Tom Matthe
Wed, Jun-26-02, 20:56
Medscape Medical News Nuts May Lower Risk of Diabetes
Laurie Barclay, MD
Medscape Medical News 2002. =A9 2002 Medscape
June 19, 2002 -- New data presented June 16-17 at the 62nd
Scientific Ses= sions of=20 the American Diabetes Association
suggest that eating nuts helps prevent = the=20 development of
diabetes and that zinc supplementation in obese,=20
insulin-resistant women improves insulin sensitivity, even in
the absence= of=20 zinc deficiency.
"Major constituents of nuts (unsaturated fatty acids,
magnesium and fiber= ) have=20 been inversely associated with
risk of type 2 diabetes; however, the over= all=20 effects of
nut consumption on risk of type 2 diabetes are not
available,"= write=20 Rui Jiang and colleagues from Brigham
and Women's Hospital in Boston. "Ou= r=20 results suggest that
frequent nut consumption is associated with lower ri= sk of=20
type 2 diabetes in women."
In this offshoot of the Nurses' Health Study, the authors
analyzed data f= rom=20 validated dietary questionnaires
completed in 1980 by 83,818 women, aged = 34 to=20 59
years, without a history of cardiovascular disease, cancer,
or diabete=
s.=20 During 16 years of follow-up, 3,206 women developed type
2 diabetes.
After adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), smoking,
physical activi= ty,=20 family history of diabetes, alcohol,
and total energy intake, nut consump= tion=20 was inversely
associated with risk of diabetes. Compared with women who a=
lmost=20 never ate nuts, multivariate relative risk (RR)
among women who ate nuts = less=20 than once weekly was 0.93
(95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.01). RR w= as 0.84=20
(95% CI, 0.76-0.93) among those who ate nuts one to four
times weekly, an= d RR=20 was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60-0.88) among
those who ate nuts more than five time= s=20 weekly (P<.0001
for trend).
The protective effect of nuts did not vary after further
controlling for = dietary=20 factors, including intake of
vegetables, fruits, and whole grain, and a=20 composite diet
score composed of trans fat, cereal fiber, glycemic load, =
marine=20 omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and polyunsaturated
fat-to-saturated fat rat=
sa.
"The inverse association persisted within strata defined by
levels of fam= ily=20 history of diabetes, body mass index,
smoking, alcohol use, physical acti= vity,=20 and dietary
variables," the authors write.
In a separate study by Dilina N. Marreiro and colleagues from
Universidad= e de=20 Sao Paulo-SP in Brazil, zinc
supplementation enhanced insulin sensitivity= in=20 obese
women who were not zinc-deficient.
In this prospective, double-blind, clinical interventional
study, 56 obes= e women=20 with normal glucose tolerance were
randomized to treatment with zinc, 30 = mg=20 daily, or
placebo for four weeks. At baseline, age was 25 to 45 years,
me= an BMI=20 was 36.2 =B1 2.3 kg/m2, and both groups were
similar in clinical and labo= ratory=20 parameters.
Insulin resistance as measured by a homeostasis model
assessment did not = change=20 in the placebo group, but it
decreased from 5.8 =B1 2.6 to 4.3 =B1 1.7 (P= <.05) in=20 the
zinc-supplemented group. Insulin decreased from 28.8 =B1 14.1
to 21.2= =B1 8.1=20
sb/mL (P<.05) in the zinc group but was unchanged in the
placebo group.
"A short time of zinc supplementation improved insulin
sensitivity in obe= se=20 insulin [resistant] women without
zinc deficiency," the authors write. "A= lthough=20 the
mechanism concerning the effect of zinc supplementation is not
comple= tely=20 understood, further studies are recommended to
address the possible role = of zinc=20 therapy in insulin
resistance states such as [diabetes]."
ADA Annual Meeting: Abstracts 1644-P, 569-P. June 16-17, 2002.
