Tag Archives: men

March 26, 2012 · 2:00 AM

Is It More Important To Be Fit, Or Healthy Weight?

Men live longer if they maintain or improve their fitness level over time, according to research out of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas.  Part of that improved longevity stems from reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart attack and stroke). 

Compared with men who lose fitness with aging, those who maintained their fitness had a 30% lower risk of death; those who improved their fitness had a 40% lower risk of death.  Fitness was judged by performance on a maximal treadmill exercise stress test.

Body mass index over time didn’t have any effect on all-cause mortality but was linked to higher risk of cardiovascular death.  The researchers, however, figured that losses in fitness were the more likely explanation for higher cardiovascular deaths.  In other words, as men age, it’s more important to maintain or improve fitness than to lose excess body fat or avoid overweight.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference: Lee, Duck-chul, et al.  Long-term effects of changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and bodly mass index on all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men.  Circulation, 124 (2011): 2,483-2,490

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May 20, 2009 · 12:10 AM

High Glycemic Load and Low Grain Fiber Increase Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men

Minimally refined grain

Minimally refined grain

A study published in 1997 helped establish the association between glycemic load, dietary fiber, and type 2 diabetes in men.

Methodology

Over 42,000 mostly middle-aged men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, without diabetes at baseline, were followed over six years to see if  diet composition was related to onset of type 2 diabetes.  Food intake was determined by a questionnaire.  95% of participants were white.

Results

523 cases of type 2 diabetes developed.  Men with the highest glycemic index eating pattern were 37% more likely to develop diabetes compared to the lowest glycemic index.

Cereal (grain) fiber was inversely related to risk of diabetes.  That is, the higher the intake of grain fiber, the lower the risk of developing diabetes.

The combination of high glycemic load and low cereal fiber yielded the highest rate of diabetes.

Total dietary fiber was not associated with reduced risk of diabetes.

Fiber from fruits and vegetables was not associated with diabetes one way or the other.

As other studies found, total carbohydrate intake was not related to risk of diabetes.

Take-Home Points

These findings may or may not apply to women and non-white ethnic groups.

Grains in a minimally refined form reduced the incidence of diabetes in this population.

Diets with a high glycemic load increase the risk of diabetes, at least in men.

Elsewhere, I’ve reviewed studies indicating that, in women, both high glycemic load and high glycemic index eating increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.  Click here for details.

We must wonder if  established cases of diabetes would respond positively to diets with low glycemic load and grains in a minimally refined form.  Or is it too late?

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference:  Salmeron, Jorge, et al.  Dietary fiber, glycemic load, and risk of NIDDM in Men.  Diabetes Care, 20 (1997): 545-550

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Filed under Carbohydrate, Causes of Diabetes, Fiber, Glycemic Index and Load

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