Chinese-American, Black Women With Certain Diets Have Higher Risk For Developing Type 2 Diabetes, Studies Find

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 29 Nov 2007 - 8:00 PDT

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Chinese-American and black women who regularly consume foods with a high glycemic index, such as white bread, potatoes and noodles, have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to two separate studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday, Reuters Health reports.

For the first study, lead researcher Supriya Krishnan of Boston University's School of Public Health and colleagues examined data from a food questionnaire completed by 40,078 U.S. black women in 1995. Researchers calculated the glycemic index and glycemic load, and every two years through 2003, the women provided current information on their weight, health and other factors. During the study period, 1,938 women developed diabetes. Participants who consumed high-glycemic index foods or had a high-glycemic diet had a higher risk for developing diabetes. Those who consumed more fiber from grains had a reduced risk, according to the study.

In the second study, lead researcher Raquel Villegas of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues studied 64,227 Chinese-American women for an average of five years. The participants were interviewed every two years between 2000 and 2004 about health-related information, such as eating habits and physical activity. During the study period, 1,608 participants developed type 2 diabetes. Participants who had higher-glycemic index diets had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, those who consumed more carbohydrates were more likely to develop the disease. Women who consumed the most carbohydrates each day had a 28% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who had the least daily intake, according to the study (Reuters Health, 11/27).

The first study is available online. The second study also is available online.

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