Fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, silver-beet, and lettuce reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care online earlier this month. The same study also found that drinking large amounts of fruit juice may substantially increase diabetes risk.

The research, led by Dr. Lydia Bazzano of the Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, involved the analysis of data from 71,346 healthy female nurses between the ages of 38 and 63 over an 18 year period between 1984 and 2002. During the study period, 4,529 new cases of type-2 diabetes were diagnosed.

A 12-year study on the effects of alcohol on diabetes has found that consumption of alcohol may reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by more than a third. The reduction in diabetes risk was apparent even at relatively high levels of alcohol consumption (more than 28 standard drinks a week).

The researchers used data from 46,892 male health professionals who were sent questionnaires every two years for the 12 year study period.

Diabetes sufferers are just as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those who have already survived a heart attack according to a recent Danish study published in the journal Circulation.

The study of 3.3 million residents of Denmark over the age of 30 was conducted between 1997 and 2002. 71,801 of those studied had been diagnosed with either type-1 or type-2 diabetes while a further 79,575 had suffered a prior heart attack.

Infants who do not receive enough Vitamin D are more likely to develop type-1 diabetes in later life according to researchers who analyzed the findings of five previous studies.

The study, which appears in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, found that across the five studies, vitamin D supplementation resulted in a 30 percent reduction in the probability of developing type-1 diabetes later in life.

Breastfed babies are less likely to develop diabetes later in life compared to babies who are formula fed according to recent evidence.

In one study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and led by Christopher G. Owen of St George’s University in London, data was analyzed from seven studies that had previously examined the impact of breast feeding on diabetes risk.

A new study, presented in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, has found that elderly people with either diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (a precursor to diabetes) , dramatically improved their sensitivity to insulin after just one week of light aerobic exercise.

The research, conducted at the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, involved 12 elderly people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) performing an hour of supervised aerobic exercise for a period of 7 days.

Scientists at a biotechnology company called Novocell have reported a break through in the treatment of diabetes by using stem cell therapy to create insulin producing cells that were injected into mice.

The study, which were published online by the journal Nature Biotechnology, reported that researchers had  produced insulin secreting cells through a complicated process that involved first turning the stem cells into endoderm cells in the lab.

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.

Resistance training may be more effective at preventing obesity and diabetes than previously thought according to a recent study conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).

Researchers engineered mice that could be made to grow type-2 muscle on demand by switching on a gene called Atk1 that regulates type-2 muscle development. In humans type-2 muscle is developed predominately through weight training and explosive exercise such as sprinting and is known as “fast twitch” muscle.

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.

While more than 20 million Americans have diabetes, it is estimated that a further 60 million have a condition known as pre-diabetes, which is also referred to as Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) or Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG). People with pre-diabetes have blood-glucose levels that are higher than normal, but are not quite high enough for them to be classified as a diabetic.

There are numerous dietary supplements that can aid in the treatment and management of diabetes. These typically work by increasing an individuals sensitivity to insulin, or by reducing some of the common symptoms of diabetes.

It is recommended you consult a doctor before beginning a supplement regime that includes one or more of the supplements below due to potential adverse reactions that can occur when certain supplements are combined with other medications.

Diabetics often ask whether it is safe for them to eat large quantities of fruit. Many diabetic patients avoid eating fruit because they are worried that the high sugar content found in most fruits will worsen their condition. Fortunately, there are many fruits a diabetic can enjoy which do not significantly affect blood glucose levels, in fact certain fruits may actually improve glucose control and insulin sensitivity over time.

Good Fruits For Diabetics

Fiber rich foods are generally safe for diabetics to eat because they tend to have a lower glycemic index (GI) and therefore do not spike blood sugar levels to the same extent as high GI foods. This is because fiber delays the emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine which slows down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. Fiber rich fruits tend to be fruits with edible skins and seeds as it is these parts of the fruit that are highest in fiber.

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.

Those who eat breakfast cereal each day are far less likely to develop type-2 diabetes than those who do not according to a recent study published in the journal Obesity in December, 2007.

Researchers at the Harvard medical school in Boston, using data from over 20,000 individuals from the Physicians’ Health Study, found a correlation between breakfast cereal consumption and a reduction in the risk of type-2 diabetes. The relationship was stronger amongst those eating whole-grain cereals rather than processed cereal products.

As a general rule, diabetics are able to drink alcohol in light to moderate amounts without any negative health effects.

Alcoholic drinks are typically very low in carbohydrates – a can of beer contains around 10 grams of carbohydrate while wine (with the exception of port), and spirits contain virtually none. Compare this to some soft drinks which contain up to 35 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Furthermore, alcohol actually lowers blood-sugar levels for up to 8-12 hours after alcohol is consumed. This is because alcohol promotes glucose uptake into the liver in the form of glycogen (a form of short term energy storage).