Sodas, Fries, Snacks and Inactivity Raise Diabetes Risk

Posted on: 

Sunday, September 30th 2012 at 5:00 am

Written By: 

Case Adams, Naturopath

Researchers from the The Netherlands' Utrecht University Medical Center have determined in a large study that a diet rich in soft drinks, fries and snacks substantially increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The research followed 20,835 Dutch people. The researchers monitored the diets and diet patterns of the patients through questionnaires and cross-referenced these with the incidence of type 2 diabetes among the subjects.

The analysis allowed the researchers to separate the subjects' diets into two general patterns. The first pattern found a variety of foods, which included diets rich in fruits, vegetables and lean protein foods were accompanied by a lower risk of diabetes. Those subjects with a dietary pattern with increased intake of soft drinks, fries and snacks, however, had an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes.

The dietary analysis found that those in the highest quarter percentile of this dietary pattern (increased intake of soft drinks, fries and snacks) had a 70% higher incidence of type 2 diabetes than those in the lowest quarter percentile of this dietary pattern.
Additionally, type 2 diabetes increased to more than twice the incidence among subjects who were in the highest quarter percentile together with less physical activity.
Increased physical activity also decreased the incidence of type 2 diabetes among those who were in the highest quarter percentile of eating more soft drinks, fries and snacks. The risk of type 2 diabetes decreased from 70% more incidence to 35% more incidence in those who got more exercise.

The researchers concluded

A high score on a pattern high in soft drinks, fries and snacks and low in fruit and vegetables was associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes in overweight and obese subjects especially among physically less active individuals.

The hard news on soft drinks

As we break down the increased risk to the type of consumption, we find that soft drinks have been linked with not just diabetes, but also cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome(which includes diabetes and cardiovascular disease), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gout in men, obesity, increased dental caries and gum disease. Many have connected this to the increased level of sugar in the diet, and newer research has linked this to increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
For example, in a recent study of over 2,700 Taiwanese teenagers, researchers from Taiwan's National Yang Ming University found that those who drank more beverages sweetened with sugar and HFCS had three to five times the risk of being obese, and double the risk of having gout when compared to those who did not drink sodas.

Fried risk

As for fries, research has also connected the eating of fried foods with increased cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. Other risks include breast cancer, as we reported on a recent study showing the increased consumption of acrylamide is linked to greater levels of breast cancer.

Whether the acrylamide content is the only precipitating factor with fried foods has yet to be determined, but there is strong evidence pointing to overcooked oils becoming toxic in themselves. When many oils are heated beyond their smoke point, the fatty acids can convert to trans fats or other types of damaged fats. These can become peroxidized and form lipoperoxides within the body. These lipoperoxides will form greater levels of LDL and VLDL, and will damage the liver and blood vessels, forming atherosclerosis.

Illustrating this effect, in a recent study from the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, researchers found a link between type 2 diabetes and stroke in those with higher levels of lipid peroxidation.

A lethal combo

These two diet issues – increased consumption of refined sweeteners such as HFCS and eating fried foods – come together in the form of many of our snack foods. Many snacks are both sweetened with these refined sugars and deep-fried. These include many of our potato chips, crackers and others.

Baked snacks with little or no sugar should thus be considered healthier, but a survey of snacks in practically any store will reveal that healthier snacks - outside of fruits and vegetables - often require a bit more diligence to find.

Learn about the living food diet.

REFERENCES

• Bauer F, Beulens JW, van der A DL, Wijmenga C, Grobbee DE, Spijkerman AM, van der Schouw YT, Onland-Moret NC. Dietary patterns and the risk of type 2 diabetes in overweight and obese individuals. Eur J Nutr. 2012 Jul 28.
• Bray GA. Fructose and Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2012 Sep 5.
• Carvalhana S, Machado MV, Cortez-Pinto H. Improving dietary patterns in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2012 Sep;15(5):468-73.
• Lin WT, Huang HL, Huang MC, Chan TF, Ciou SY, Lee CY, Chiu YW, Duh TH, Lin PL, Wang TN, Liu TY, Lee CH. Effects on uric acid, body mass index and blood pressure in adolescents of consuming beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Int J Obes (Lond). 2012 Aug 14. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2012.121.
• Sanny M, Jinap S, Bakker EJ, van Boekel MA, Luning PA. Is lowering reducing sugars concentration in French fries an effective measure to reduce acrylamide concentration in food service establishments? Food Chem. 2012 Dec 1;135(3):2012-20.
• Ronco AL, Stefani ED, Deneo-Pellegrini H. Risk Factors for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Case-control Study in Uruguay. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(6):2879-86.
• Tsakanova GV, Ayvazyan VA, Boyajyan AS, Arakelova EA, Grigoryan GS, Guevorkyan AA, Mamikonyan AA. A comparative study of antioxidant system and intensity of lipid peroxidation in type 2 diabetes mellitus and ischemic stroke aggravated and not aggravated by type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011 Sep;151(5):564-6.

