Sugar Intake Not Tied
to Diabetes Risk in Women

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A large new study of middle-aged women suggests that when it comes to diabetes, sugar is not a major player. Instead, the amount of calories consumed and a sedentary lifestyle may be more important in terms of diabetes risk, according to Harvard researchers.

"The intake of sugar, specifically, does not appear to play a major role. Probably the total calorie intake is more important," said Dr. JoAnne Manson, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Certainly the study should not be interpreted as condoning unlimited sugar intake and high calorie intake. It is well known that a higher calorie intake increases body weight, increases the risk of obesity, which is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes," she said.

In the study, Dr. Sok-Ja Janket, Manson and colleagues looked at 38,480 healthy middle-aged women enrolled in the Women's Health Study, an ongoing study of female health professionals. The women, aged 45 years and older, filled out food frequency questionnaires and the researchers tallied up their total sugar intake -- including sucrose (table sugar), fructose (found in fruit) and lactose (found in milk products).

A total of 918 women developed type 2 diabetes during the six-year study period. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease and is often linked with obesity and lifestyle factors.

The investigators found "no definitive influence of sugar intake on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes," according to the report in the April issue of the journal Diabetes Care. Those women who consumed the most sugar in their diet were not more likely to develop diabetes than those who consumed lower amounts, according to the report.

Women with the lowest sugar intake, however, tended to consume more fat and cholesterol.

The results do not mean it's time to hit the candy counter for an all-you-can eat binge, according to the researchers.

"My study is not suggesting that people don't have to be careful about sugar intake, that's not it," said Janket.

A small portion of sweets at the end of a well-balanced meal would be fine, but "you still have to watch it," Janket told Reuters Health. "This is not a free-for-all."

The findings confirm the American Diabetes Association's recommendation that people, including diabetics, need not shun sugar. Instead, the organization advises people to take a moderate approach when it comes to eating artificially sweetened food.

For years, many experts have advised diabetics to steer clear of added sugar and to keep even natural sugar found in fruit to a minimum.

That changed in 1994 when the American Diabetes Association officially relaxed its sugar consumption guidelines declaring that moderate sugar intake could be part of a healthy diet.

Still, the role sugar played in the development of type 2 diabetes has been unclear. And studies of sugar intake in healthy people and later risk of diabetes have been few, according to the report.

Manson notes that the new study does "dispel a myth that sugar intake is a strong risk factor for diabetes" and suggests that "sugar doesn't need to be shunned."

However, a good dose of common sense is in order, and the findings do not condone a steady diet of candy bars and soft drinks, she said.

"A small to moderate amount (of sugar) can be incorporated into a healthy, well-balanced diet without increasing the risk of diabetes," she said. "Perhaps more importantly, try to avoid major weight gain during adulthood, try to stay physically active and have a heart-healthy diet."

Family history is the number one risk factor for type 2 diabetes. But even individuals at high risk can lower their chances of developing the condition by maintaining a healthy body weight, as obesity has been shown to substantially increase a person's risk.

Indeed, a rise in the incidence of type 2 diabetes in America has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of people who are overweight and obese.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care 2003;26:1008-1015.

Reference Source 89

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".