to eat unprocessed or less-processed wholegrain foods like brown rice, intact oats, and whole-grain bread made with coarsely ground flour for two weeks.

In the second fortnight, they ate more processed wholegrain foods like wholemeal bread and instant oats and whole-grain bread made with finely milled flour.

Professor Jim Mann, the study’s senior author, said:

“Wholegrain foods are now widely perceived to be beneficial, but increasingly products available on the supermarket shelves are ultra-processed.”

Eating minimally-processed wholegrain foods showed that participants after their meals had much improved blood sugar levels and during the day they had less swings in blood glucose levels.

During the study period they were asked to maintain their weight but the results showed that they lost a little weight in the first fortnight of consuming less processed whole grains and put on a little weight in the second two weeks of having processed whole grain foods.

The first study was published in PLOS Medicine (Reynolds et al., 2020) and the second study was published in Diabetes Care (Åberg et al., 2020).

The global prevalence of diabetes on average is 8.5 percent.

Eggs are abundant in nutrients including protein, B vitamins, selenium, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and choline.

However, eating eggs every day remains controversial, no matter if they are poached, boiled, scrambled or cooked over easy.

A study finds against ‘egg-cess’ as they discovered that eating one or more eggs a day rises the odds of diabetes by 60 percent.

They examined the link between increased egg consumption and diabetes in 8,545 Chinese adults using China Health and Nutrition Survey data from 1991 to 2009.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly worldwide and China is no exception.

The global prevalence of diabetes on average is 8.5 percent, whereas for China it is above 11 percent, which is an alarming public health issue.

The cost for the nation is also heavy, accounting for 109 billion U.S. dollars.

Dr Ming Li, study co-author, said:

“Diet is a known and modifiable factor that contributes to the onset Type 2 diabetes, so understanding the range of dietary factors that might impact the growing prevalence of the disease is important.

Over the past few decades China has undergone a substantial nutritional transition that’s seen many people move away from a traditional diet comprising grains and vegetables, to a more processed diet that includes greater amounts of meat, snacks and energy-dense food.

At the same time, egg consumption has also been steadily increasing; from 1991 to 2009, the number of people eating eggs in China nearly doubled.

While the association between eating eggs and diabetes is often debated, this study has aimed to assess people’s long-term egg consumption of eggs and their risk of developing diabetes, as determined by fasting blood glucose.

What we discovered was that higher long-term egg consumption (greater than 38 grams per day) increased the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults by approximately 25 percent.

Furthermore, adults who regularly ate a lot of eggs (over 50 grams, or equivalent to one egg, per day) had an increased risk of diabetes by 60 percent.”

The study doesn’t clarify what dietary patterns and cooking methods where used by these participants.

For example, eggs in modern diets are often included in high calorie foods, fried, processed, snacks, cakes, and desserts or consumed with refined grains such as white bread and white rice.

These kind of foods have been shown to increase blood sugar and reduce the insulin sensitivity which leads to diabetes.

The study was published in British Journal of Nutrition (Wang et al., 2020).

An easy way to predict if you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Poor handgrip strength could be a sign of type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to scientists.

Handgrip strength is an easy and quick test to single out those who are at high risk for developing T2D.

The study of 776 people with no history of T2D found that risk of the disease decreased by half for those scoring higher in handgrip strength.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death and more than 10 percent of the US population are living with this disorder.

Although unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, obesity, getting older, and family history are conventional risk factors for developing diabetes, sometimes the disease can’t be predicted in time.

Therefore, loss of muscle and reduced strength can be an important indicator of serious health conditions and has been associated with heart disease, cancer, and early death.

A recent review of 10 studies revealed that people scoring higher in handgrip strength test were 27 percent less likely to have diabetes.

The current research asked participants to grip a hand dynamometer with maximum effort for five seconds.

They found that those who had higher handgrip strength were at a 50 percent lower risk of diabetes.

When they combined this test with other conventional risk factors the prediction of T2D improved even more.

Dr Setor Kunutsor, the study’s first author, said:

“These findings may have implications for the development of type 2 diabetes prevention strategies.

Assessment of handgrip is simple, inexpensive and does not require very skilled expertise and resources and could potentially be used in the early identification of individuals at high risk of future type 2 diabetes.”

Also, it appears that women’s handgrip strength was a better predictive tool for T2D than for men.

Professor Jari Laukkanen, study co-author, said:

“These results are based on a Finnish population.

Given the low number of events in our analyses, we propose larger studies to replicate these findings in other populations and specifically in men and women.”

The study was published in the journal Annals of Medicine (Kunutsor et al., 2020).