Rice has received some negative publicity lately regarding its effects on the development of diabetes. A large study, published this March in the British Medical Journal, found that regular eaters of white rice were significanty more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than people who rarely consume the food. The study found that the risk of developing diabetes was 55% higher for Asian populations and 12% higher for western populations in those who consume 3 to 4 servings of white rice a day compared to those who rarely consumed white rice.

There are many misconceptions regarding the causes of diabetes. One of these is that excessive sugar intake leads to the development of type-2 diabetes. The general scientific consensus is that sucrose (table sugar) itself doesn’t cause diabetes although products with added sugar are typically calorie dense and therefore may contribute to the development of obesity if consumed to excess. Therefore, providing that an individual is a healthy weight, moderate consumption of foods rich in sucrose, or any other sugars, is unlikely to increase that individuals risk of developing diabetes.

One of the most important aspects of managing diabetes is preventing postprandial hyperglycemia, which is an exaggerated blood sugar response following a meal. In general, the glycemic load (GL) gives a good idea of the glucose response that will occur after eating a given amount of a particular food. The GL is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index of a food by the amount of carbohydrate. So for example eating two large grapefruit (GI of 25 and 50g of carbs) would effect blood sugar levels in a similar way to eating one banana (GI of 50 and 25g of carbs).

The idea of complementary foods is a relatively new concept in diabetes management and it refers to certain foods, that when consumed in conjunction with a traditionally high GL meal, help reduce the exaggerated glucose response that would normally occur. Some of these complementary foods are discussed in detail below.

Vegetables are a vital component of a healthy diet and this is particularly true for diabetics. Most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and nutrient dense but low in calories making them ideal for diabetics who often need to watch their calorie intake. The general rule of thumb for diabetics is that root vegetables should be eaten in moderation (no more than 1 serving a day), while green and red vegetables are great choices and should be consumed in high amounts, preferably 3-5 servings a day. There are exceptions to this rule that we will discuss in more detail below.

Root Vegetables & Tubers

Root vegetables and tubers are relatively concentrated sources of sugars and starches and tend to contain only small amounts of fiber. This can be problematic for diabetics because they can produce a large glycemic response in situations when they are not combined with high fiber foods.

A common question asked by diabetics is whether they should substitute honey for table sugar in their diet. This is generally motivated by the belief that a “natural” product like honey will be better for their health than a refined product such as table sugar.

In general, I am of the belief that better management of diabetes comes not from eating a single food or focusing on a particular food group, but instead from the combined effect of numerous lifestyle and dietary changes such as weight-loss, a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and increased physical exercise.

Two studies, both published in July of this year, have linked high consumption of heme iron (the form of iron found in animal products) with an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes.

The first study was conducted by researchers from the Center for Perinatal Studies at the Swedish Medical Center in Washington, USA, and involved the study of 3,158 pregnant women who were followed over the course of their pregnancy. During the study, 158 of the women developed gestational diabetes.

The small island of Nauru in the South Pacific is believed to have the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world with a massive 31% of adults between 20 and 79 suffering from either type-1 or type-2 diabetes in 2010.

Obesity is the primary reason for the high diabetes rates in Nauru with more than 95% of the population classified as either overweight or obese making Nauru the fattest nation on the planet.

A Mediterranean style diet that is high in fruit, nuts, legumes, and whole grains may reduce an individuals risk of developing type-2 diabetes by more than 80% according to new research published in May this year.

The study, conducted by Spanish researchers and published in the British Medical Journal, followed 13,380 Spanish university graduates for an average of 4.4 years. The graduates adherence to a Mediterranean diet was calculated by giving each participant a score of zero or one for their consumption of nine components of a Mediterranean diet.

Evidence from several large studies suggests that vegetarians may be more than 50% less likely to develop type-2 diabetes compared to those who consume meat on a regular basis.

One of the largest studies on the link between a vegetarian diet and diabetes came from a study of 25,698 seventh day adventists in 1960 over a 21 year study period. The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health in 1985.

People who consume nuts at least five times a week may be almost half as likely to develop type-2 diabetes as infrequent nut eaters according to the results of a recent study.

The study was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2002 by American researchers at the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. The authors analyzed data on 83,818 women which was collected from the Nurses Health Study (NHS) over a 16 year period from 1980 to 1996.

A recent study has found that eating dairy products such as cheese, milk, butter, and yogurt can reduce an individuals risk of developing type-2 diabetes by as much as 31%. The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care in 2006, involved following 37,183 healthy middle-aged women for an average of 10 years. The women were asked to complete questionnaires on how frequently they consumed 130 common food products.

Low-carbohydrate diets high in plant based protein and fat may be better than traditional low fat, high carbohydrate diets at reducing the risk of diabetes according to a new study published in the February 2008 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study which followed more than 85,000 women over a 20 year period. The researchers examined the association between the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates and the probability of developing diabetes.

The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the impact a particular food has on an individuals blood glucose levels. GI is defined as the area under the two-hour blood glucose response curve after consuming a fixed portion of a particular food. A high GI value indicates that consumption of a particular food increases blood glucose levels both faster and to a higher peak than a low GI food.

Typical staples of a western diet such as diet soft drinks, red meats, and fried foods can lead to a condition called metabolic syndrome which can significantly increase your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease according to a recent study.

The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and published in the American Heart Association’s Circulation journal, found that as little as two servings of red or processed meat a day and one diet soft drink increases an individuals risk of developing metabolic syndrome by more than a quarter.