Diet for diabetes: Eastern and Western

Could short-term exposure to the average American diet increase one's risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease? According to a recent study, researchers provide compelling evidence to support this hypothesis.

New York Institute of Technology: Western diet linked to vascular damage, prediabetes

Could short-term exposure to the average American diet increase one's risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease? According to a recent study funded by the American Heart Association (AHA), researchers from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) provide compelling evidence to support this hypothesis.

With the obesity epidemic worsening in the United States, many researchers have sought to connect diabetes and cardiovascular diseases to the consumption of the American diet, also known as the "western diet." Categorized by excessively high levels of fat and refined sugars, the diet has been shown to cause metabolic syndrome (prediabetes) in male rats. Now, research from NYITCOM has proven that the western diet can cause equally unsettling results among females, a population which possesses protective hormones aiding in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

For five months, researchers Maria Alicia Carrillo Sepulveda, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biomedical Sciences at NYITCOM, and Benjamin Kramer, fourth-year medical student, exposed the animals to a meal supplement resembling the ingredients of the typical American diet, regularly feeding them pellets with an appearance and scent similar to fast-food French fries. Following this short-term exposure, the researchers discovered that the rats' blood vessels displayed damage and increased blood pressure, symptoms common among diabetics. Surprisingly, the rats developed approximately four times more abdominal fat, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, than their control group counterparts, which received a normal maintenance chow diet.

Perhaps most alarming is that while vascular damage and increased blood pressure were clearly detected, the female rats did not appear outwardly obese, and had not yet experienced the typical warning signs presented by diabetes, such as an increase in blood glucose (>125mg/dL) and hemoglobin A1c levels (>6.4%). The researchers further confirmed the negative effects of the western diet among female rodents and also identified that prediabetes could develop long before the traditional biomarkers are found to be abnormal.

"Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to the western diet can put individuals at risk for developing vascular damage long before the tell-tale signs of diabetes are present. This may explain why some diabetics who successfully manage their blood glucose still experience other cardiovascular diseases, like hypertension, even while receiving treatment," said Carrillo-Sepulveda, whose work also suggests that the western diet may cause persistent modifications in vascular proteins.

Kramer, who received the 2017 American Heart Association Student Scholarship in Cardiovascular Disease, noted that the study reinforces the value of an osteopathic medical education, which trains physicians to consider the overarching consequences of disease, and its impact on the care and lifestyle of a patient, rather than simply treating an ailment.

"This experiment reminds us that focusing solely on one aspect of disease does not adequately tell the complete story of one's health," argues Kramer. "Without the presence of traditional biomarkers, there were still multiple indications suggesting the onset of prediabetes, and we would have been unaware of dire medical conditions had we simply been looking for the conventional signs."

Making a case for physicians to address the cultural environment around their patients in order to fully treat them, Kramer notes, "Translating the study results to potential patients, the problem is the food our patients are eating. If we can educate and encourage them to make better food choices, we can play a key role in the prevention of the development of diabetes."

Continuing the investigation, Carrillo Sepulveda aims to explore the hypothesis known as "metabolic memory," a concept that suggests that despite healthy eating habits and physical activity later in life, exposure to the western diet at a young age can affect one's disposition to diabetes.

Western Diet Ups Heart, Diabetes Risk

Indulging in a typical Western diet of burgers, fries, and diet soda boosts your risk of getting heart disease and diabetes, a study shows.

And the amount of fast food the researchers linked to health problems may surprise you. Just two burger patties a day and one daily diet soda substantially boost the risk of getting metabolic syndrome, researcher Lyn M. Steffen, PhD, MPH, RD, tells WebMD.

Metabolic syndrome, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. For a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, three of five criteria must be present, including a large waistline, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, or reduced levels of HDL "good" cholesterol.

Western Diet vs. 'Prudent' Diet

"The Western diet increased risk by about 18% overall of getting metabolic syndrome over nine years [of follow-up]," says Steffen, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, who followed more than 9,000 people for the research. She divided them into those who ate a Western diet with those who ate a more prudent diet.

Those who ate two or more servings of meat a day, or about two burger patties, boosted their risk by 26% compared with those who only ate meat twice a week, she found. "Diet soda, one can a day, increased risk by 34%," she says. Regular soda didn't significantly boost risk of getting metabolic syndrome in this study, but Steffen notes that another recent study has linked it to metabolic syndrome.

