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Eat slowly and reduce diabetes risk Your parents must have told you a thousand times — don’t eat so fast, slow down! Now it appears that scientific research is backing them up. At the recent joint
International Congress of Endocrinology and European Congress of Endocrinology in Florence,
Italy, a research team from Lithuania presented their research showing that people who eat their
food quickly are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes than those who take their
time during meals.
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| Diabetes in the body© Shutterstock |
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The research team led by Dr Lina Radzeviciene
from the Lithuanian University of Health
Sciences scientifically determined for the first
time the role that eating speed has as an
independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is a very common disorder
caused by high levels of sugar in the
bloodstream. It affects approximately 6.4% (285
million) of the worldwide population and is
associated with an increased risk of heart
attacks, stroke and damage to the eyes, feet and
kidneys.
Europe alone counts more than 25 million people with diabetes. In most countries, diabetes is
now one of the leading causes of death through its effects on cardiovascular disease: 70% to
80% of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease. Diabetes is ranked among
the leading causes of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputation, and type 2 diabetes
represents between 85% and 95% of cases of diabetes. The total cost of caring for people
with diabetes in Europe is estimated between EUR 28 billion and EUR 53 billion per year.
Dr Lina Radzeviciene commented: ‘The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing globally and
becoming a world pandemic. It appears to involve interaction between susceptible genetic
backgrounds and environmental factors. It’s important to identify modifiable risk factors
that may help people reduce their chances of developing the disease.’
This is not the first time that Dr Radzeviciene’s team made a breakthrough in the
area of diabetes research. They previously found that coffee consumption (four or more cups a
day) significantly decreased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also found that
smoking and egg consumption (more than five eggs a week) increased the risk.
As part of the study, the team compared 234 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients to a
control group of 468 people who were free from the disease. The ratio between cases and control
was one to two and they were matched by gender and age (±5 years).
The participants then completed an in-depth questionnaire designed to collect information on
possible diabetes risk factors in which they rated their eating speed compared to others
(slower, the same, faster). Body measurements (height, weight, waist and hip circumference)
were also taken according to World Health Organization recommendations.
After adjusting for other risk factors — a family history of diabetes, education, morning
exercise, body mass index, waist circumference, cigarette smoking and plasma triglyceride levels
— the researchers found a more than twofold increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes
associated with faster eating habits (odds ratio (OR) = 2.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.56-4.06). Additional findings showed the cases had a higher body mass index and significantly lower education level compared to the controls.
Following their latest breakthrough, the researchers now hope to perform a larger study
looking at how particular types of food, calorie intake, physical exercise, and psychological and
emotional well-being affect diabetes risk factors.
Consider this advice as something to do even if you don’t go on the Homeopathic HCG diet. |
