WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS? #2

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS? #2

Risk Factors for Diabetes

Diet and cow’s milk

Several preliminary studies have found that early introduction of cow’s milk formula feeding increases the risk of developing type 1 diabetes, although contradictory results have also been published. A study of 821 Finnish children (including 435 full-term diabetics) showed that early introduction of cow’s milk formula feeding (before 3 months of age vs. after 3 months of age) was associated with increased risk of type 1 diabetes.

Diet and fiber

People in many parts of the world who eat traditional diets high in fiber have a low risk of type 2 diabetes. Vegetarians, who typically have high-fiber diets, have been reported to be at low risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While some research has not revealed an association between total fiber intake and protection from diabetes, specific fiber-containing foods such as peas and beans and whole-grain products have been associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. Some of these foods (peas and beans) contain a type of fiber that slows down the absorption of glucose into the blood, protecting the body from large sudden increases in glucose; this may explain why they help protect against type 2 diabetes. How other foods (like whole-grain products) that do not contain much of this type of fiber help prevent type 2 diabetes is unclear.

Diet and fat

Diets high in fat, especially saturated fat, worsen glucose tolerance and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, an effect that is not simply the result of weight gain caused by eating high-fat foods. Saturated fat is found primarily in meat, dairy fat, and poultry skins and dark meat.
In contrast, glucose intolerance has been improved by diets high in monounsaturated oils. One of the simplest ways to increase intake of monounsaturates is to add olive oil to the diet instead of other vegetable oils, butter, and margarine.
Diet and chromium
Chromium plays an important role in both the function of insulin and the control of blood glucose. Chromium deficiency causes glucose intolerance, and some, though not all, studies have shown that glucose tolerance improves in nondiabetics given chromium supplements. Chromium levels in the human body decrease with age, corresponding with increases in the risk of type 2 diabetes, though these two facts are not necessarily related. While increased chromium intake might help prevent diabetes in people with high risk for the disease, no research has yet investigated the possibility of this effect. Despite the lack of definitive research, however, many doctors recommend 200 mcg of chromium per day as a way to help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Family history
People with a family history of the diabetes are at increased risk for the disease, though not all type 2 diabetics have a family history. People with a family history of diabetes should adopt dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce their risk for diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
Women who have had diabetes temporarily during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Women with a personal history of gestational diabetes should adopt dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes.
Obesity
Most people who develop type 2 diabetes are obese. More precisely, people with excess abdominal fat (as opposed to fat accumulation in the thighs and buttocks) have an especially high risk of diabetes, even if their body weight is normal. Although excess abdominal fat does not stop insulin formation, it does make the body less sensitive to insulin. Excess weight can induce glucose intolerance in otherwise healthy people, and weight loss reverses this problem. One study found that people who were not overweight but simply had a strong family history of type 2 diabetes could reduce their risk of becoming diabetic by losing weight.
Increased weight gain in infancy may increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in childhood. In a study of 435 diabetic children and 386 healthy children, increased weight was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in the risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
Impaired glucose tolerance
Many people who are not diabetic have glucose intolerance—blood sugar levels that are slightly above normal, accompanied by elevated blood insulin levels. People with impaired glucose tolerance are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, though only 20–50% actually develops the disease.
Race
Type 2 diabetes is much more common in Native Americans and is also higher in blacks and Hispanics compared to whites.
Sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary people are more likely and exercisers less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. This link is not completely explained by the effect of exercise on body weight. Exercise probably helps lower diabetes risk in part by helping to control body fat while maintaining or improving insulin sensitivity. One study found exercise alone to be as effective as exercise combined with dietary changes in preventing diabetes in people with glucose intolerance. Another study found that exercise combined with an improved diet reduced death rates in people with glucose intolerance.
Smoking
Both male and female smokers are more likely to become diabetic compared to nonsmokers.

The information presented in Health notes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals.

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