You're certainly aware by now that being overweight is just one of the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. You may also know that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to vision loss, kidney failure, amputations, heart problems, and sexual dysfunction — among other long-term effects. The good news is that a healthy diet can help both prevent and treat diabetes.
Recently a group of researchers focused their attention on whether alcohol use as part of a healthy diet might have an effect on diabetes risk. They grouped together 20 published studies which included, altogether, over 477,000 people. They compared those who never drank alcohol with those who did drink alcohol — and grouped the drinkers by how much they drank in grams of alcohol per day.
They found that those women who drank about 24 grams of alcohol per day were actually 40% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those women who never drank alcohol. Men who drank 22 grams per day reduced their risk by just 13%, however, compared to those who never drank.
On the other hand, drinking more than about 50 grams per day (for women) or 60 grams per day (for men) doubled their risk of Type 2 diabetes — so it's clear that one can easily get too much of a good thing.
One of the interesting things about scientific research is that sometimes you start out to discover one thing and end up finding something else. A group of scientists from the University of Minnesota set out to investigate whether a diet rich in flavonoids (an antioxidant found in fruits, vegetables, and beverages like tea or wine) might help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
They utilized data from a large study of postmenopausal women known as The Iowa Women's Health Study. At the beginning of the study over 40,000 women were asked about their height, weight, medication use, exercise, and other lifestyle habits as well as background questions. They were also given a questionnaire asking about their "usual diet" using a food questionnaire listing over 125 items. In five follow-up surveys sent over the next 18 years, the women were asked if they had been diagnosed with diabetes (among other follow-up items).
Dr. Nettleton and her colleagues then analyzed the diabetic women's diets and compared them with the non-diabetic women's diets. Unfortunately, they found that a woman's flavonoid intake had no relationship to the risk of Type 2 diabetes. They noticed, however, that those women who reported drinking red wine seemed to have a lower risk of diabetes. In fact, those women who drank red wine at least once per week had a 16% reduced risk of diabetes compared to those who did not drink as regularly. Similar analysis of other alcoholic drinks produced similar results.
After further analysis, the researchers concluded that it was not the flavonoids in the red wine that had the protective effect — after all, the total amount of flavonoids had no effect on diabetes risk. The researchers in Minnesota concluded that further research is necessary on flavonoids, but their results on alcohol adds to the protective effects of alcohol that other researchers have seen.
These studies support the conclusion that moderate alcohol use doesn't just help you avoid heart disease, it also helps you avoid diabetes. That said, it doesn't mean that you should start drinking if you don't want to, nor does it mean that you can have your entire week's worth of alcohol in one night. Regular, moderate consumption, such as a glass or two of wine with dinner, say, is clearly good for you.
Even though alcohol appears to be good for you in moderation some medications may interact with it, so check with your doctor. Also remember that all alcohol contains calories: about 100 calories per four-ounce glass of wine, about 150 calories per 12-ounce serving of beer, and about 75 calories per ounce of distilled spirits such as whiskey or vodka. Keep this in mind during those holiday parties!
Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!
Dr. Gourmet
For more information visit:
Recently a group of researchers focused their attention on whether alcohol use as part of a healthy diet might have an effect on diabetes risk. They grouped together 20 published studies which included, altogether, over 477,000 people. They compared those who never drank alcohol with those who did drink alcohol — and grouped the drinkers by how much they drank in grams of alcohol per day.
On the other hand, drinking more than about 50 grams per day (for women) or 60 grams per day (for men) doubled their risk of Type 2 diabetes — so it's clear that one can easily get too much of a good thing.
One of the interesting things about scientific research is that sometimes you start out to discover one thing and end up finding something else. A group of scientists from the University of Minnesota set out to investigate whether a diet rich in flavonoids (an antioxidant found in fruits, vegetables, and beverages like tea or wine) might help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
They utilized data from a large study of postmenopausal women known as The Iowa Women's Health Study. At the beginning of the study over 40,000 women were asked about their height, weight, medication use, exercise, and other lifestyle habits as well as background questions. They were also given a questionnaire asking about their "usual diet" using a food questionnaire listing over 125 items. In five follow-up surveys sent over the next 18 years, the women were asked if they had been diagnosed with diabetes (among other follow-up items).
Dr. Nettleton and her colleagues then analyzed the diabetic women's diets and compared them with the non-diabetic women's diets. Unfortunately, they found that a woman's flavonoid intake had no relationship to the risk of Type 2 diabetes. They noticed, however, that those women who reported drinking red wine seemed to have a lower risk of diabetes. In fact, those women who drank red wine at least once per week had a 16% reduced risk of diabetes compared to those who did not drink as regularly. Similar analysis of other alcoholic drinks produced similar results.
After further analysis, the researchers concluded that it was not the flavonoids in the red wine that had the protective effect — after all, the total amount of flavonoids had no effect on diabetes risk. The researchers in Minnesota concluded that further research is necessary on flavonoids, but their results on alcohol adds to the protective effects of alcohol that other researchers have seen.
These studies support the conclusion that moderate alcohol use doesn't just help you avoid heart disease, it also helps you avoid diabetes. That said, it doesn't mean that you should start drinking if you don't want to, nor does it mean that you can have your entire week's worth of alcohol in one night. Regular, moderate consumption, such as a glass or two of wine with dinner, say, is clearly good for you.
Even though alcohol appears to be good for you in moderation some medications may interact with it, so check with your doctor. Also remember that all alcohol contains calories: about 100 calories per four-ounce glass of wine, about 150 calories per 12-ounce serving of beer, and about 75 calories per ounce of distilled spirits such as whiskey or vodka. Keep this in mind during those holiday parties!
Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!
Dr. Gourmet
For more information visit:
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