Link between rice intake and diabetes found

Rice is a major source of dietary carbohydrates. But the link between diet, rice in particular, and diabetes has not been studied in great detail till now.

A paper published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition shows a clear link between the consumption of white, polished (refined) rice and the prevalence of diabetes.

Every tenth participant of the 2001-02 phase I CURES (Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study) conducted by Dr.V.Mohan of the Dr.Mohan’s diabetes specialities center in Chennai was chosen for the current study to see for a link between dietary carbohydrate and diabetes. 1,843 people who did not know their diabetes status were selected for the study.

The participants: the chosen participants were then tested for diabetes and their food habits were recorded. The risk factor for diabetes such as sedentary lifestyle, age, BMI (body mass index), etc., were adjusted between the kind/ quantity of food consumed and diabetes.

When the food habits of the chosen participants were studied, it became clear that those who consumed more rice (Polished and refined) were more likely to have diabetes. For instance, the study participants were spilt into four quartiles based on the amount of various food consumed. It was found that people in the lowest quartile consumed about 320 grams per day of rice compared with 516 grams per day by those in the highest quartile.

“What we found was, as the amount of rice consumption increased, the consumption of other food items, like fruits and vegetables, legumes and diary products became less,” said Dr. Mohan. “We found a link not just between carbohydrate consumption and diabetes but the kind of carbohydrate consumed and its effect”, said Dr. Mohan.

Carbohydrate rich:

The carbohydrate derived from polished white rice is 66 per cent of the total carbo hydrate in take.

“Another interesting finding was that as the increased intake of rice was at the cost of other food items,” he said. For instance, in the lowest quartile that consumed less rice, the intake of fruits was about 300 grams per day, while fruit consumption in the highest quartile was 233 grams per day. The same trend was observed in the case of other food items.

But the biggest positive link was found in the case of dairy products. Those having the least quantity of dairy products were more likely to have diabetes; those who consumed the most had less chances of having diabetes.

Polished rice:

“It is not that our eating habits have changed in the recent past. Our fathers and grandfathers had also consumed rice. But the kind of rice they consumed and what we consume today are totally different,” he said.

The rice that we get today is the highly refined and polished variety. “The more polished the rice, the more glycaemic index (GI) it would have,” he said. The GI indicates the glucose-raising effect of a food.

Polishing removes the bran and the germ. While the bran contains fibre, protein and vitamin B-complex; polished rice has only starch, which is nothing but carbohydrate.

According to Dr. Mohan, rice used to be 2 per cent polished earlier; now it is polished to 8 per cent -10 per cent.

The only good news is that increased of the ill-effects of various food items has made many companies produce healthier food products.

Healthy food:

Rice that is relatively less polished is now available in the market. Similarly, many products made from whole wheat are available.

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Exhausted? Get yourself checked

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood sugar levels. This happens either due to defective insulin secrection or action or both helps in burning of glucose obtained from food to give energy. There are two major types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes (earlier called juvenileonset or insulin-dependent diabetes), usually develops in children or young adults. In this type, the body completely stops producing insulin.

In type 2 diabetes (previously known as adult-onset or non insulin-dependent diabetes), the body produces some insulin, but it is not enough. Moreover, there is insulin resistance. In other words, the available insulin does not work properly. In both types of diabetes, the signs and symptoms are similar.

Symptoms of diabetes

These include
*being very thirsty
*frequent urge to urinate
*weight loss
*increased hunger
*blurry vision
*irritability
*tingling hands or feet
*skin, bladder or gum infections
*wounds that don’t heal
*itching in the genital areas
*extreme unexplained fatigue

It must be remembered, however that up to 50 percent of patients with diabetes may not have any symptoms at all. Such cases come out only during routine investigations such as master health checkup and pre-employment checkps.in this case, people live for month, even years without knowing they have the disease. Often diabetes attacks so gradually that symptoms may not even be recognized.

Diagnosis of diabetes.

Diabetes should be ideally diagnosed after an oral glucose tolerance test (GTT). This helps to pickup early status of the disease. The test involves testing of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and two-hour plasma glucose (2hr PG) after intake of 75 Gms of glucose dissolved in water the diagnostic cut off for diabetes and the two “pre-diabetic stages” namely impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are given in the table below.

Those who have pre-diabetes i.e. IFG or IGT are at increased risk of developing diabetes. Such individuals must undergo a GTT at least once a year and should follow a proper diet and exercise program and if overweight, reduce weight in order to prevent diabetes. Diabetes can also be diagnosed, if random or casual plasma glucose is greater than 200 mg/dl or more on more than two occasions in the presence of symptoms of diabetes.

