Entries from July 2009

July 13, 2009

Glycemic Load Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

Swedish researchers report that  a high dietary glycemic load is tied to a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.  This adds to a growing body of evidence that high glycemic index and load may be harmful.  Prior studies relate them to higher rates of diabetes and heart disease.  Click here for my review of glycemic index and [...]

July 10, 2009

Low-Glycemic-Index Eating Had No Effect on Control of Mild Type 2 Diabetes

A Canadian study last year found no overall effect on type 2 diabetes control by using a low-glycemic-index diet and lower-carbohydrate diet, although the low-glycemic-index diet did reduce post-meal glucose levels and C-reactive protein. Background For many years, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet was recommended for type 2 diabetics.  Then in 1979 the American Diabetes Association recommended [...]

July 5, 2009

ADA Now Says Low-Carb Diets OK for Overweight Type 2 Diabetics

Eighty-five percent of type 2 diabetics are overweight or obese.  Overweight either causes or aggravates many cases of diabetes. For the last quarter-century, many U.S. government agencies and healthcare organizations have advocated a low-fat diet for overweight people, including type 2 diabetics.  Recent studies have documented that low-carbohydrate diets can also be effective in weight [...]

July 4, 2009

ABC News Outlines Healthy Components of the Mediterranean Diet

ABC News (online) June 24, 2009, published a well-done, detailed and balanced article on the various components of the traditional Mediterranean diet, such as fish, legumes, fruits and vegetables.  Lots of pretty pictures, too.  If you need a review, click here to read it.  Steve Parker, M.D.

July 3, 2009

A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure

Gastric bypass is the most common bariatric surgery in the U.S.  The odds of dying from that procedure are roughly 1 in 200.  Thousands of people sign on the dotted line for it every year.  Why do they take that risk? A recent study out of Sweden shows that people who undergo various bariatric surgeries reduce their risk of death over [...]

July 1, 2009

Does Weight Loss Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?

I found an interesting statistic in a scientific journal article last year: Every 2.2 pound (1 kg) loss of excess weight lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 16%. That tidbit was embedded in another article with a focus on regain of lost weight over time.  The “16% per kilogram” number sounded too good to be true, [...]