The 18 Foods Americans Are Most Likely To Throw Out

BY EMI BOSCAMP, MBG EDITORIAL
DECEMBER 2, 2014 1:35 PM EST

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Now that Thanksgiving is over, your fridge is stuffed with, well, stuffing. And turkey. And mashed potatoes. And cranberry sauce. You've already had your fair share of turkey sandwiches, and you know that with each passing day, your leftovers' conditions are worsening. And as much as you hate to admit it, you see a major fridge clean-out in the near future.

But Thanksgiving is certainly not the only time Americans waste their food. In fact, the amount of food we toss out annually is becoming a pretty big problem. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food scraps make up 20% of our landfills, and each year Americans toss 35 million tons of untouched groceries.

The EPA says that restaurants and businesses are responsible for about half of food waste, and consumers for the other half — which costs American households $124 billion each year.

So which foods do we throw out the most? Well, fresh fruits are a major culprit, sitting out proudly (until bruised) on our counters. According to The Atlantic, Americans throw away 31% of all tomatoes they buy, or 21 tomatoes a year per person.

Here's the rest of the list, thanks to the USDA's food-loss estimates among consumers for 2010:

1. Fish and seafood
2. Added sugar and sweeteners
3. Fresh fruit
4. Fresh vegetables
5. Meat
6. Vegetables
7. Meat, poultry, and fish
8. Eggs
9. Dairy products
10. Fluid milk
11. Grain products
12. Fruit
13. Other dairy products
14. Processed vegetables
15. Poultry
16. Added fats and oils
17. Processed fruit
18. Tree nuts and peanuts

So how do we break this wasteful habit? The EPA recommends a number of strategies for reducing waste, like making shopping lists, learning the proper way to store your groceries, composting food scraps, and donating excess. You can also check out their program "Food: Too Good to Waste," which offers families the tools they need to reduce food waste and save time and money at the grocery store.

While we'd never suggest eating food past its prime — especially with items like eggs and poultry — we urge you to shop more consciously, keeping shelf life (or better yet, a complete menu) in mind. Your wallet will thank you.

(h/t The Atlantic)

Photo Credit: Stocksy

What is Functional Medicine?

“Frustrated with impersonal, ineffective, symptom-centric medical approaches, a growing number of patients are searching for better solutions. And they are finding them in the field of Functional Medicine, a radical new model for how to practice medicine and treat chronic disease.”¹

THE INSTITUTE FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE INVITES YOU TO DISCOVER A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT HEALTH CARE.

If you live with a chronic condition, you already know that our current system of medical care isn’t working very well. 

• Obesity and diabetes rates are at an all-time high, with no end in sight.
• Heart disease is still our country’s #1 killer after more than 50 years of modern medical treatments.
• Diseases related to excess weight, poor diet, and inactivity now account for more than 70% of health care spending.

The rising cost of care for these “lifestyle-related” diseases is quickly becoming unsustainable. Many families, no matter their incomes, find the health care costs related to living with chronic disease devastating.

WHY HASN’T MODERN MEDICINE ADDRESSED THESE PROBLEMS?

The current health care system is designed to treat urgent medical problems, also known as "acute” conditions. But chronic, lifestyle-related diseases can’t be treated successfully using that same approach. 

“Magic bullets” don’t work to treat chronic conditions. What does work is an individualized approach to patients—with an emphasis on the ways our environment and lifestyle choices interact with our genes.

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

Functional Medicine is an innovative approach to medical care. It uses the latest medical research to develop personalized care for each patient based on his or her unique environment, lifestyle, and genes. The result is a dynamic, effective way to address chronic disease. And it really works.

- See more at: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/Patients/WhatisFM/#sthash.vQmv55C5.dpuf