Diabetes lifestyle advice same as for all

Monday October 14th, 2013

People with diabetes do not need different advice about diet and lifestyle from others, according to a new study.

Patients with the condition need to achieve the same levels of fitness and eat the same healthy foods as other people, according to a major European study.

However patients with diabetes benefit more than others from achieving a healthy lifestyle, researchers reported.

The findings come from a study of some 6,000 people with diabetes taking part in a major European research project on nutrition. They were compared with 258,000 other people in the study.

The study, reported in the journal Diabetologia, found that eating substances such as butter and margarine was linked to increased risk of death during the period of the research.

But healthy diets including fruit, vegetables, pasta, poultry and vegetable oil were linked to reduced risk.

Overall people with diabetes faced a 62% greater risk of dying early than others.

The researchers, led by Dr Diewertje Sluik, of the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany, report: "It appears that the intake of some food groups is more beneficial (fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, pasta, poultry, vegetable oil) or more detrimental (soft drinks, butter, margarine, cake, cookies) with respect to mortality risk in people with diabetes.

"This may indicate that individuals with diabetes may benefit more from a healthy diet than people without diabetes.

"However, since the directions of association were generally the same, recommendations for a healthy diet should be similar for people with or without diabetes."

Diabetologia October 2013; DOI 10.1007/s00125-013-3074-y

diabetologia-journal.org/files/Sluik.pdf

Tags: Diabetes | Diet & Food | Europe | Fitness

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