Females in middle age who drink alcohol moderately and consume large amounts of refined carbohydrates have a 30% lower chance of developing diabetes type 2, compared to women with similar dietary habits who don't drink, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Examples of refined carbohydrate foods include sugary drinks, white bread, some pastas, and (polished) white rice.
The authors explained, as background information to their report, that very little prior research has focused on whether there might be an association between glycemic index load, glycemic index, alcohol consumption and diabetes type 2 risk.
Dr. Frank Hu and team set out to determine what impact alcohol intake (or lack of it) might have on diabetes risk in middle aged women whose refined carbohydrate (carb) intake was high. They tracked 81,827 women for 26 years. The women had participated in the Nurses' Health Study and were all free of diabetes type 2 when the study began.
Their cumulative averages of glycemic index, glycemic load, total carb intake and total alcohol intake were calculated every two to four years using questionnaires.
During the follow-up period 6,950 participants developed diabetes type 2.
They found that the women with a high refined-carb intake who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol had a 30% lower chance of developing diabetes type 2 compared to women whose refined-carb intake was also high but consumed no alcohol.
In an interview with Reuters news agency, Dr. Hu said:
"If you eat a high carb diet without drinking alcohol, your risk of developing diabetes is increased by 30 percent.However, if you eat a high carb diet, but (drink) a moderate amount of alcohol, the increased risk is reduced."
The authors concluded in an Abstract in the journal:
"Our findings suggest that a higher alcohol intake (=15 g/d) attenuates the positive association between GL and T2D incidence."
The moderate drinkers in this study consumed an average of 0.8 once (24 grams) of alcohol each day, the equivalent of approximately two drinks each week. A very small percentage were classed as heavy drinkers - consuming at least two ounces of alcohol each day - they did not have a lower diabetes type 2 risk.
The authors stressed that their study should not encourage people to start drinking if they do not do so now. Rather, they encourage a diet low in refined carbs and high in whole grains. If you are a drinker, they added, you should do so with moderation.
Refined grains have been milled so that their outer bran coating has gone, leaving just the endosperm. Examples include white rice, white pasta and white bread. When referring to rice, the term polished is often used with the meaning 'milled'.
Unpolished long-grain rice with bran
Polished Indian sona masuri rice grains
In whole grain products, the germ and endosperm are still there. Bran is a good source of fiber, while the germ has protein, minerals and vitamins - the endosperm has carbohydrates (mainly in the form of starch).
Whole grains, also known as unrefined grains (unrefined carbs) are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals - these help protect us against diabetes, some cancers and coronary heart disease. Some studies have demonstrated that individuals who consume at least three portions of whole grains each day have a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to people who don't.
Here you can see the bran, germ and endosperm
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Rania A Mekary, Eric B Rimm, Edward Giovannucci, Meir J Stampfer, Walter C Willett, David S Ludwig, and Frank B Hu
Am J Clin Nutr December 2011 ajcn.023754. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.023754 Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
27 Nov. 2011.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
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(Hover over the stars then click to rate) posted by sam on 25 Nov 2011 at 7:26 am
Oh yea sure,Keep on Backing UP ALCOHOL USE.....Yea OK
But drink more than the recommended one glass per day and you reverse the heart-healthy benefit.
“Chronic heavy drinking is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease,” Eskapa says.
Excessive drinkers also face:
A higher risk of damaging heart muscle – and that occurs earlier in drinking women than in men
Higher triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood
High blood pressure
Heart failure
Diabetes
Stroke
Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats)
Death from heart attacks
Anemia (a shortage of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body)
Brain Damage
Women drinkers are more vulnerable to brain damage.
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posted by selenar on 25 Nov 2011 at 11:39 pm
selecting better alcoholic options is important as well. I have heard there are some low calorie vodkas that can be used for cocktails that contain electrolytes and natural flavors
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posted by Branden on 26 Nov 2011 at 2:40 am
Alcohol is not good for you one bit, honestly it's not even worth posting the reasons why...Alcohol is not good in any which shape or form...just do not drink
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