Thus, early detection is the key to prevention and effective control of diabetes. As diabetes is largely asymptomatic, regular screening for diabetes is of utmost importance. One should not wait for symptoms like thirst, excess urination and weight loss as they are late symptoms. If one has a family history of diabetes or is over weight, one should undergo a prevention diabetic check-up as soon as possible.

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Diabetes and pregnancy

Diabetes is increasing throughout the world at an alarming rate. More and more young people are diagnosed to have diabetes.

Consequently, number of pregnancies complicated by high blood sugar is also increasing diabetes during pregnancy is a very serious health problem affecting both the mother and that baby. It requires lot of effort from the doctors and the pregnant women to cope with it.

CLASSIFICATION:

Diabetes in pregnancy can be of two types

1. Pre-gestational Diabetes- Diabetes is present even before the patient becomes pregnant.

2. Gestational Diabetes – Development of diabetes for the first time during pregnancy. It usually resolves after delivery.

PROBLEMS OF DIABETIC PREGNANCY:

In Pre-gestational diabetic, recurrent abortions, still birth, cardiac and neurological malformations, macrosomia (larger baby) can happen to the baby. In both pre-gestational and gestational diabetes, after delivery, baby may develop hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, hypocalcemia (low calcium).

For the mother, chances of caesarean section are high and she is at high risk for PIH (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension) and Birth canal injuries during delivery.

Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
Pregnancy induces a state of insulin resistance and susceptible persons develop GDM.

Risk factors for GDM:

1. Obesity.
2. Age more than 25 years
3. Family history of diabetes.
4. Previous history of large baby (>4kg)
5. Bad obstetric history (recurrent abortions stillbirth etc.,)
6. Presence of hypertension/dyslipidemia

Whom do you screen for GDM:

Because India is having maximum number of diabetic population, all pregnant women irrespective of the presence of risk factors, should be screened for GDM using 75 g or 100 g “Glucose Tolerance Test” (GTT) around 5th month of pregnancy.

Management:

Management of diabetic pregnancy requires multidisciplinary approach involving diabetologist, gynecologist and paediatrician.

Strict sugar control is very important. It requires lot of motivation, education & counseling to the pregnant mother & their family members.

Blood sugar should be monitored using glucometer at home by the patient & they should aim for near normal blood sugar (fasting sugar should be less than 100mgs/dl and 2 hrs post prandial should be less than 120 gms/dl. Regular consultation with diabetologist, Periodical ultrasonogram of abdomen to assess fetal one vital for successful completion of pregnancy.

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Working out with diabetes

Young diabetic athletes and diabetic children usually have type-1 diabetes and require multiple insulin injections daily. They need a more intensive approach to exercise- related matters when compared with diabetics in the general population. Knowledge and practice of the recent guidelines will help diabetic athletes- professional and amateur- compete on equal terms with other athletes.

The guidelines emphasise having a comprehensive written plan –a Diabetes Care Plan, and letting teachers, trainers, fellow athletes, etc, have copies of it. The plan should include the following information relevant to the individual athlete/child:

· How often do you need to monitor blood glucose?

· What are the pre-exercise values of blood sugar below and above which exercise is unsafe? Teachers and coaches need this information to decide whether it is safe to allow play.

· What insulin do you use, and how much?

· How do you adjust the dose for planned as well as unplanned activity?

· How do you correct high blood glucose levels before and after exercise?

· How do you recognize, prevent and treat low blood glucose levels (hypoglycaemia) during exercise?

· How do you administer an injection of glucagons to treat hypoglycaemia?

· How do you recognize, prevent and treat high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia)?

· How do you recognize the symptoms and signs of diabetic ketosis?

· What other medication is the athlete/child using?

· Who should one contact in an emergency?

Since it is unlikely that everyone will have sufficient knowledge of a diabetic athlete’s medical condition, a prominent medical alert bracelet will help caregivers focus sooner on diabetes-related issues during an emergency. This is important because a few minutes’ delay in the diagnosis and treatment of hypoglycaemia can cause permanent brain damage.

Exercise in diabetes, even with all the trouble, is just as important for health in diabetics as it is in the general population. Many parents find it easier to forbid their children from playing sports rather than go through all this hassle. But consider this: children will play no matter how much parents and teachers forbid it, so the only question is whether they do it safety or not.

