Will Changes in Diet and Lifestyle Prevent or Treat Diabetes?
By Doug Bremner MD

Type-2 diabetes is a disease that is caused by modern living and can be treated by changing the way we live. The most important factor in the development of type-2 (adult onset) diabetes is diet and weight. One important study looked at patients in an intermediate between health and diabetes who had what is called impaired glucose tolerance, a condition that often progresses to full diabetes. At-risk individuals who met with a nutritionist who helped them change their diet and lifestyle (more exercise, less fat and saturated fat, more fiber) cut their risk of developing diabetes by 58%, even though they only lost 8 pounds on average. Prevention of diabetes with lifestyle intervention was better than medication (metformin), with a 58% reduction in new onset diabetes in at risk patients, compared to 31% for metformin. Eleven percent of patients on placebo developed diabetes in one year, compared to 8% on metformin, and 5% with the lifestyle intervention (DPPRG 2002). Patients on metformin had more gastrointestinal side effects than the other groups.

Diet and exercise are critical to prevention and treatment of type-2 diabetes. If you are overweight you can get tested with a glucose tolerance test by your doctor. Remember, even a 10% decrease in weight can have dramatic positive effects. That involves getting blood tests to measure the glucose level in your blood before and after drinking a glucose (sugar) drink. If your level is too high, that means your body is not processing glucose right, making you at risk for diabetes. If that test is positive, you should take it as a serious wake up call to change your diet and exercise.

Finally, if you are at risk for developing type-2 diabetes, or have already been diagnosed, you should lose weight, replace simple carbs (like white bread and pasta) with those that take longer to digest, such as whole-wheat noodles and whole grain bread, legumes, and whole grains. Cut out and eliminate, if possible, sugary sodas and candy, processed and fast foods. Eats lots of leafy greens, colorful vegetables, and fresh fruit. Limit your intake of red meat to those cuts that are lean - even then you should only eat red meat once a week. Eat fish or chicken twice a week. Exercise for 30 minutes, at least three times a week.

DPPRG (2002): Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. New England Journal of Medicine 346:393-403.

Learn more about alternatives to medications and hidden risks of prescription medications in 'Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May be Bad for Your Health: Risks and Side Effects You Won't Find on the Label of Commonly Prescribed Drugs, Vitamins and Supplements', by researcher and physician J. Douglas Bremner, MD.