Fried foods also boosted the risk of getting metabolic syndrome, she says, with those eating the most fried foods at 25% higher risk of getting the syndrome than those eating the lowest amounts.

At the nine-year mark, about 40%, or nearly 4,000 participants, had three or more criteria for metabolic syndrome, although none was diagnosed with it at the study start.

Diet and Metabolic Syndrome: Study Details

Steffen and her colleagues evaluated the diet habits of the more than 9,500 men and women who were part of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study by looking at a 66-item food questionnaire. Participants were 45 to 64 when the study started and were evaluated every three years over the nine-year follow-up.

The Western diet followers ate refined grains, processed meat, red meat, fried foods, eggs, and soda and not much fish, fruit, vegetables, or whole-grain foods.

The prudent diet followers ate more fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, poultry, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.

The researchers grouped the participants in each diet group into segments, from those who ate the least amount of the foods studied to those who ate the most servings. They also looked individually at how eating fried foods, sweetened beverages such as regular soda, nuts, coffee, and diet soda affected the risk of metabolic syndrome.

The study is published in the journal Circulation, an American Heart Association publication.

Diet and Metabolic Syndrome: More Results

The development of metabolic syndrome was linked overall with eating the Western diet, even after Steffen adjusted for such variables as smoking, calorie intake, and physical activity.

Overall, eating the prudent diet did not decrease the risk of getting metabolic syndrome, which surprised Steffen. But when she looked at individual foods in the prudent diet, they found that three servings of dairy products lowered the risk of metabolic syndrome by 13%.

The prudent diet may not have produced a lot of benefit, she tells WebMD, because on average the participants didn't meet the five or more recommended servings a day of fruits and vegetables.

Second Opinion

"The finding that a Western diet, with high intakes of processed red meat and fried foods, would lead to the development of metabolic syndrome is in accordance with our traditional thinking," says Peter Sheehan, MD, an endocrinologist and member of the board of directors for the American Diabetes Association, who reviewed the study for WebMD.

Exactly why isn't known, says Sheehan. In food processing, a "common denominator" substance produced might be to blame, he says. Or it "may be people who have a tendency to [be] overweight drink diet soda."

Industry Weighs In

The link found between diet and metabolic syndrome is an association, not cause and effect, cautions Roger A. Clemens, DrPH, professor of molecular toxicology at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, who also reviewed the study for WebMD.

And that association was found between those who consumed the most servings, adds Clemens, a spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists. "These results really emphasize the importance of dietary moderation and appropriate exercise," Clemens tells WebMD.

"I think diet sodas have a role in our lifestyle," he says. "They help reduce calories." The problem is, many people also eat a large order of fries with their diet sodas, he says.

Diet Advice

"Certainly fried foods are a huge culprit here," says Sheehan. "When cooking, try more gentle forms of cooking, like steaming. Limit consumption of processed foods and fast foods." Turn to water instead of other drinks, he adds.

Steffen advises a back-to-basics strategy. Instead of ordering the traditional burger, fries, and soda at your favorite fast-food place, "Order a baked potato, water, and [grilled] fish," suggests Steffen.

Eating well with Diabetes: East Asian diets

Many staple foods in the East Asian diet are good for your health. From fresh soybeans to leafy green vegetables to mandarin oranges, there are lots of nutrient-rich choices. However, refined grains and salty foods are also common and should be limited. If you have diabetes, you can work with your healthcare team to develop a plan that’s right for you. It will probably include exercise, a meal plan, blood glucose monitoring, and perhaps medication. This article will focus on the dietary changes that you can make. 

Some ethnic groups in Canada have a higher risk of getting diabetes, including people of Asian descent. There are certain genes that affect insulin function. Having these genes increases your risk of diabetes. These genes are commonly found in high risk populations such as people with an Asian heritage.

