Dietary Factors and Diabetes
In a study of roughly 70,000 women, those who ate the most red meat (about one serving a day) had a 22% higher risk of dabetes than those who ate the least (about one serving a week). --Arch. Intern. Med. 164:2235, 2004.
One possible culprit is the iron, or, more precisely, the heme iron found in animal foods. "Heme iron is much more readily absorbed, even if you already have enough on board," explains Harvard's Walter Willett, MD. "We're better at regulating the non-heme iron that we get from plants and supplements."
In another study or over 35,000 women in Iowa, those who consumed the most heme iron had a higher risk of diabetes than those who consumed the least. --Diabetologia 47: 185,2004.
Scientists speculate why heme iron might cause harm. "In extreme cases of iron ovrload, called hemochromatosis, we know that there's damage to the beta-cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin," explains Dr. Willett. "The iron seems to be directly toxic."
And why do some vegetarians contract diabetes? There is evidence that refined carbohydrates and a high glycemic load increase the risk of diabetes, while a diet high in whole grains and fiber and a low glycemic load are associated with a lower risk, according to JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Indeed, many times when one leaves off meat, they consume a diet heavy in refined and processed carbs, ie. cookies, cakes, pies, etc. Whole grains should be emphasized here. Indeed in a study of over 42,000 men and another study of 75,000 women, those who ate the most whole grains had a 40% lower risk of diabetes than those who ate the least. --Am. J. Clin. Nut. 76:535, 2002; Am. J. Public Health 90:1409, 2000. The fiber in whole grains makes a big difference.
In a meta-analysis that pooled the results of 8 studies, people who got more fiber from breads, cereals, and other grains had about a 30% lower risk of diabetes. "It's not just fiber," explains Dr. Willett. "It's also the nutrients, which get stripped away when grains are refined. Among those nutrients are magnesium and chromium. The same meta-analysis found a 20% lower risk of diabetes in those who ate the most magnesium-rich foods such as whole grains, nuts, leafy greens, and beans. --Nutrition Action Health Letter, Sept. 2008.
An overall good diet and other positive lifestyle factors are always important when dealing with diabetes and other modern-day maladies.
Suzanne