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Eating, other lifestyle changes, can reduce risk of developing the lifelong disease by 58 percent
By Barbara Quinn
Monterey County Herald
Published on Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
We've heard it called ''borderline diabetes'' or ''a touch of sugar'' — when blood tests reveal higher than normal blood sugar levels that haven't quite reached the threshold to be called diabetes.
Today the official term for ''you don't have diabetes . . . yet'' is ''pre-diabetes.''
The scary news: Left unchecked, pre-diabetes often leads to full-blown Type 2 diabetes — a lifelong disease.
The hopeful news: Early treatment of pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
Two landmark research studies on people with pre-diabetes found some very simple but challenging changes in lifestyle that had a profound effect on who went on to develop diabetes . . . and who did not. Participants who were able to achieve one or more of the following were more likely to stop or reverse the progression of their condition:
Eat no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. Interestingly, fat intake (rather than carbohydrates) is a major predictor of ''insulin resistance'' — a condition that can lead to diabetes. This level of fat intake — an average of 50 to 60 grams a day for most people — is considered a ''low fat'' diet.
Cut saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of total calories.
This calculation translates to less than 15 to 20 grams of saturated fat per day for most people. And lest we think this is an easy goal, remember that 1 ounce (one slice) of cheese contains 6 grams of saturated fat. And 1 tablespoon of butter contains 7 grams. Gulp.
Get at least 150 minutes of ''moderately intensive'' physical activity every week. Brisk walking meets this goal; strolling to the refrigerator between commercials does not. How does exercise help prevent diabetes?
Working muscle cells become more sensitive (less resistant) to the actions of the hormone insulin. Improved insulin sensitivity helps prevent diabetes.
Eat more food rich in dietary fiber. Volunteers in these studies were instructed to eat at least 15 grams of dietary fiber (totals can be found on food labels) for every 1,000 calories in their diet. That's about 25 to 35 grams a day for most of us. Hint: Fiber is only found in foods of plant origin — fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains.
Eat at least three servings of ''whole grains'' each day. Research studies have found a strong correlation between the intake of whole grain foods and improved blood sugar control. Look for bread, cereal and other grain products labeled ''excellent source of whole grains.''
Drop a few pounds. Surprise! When we eat less fat and more fiber and exercise more, our weight tends to drop. And even a modest weight loss (10 to 20 pounds) can significantly slow or prevent the advance of pre-diabetes to diabetes.
The good news from these studies is that people who are given specific guidance to change their lifestyle can reduce their risk for developing diabetes by 58 percent. The sad news is that Medicare and many other health insurance providers cover nutrition therapy and diabetes education for people with diabetes, not for pre-diabetes . . . yet.
Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California. You can write to her at bquinn@chomp.org.
We've heard it called ''borderline diabetes'' or ''a touch of sugar'' — when blood tests reveal higher than normal blood sugar levels that haven't quite reached the threshold to be called diabetes.
Get the full article here.
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