--Tom Matthews
MoreLife for the rational - http://morelife.org Reality based
tools for More Life in quantity & quality
Laurie Barclay, MD
Medscape Medical News 2002. =A9 2002 Medscape
June 19, 2002 -- New data presented June 16-17 at the 62nd
Scientific Ses= sions of=20 the American Diabetes Association
suggest that eating nuts helps prevent = the=20 development of
diabetes and that zinc supplementation in obese,=20
insulin-resistant women improves insulin sensitivity, even in
the absence= of=20 zinc deficiency.
"Major constituents of nuts (unsaturated fatty acids,
magnesium and fiber= ) have=20 been inversely associated with
risk of type 2 diabetes; however, the over= all=20 effects of
nut consumption on risk of type 2 diabetes are not
available,"= write=20 Rui Jiang and colleagues from Brigham
and Women's Hospital in Boston. "Ou= r=20 results suggest that
frequent nut consumption is associated with lower ri= sk of=20
type 2 diabetes in women."
In this offshoot of the Nurses' Health Study, the authors
analyzed data f= rom=20 validated dietary questionnaires
completed in 1980 by 83,818 women, aged = 34 to=20 59
years, without a history of cardiovascular disease, cancer,
or diabete=
s.=20 During 16 years of follow-up, 3,206 women developed type
2 diabetes.
After adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), smoking,
physical activi= ty,=20 family history of diabetes, alcohol,
and total energy intake, nut consump= tion=20 was inversely
associated with risk of diabetes. Compared with women who a=
lmost=20 never ate nuts, multivariate relative risk (RR)
among women who ate nuts = less=20 than once weekly was 0.93
(95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.01). RR w= as 0.84=20
(95% CI, 0.76-0.93) among those who ate nuts one to four
times weekly, an= d RR=20 was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60-0.88) among
those who ate nuts more than five time= s=20 weekly (P<.0001
for trend).
The protective effect of nuts did not vary after further
controlling for = dietary=20 factors, including intake of
vegetables, fruits, and whole grain, and a=20 composite diet
score composed of trans fat, cereal fiber, glycemic load, =
marine=20 omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and polyunsaturated
fat-to-saturated fat rat=
sa.
"The inverse association persisted within strata defined by
levels of fam= ily=20 history of diabetes, body mass index,
smoking, alcohol use, physical acti= vity,=20 and dietary
variables," the authors write.
In a separate study by Dilina N. Marreiro and colleagues from
Universidad= e de=20 Sao Paulo-SP in Brazil, zinc
supplementation enhanced insulin sensitivity= in=20 obese
women who were not zinc-deficient.
In this prospective, double-blind, clinical interventional
study, 56 obes= e women=20 with normal glucose tolerance were
randomized to treatment with zinc, 30 = mg=20 daily, or
placebo for four weeks. At baseline, age was 25 to 45 years,
me= an BMI=20 was 36.2 =B1 2.3 kg/m2, and both groups were
similar in clinical and labo= ratory=20 parameters.
Insulin resistance as measured by a homeostasis model
assessment did not = change=20 in the placebo group, but it
decreased from 5.8 =B1 2.6 to 4.3 =B1 1.7 (P= <.05) in=20 the
zinc-supplemented group. Insulin decreased from 28.8 =B1 14.1
to 21.2= =B1 8.1=20
sb/mL (P<.05) in the zinc group but was unchanged in the
placebo group.
"A short time of zinc supplementation improved insulin
sensitivity in obe= se=20 insulin [resistant] women without
zinc deficiency," the authors write. "A= lthough=20 the
mechanism concerning the effect of zinc supplementation is not
comple= tely=20 understood, further studies are recommended to
address the possible role = of zinc=20 therapy in insulin
resistance states such as [diabetes]."
ADA Annual Meeting: Abstracts 1644-P, 569-P. June 16-17, 2002.
--Tom Matthews
MoreLife for the rational - http://morelife.org Reality based
tools for More Life in quantity & quality