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Nutrition and fitness

Regular physical activity is a vital part a healthy lifestyle, ideally constituting a total of at least 30 minutes on most days of the week, while also including some resistance activities. Physically active people show lower risks of cardiovascular disease such as coronary heart disease and stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity and other common chronic diseases. Also a better nutrition can provide a healthy lifestyle and stick with disease-free life. Every people have a desire to remain fitness in the body and want to look gorgeous and healthy. In such cases, nutrition and regular exercise are the best support to attain the goal.

Nutrition plays a min role in sports personalities. They ought to have healthy body to support their academic life. If they are lack of nutrients, it is hard to shine in their industries. People must be physically fit to enter in the sport academies. Proper nutrition can obviously aid to succeed in their any sorts of sports. Regular physical activity can also encourage heart function, less injury, better sleep habits, and improvement in body composition. It can also reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, blood glucose regulation and over all immune function. It also aid to control weight and being healthy.

It is best to incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables to remain fitness. During involving in physical activity, it strengthens bones and muscles. It also benefits every parts of the body. The muscles will be tighten and looks pretty. It will also encourage the rate of metabolism. One should focus on the long-term benefits to attain good health. Soft drinks are typical sources of alternative sweetness for many of us. Moderate use of these products poses no health risks for most people. Regular intake of fruits and vegetables has been linked to a decreased risk of both hypertension and stroke.

It is inevitable to achieve an adequate water intake, either through drinking water or by adding water-rich foods to the diet. Drinking of more water can provide more energy and feel fresher always. It aids to balance the body throughout the day. The calories are free in this weight-loss drug. The main role of water is to remove wastages from the body and allow leading a healthy life style. Parents should encourage proper nutrition best in childhoods. Mostly, the children may refuse to eat some fruits and vegetables and always they go beyond with delicious foods. It can encourage obesity and further complications in health benefits. They can educate on nutrition at school or home by personal cares.

It is essential to see health care professional men and women at any stages. He can guide the right path and stick with sensible diet. Adequate vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and like should be consumed by every sorts of people. It is also reliable to maintain food diary which helps to strict the foods. Fatty and fried foods must be avoided at any cost foe well-being.

Physical fitness benefits the entire body. People are also active simply because they enjoy it, whether they are swimming, playing basketball, walking briskly, or engaging in any innumerable other activities. Some of the people are not showing interest to engage in regular physical activity because of laziness. Sometimes, laziness encourages obesity. Regular physical activities only help overweight people but also maintain the physical fitness allover the body. One who engages it, benefit it.

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Yoga and diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that kills more people in the world. It is of different types. Diabetes means that the body does not produce or use insulin properly. The disease may cause health issues like blindness, stroke, cardiac disease, hypertension, circulatory disorders, and even encourages death. It is a serious disease that affects the whole life. The diabetes is a chronic disease that has been treated successfully under yoga session. It is true that yoga can reverse diabetes. Regular practice of yoga can help to reduce the risk of complications as a result of diabetes. It is quite important to check with your health care provider before taking a decision to rush yoga centers.

But some people say that yoga cannot cure diabetes, but it can help to control the disease. However, yoga is really benefited to this disorder. Yoga exercise can reduce the blood pressure and improves circulation in the body. Yoga involves various poses. Each poses has its own uses and benefits. It also helps to reduce the weight in a weight-loss program. It generally tones the body and muscles like anything. It keeps fit and healthy. It is safe to involve in the program of yoga, only with the help of registered yoga practitioners. Yoga practice can also reduce the harmful effects of physical and mental stress. Stress can increase the blood glucose level and can encourage headache and stroke, so it must be treated under yoga sessions.

Yoga is a very good exercise for the patients of diabetes, as it can increases the blood supply and oxygen supply to the organs. Thus improves insulin administration in the body. Asanas, one of the postures in yoga, is really benefited to treat diabetes. The best time for yogic asanas is early morning and evening. There are certain terms and conditions on yoga sessions. One should start the yoga practice in an empty stomach. If it is done in the evening, there should be a gap between snacks and meals. It is recommended for diabetic patients to eat something immediately after performing exercises. Yoga poses can relax your body and mind and make you energetic person. This exercise also increases energy, reduce obesity and cure diabetes.
Yoga is restricted to some individuals like pregnant women and the people who suffer from low back pain, injuries should not perform certain exercises. It is effective but a strict exercise that should be followed for physical well-being of the people. This results in lowering the level of blood glucose. When exercising, the body needs extra energy, so your body must be prepared for that. For some people with diabetes, after exercise may increase of blood glucose levels. So it is mandatory to check with your physician to avoid side effects of yoga practice.

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