What to eat…and when

If you have diabetes, it is important to eat every 4 to 6 hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Try to have three daily meals at regular times and have healthy snacks when you are hungry. A balanced meal has foods from at least 3 of the 4 food groups: 1. Vegetables and Fruit 2. Grain Products 3. Milk and Alternatives 4. Meat and Alternatives You can work with a Registered Dietitian to make a personal meal plan. An example of a healthy meal plan may look like this:

Breakfast:

1 cup of congee (try brown rice or multigrain rice) 1 oz of steamed fish ½ a cup of steamed leafy vegetables 1 cup of milk or fortified soy beverage

Lunch:

Noodle soup made with: ½ a cup of shrimp 1 cup of greens 1 cup of noodles (try whole grain) 1 cup of homemade or low sodium broth 1 orange 1 cup of tea, coffee or water

Dinner:

Beef and vegetable stir fry: 1 cup of vegetables (carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, broccoli) ½ a cup of sliced lean beef ½ a cup of rice (try brown rice) 1 cup of salad with 1 Tbsp of oil-based salad dressing

Snack:

1 (60 g) steamed meat bun 1 cup of green tea or hot water

Choosing healthy fats

In addition to the four food groups, it is also important to include healthy fats in your diet. People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease so choosing better fats is important. Healthy fats are found in:

• oils (olive, canola, sunflower, soybean)
• nuts
• seeds
• avocado
• oily fish such as salmon 

Try to limit saturated fats such as butter, lard, shortening, palm oil and coconut oil. You can also lower saturated fat by choosing lean meat, fresh fish, skinless poultry and low-fat milk products. Choose lower fat cooking methods such as baking, broiling, barbequing or roasting.

Cook with less oil. Limit deep-fried foods such as egg rolls, spring rolls, fried wontons, fried fish and fried noodles.

Choosing carbohydrates

Carbohydrate is a word for foods that have starch, sugar and fibre. The type and amount of carbohydrate you eat and when you eat it is important. Having too much carbohydrate in a meal can cause your blood sugar to go too high. Your personal meal plan will have the right levels of carbohydrate for you.

If you have diabetes, choose more high-fibre foods. A type of fibre called soluble fibre may help control blood sugar levels.

Try these high-fibre foods:

• Vegetables: mushroom, bok choy, gai lan, broccoli, corn, lotus root, sweet potato, taro, water chestnuts, squash, snow peas, baby corn
• Fruits: apple, banana, durian, berries, mandarins, grapes, guava, longans, lychees, mango, melon, persimmon, pear
• Grains: bread, buns, cereal, oatmeal, crackers, rice and noodles made from whole grain whole wheat or brown rice
• Legumes: dried mung beans, adzuki beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, lentils, peas, soybeans (edamame)
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds

Limit foods such as:

• Jam, sugar and honey
• Sesame paste, walnut paste and almond paste
• Sweetened mung bean soup and red bean soup
• Ice cream (green tea, red bean and sesame)
• Chocolate and candy
• Baked goods
• Deep fried snacks like shrimp chips and wasabi peas
• Sesame pastry
• Sweet buns like red beans buns, taro buns, lotus buns.
• Egg tarts
• Glutinous rice balls

These foods are mostly fat and sugar. They can make your blood sugar levels go too high. You should also limit sweet sauces such as honey garlic, sweet and sour and plum sauce. Talk to your dietitian about the type and amount of sweet foods that can fit into your meal plan.

Cut back on salt

Choose fewer foods that are dried, salted, pickled and fermented. They are high in sodium and can make your blood pressure go too high. Also limit salty condiments such as:

• Soy sauce
• Miso paste/soybean paste
• Fish sauce or fish paste
• Teriyaki sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Black bean sauce

By making small changes to traditional recipes, you can still enjoy your favourite foods. To help manage your blood sugar levels, follow Canada’s Food Guide and your personal meal plan. Choose more high fibre foods and the right types of fat.

Diet for diabetes: Combining East and West

Coconut oil. 

It was their oil for almost everything. Coconut oil plays an essential role in regulating blood sugar. This is a big reason they are practically immune to diabetes. When you include coconut oil with carbs for example, the carbs are broken down into glucose more slowly regulating your blood sugar levels even after you eat. Coconut oil protects against insulin resistance the leading cause of diabetes.  

This was amazing news to me. Coconut oil is readily available in the U.S. I started looking more into their diet. I found that one of their main spices were proven to fight diabetes.

I found that consuming just one gram of this spice increases insulin sensitivity and reverses type 2 diabetes. Yes, reverses it! This was one of many spices and ingredients in the Kachin cuisine that had similar effects.  

Watch Now

Get ready because I am going to show you the lifestyle ingredients and dishes you need to reverse your diabetes in a matter of days.

I am also going to share with you my story on how I discovered the secrets of this groundbreaking ingenious Myanmar cuisine. A tribe that has one of the lowest diabetic rates in the world.

I will show you that reversing your diabetes can be done without pills, insulin shots and boring restrictive diets.