Health
Lifestyle improvements can reverse type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 30, 2006
Overweight and obese individuals who have metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes showed significant health improvements after three weeks of a healthy diet and moderate exercise even though they remained overweight.
The study involved 31 men who ate a high-fiber, low-fat diet with no limit to the number of calories they consumed. The participants also performed 45-60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day on a treadmill.
The study was posted Dec. 15, 2005, in the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
The study shows, contrary to common belief, that type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome can be reversed solely through lifestyle changes," said lead author Christian Roberts, PhD, assistant researcher in the Dept. of Physiological Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, a second study that appeared in the Jan. 9 Archives of Internal Medicine shows that people who eat more protein from vegetables tend to have lower blood pressure. While unsure exactly how vegetable proteins might affect blood pressure, the researchers note that amino acids could play a role. Other dietary components of vegetables, such as magnesium, also might interact with amino acids to lower blood pressure.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/01/30/hlbf0130.htm.
