Increasing protein and dairy intake may help reduce burden of diabetes: A study

Diabetes – increase in blood glucose levels – is an emerging health problem, especially in developing countries. According to the World Health Organisation, India had 69 million diabetic individuals in 2015 and the number is projected to go up to 98 million by 2030. The problem is more serious for Asians as their genetic make-up puts them at a greater risk of diabetes at a younger age than their European counterparts.

If left untreated, diabetes can intensify to serious health conditions like blindness, kidney failure, heart problems, etc. Apart from genetic factors, the occurrence of diabetes is related to food preferences and lifestyles. Therefore, understanding the link between the consumption of various foods and the prevalence of diabetes in different states can help in devising effective strategies to address the problem.

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A new study has linked the food preferences of individuals to the prevalence of diabetes in various states of India. The study has found that eating calorie-rich food like sugar and honey increases the risk of diabetes while the addition of protein-rich food and dairy products in a meal can help reduce the risk of diabetes.

The study is based on data from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015– 2016), 2011 census, data on per capita crop production, and consumption figures of different food groups from the 68th round of the National Sample Survey. It evaluated trends of food availability and preferences in various states with diabetes numbers.

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It was found that diabetes was more common in states like West Bengal and Kerala where people consume more non-vegetarian food than the one where the diet is predominantly vegetarian. This is because a vegetarian diet helps in diabetes management by making the body sensitive to the insulin hormone.

Researchers also noted that there were more diabetics in the states where people consumed more sugar and honey though this trend was not valid in the case of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Haryana. The study also found that eating protein-rich food such as pulses and nuts decreased the chances of diabetes. Similarly, states, where people ate more dairy products, had a low prevalence of diabetes.

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Diabetes, often dubbed as a lifestyle disorder, was also found to be high in urban districts than in rural areas. This is so because people in cities tend to be less physically active. This makes urbanization an important factor for the growing number of diabetics in the country. Also, diabetes was found to be more common in males than females as has been indicated in the earlier studies.

‘Our study has identified hotspot districts having a high prevalence of diabetes and recommended them to be targeted in public health programs,’ said Dr. Preeti Dhillon, author of the study and Assistant Professor at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai. The analysis showed that 6.9% of adults in India between the age of 15-49 years have diabetes. Among the states and union territories, diabetes is highly prevalent in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while the least in Rajasthan. The prevalence of disease was found to be more in districts that are close to the coastal areas. ‘The high prevalence of diabetes in Andamans and Lakshadweep is of interest as this has not been reported earlier and it would be worthwhile exploring whether any genetic or environmental factors contribute to this,’ commented Dr. V Mohan, Director, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation. Though he was not associated with the study.

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Dr. Anoop Misra, Vice President, Diabetes Foundation (India), commented that while this study provided new information about dietary context and prevalence of diabetes, it must be understood that diabetes is a multifactorial disease. Genetics, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and other lifestyle factors should be taken into consideration before establishing conclusive links. Food intake is a continuously changing and dynamic process and cannot be completely captured in a cross-sectional snapshot. He agreed, however, that high protein intake is needed for Indians as it boosts glucose metabolism in muscles reducing incidences of diabetes. The research team at IIPS included Koustav Ghosh and Gopal Agrawal apart from Dr. Dhillon. The results of this study have been published in the Journal of Public Health.

Credits: India Science Wire

India used to be dubbed as a country of snake charmers in just decades ago, but few would know about the darker side of snakes – snakebite. An estimated 28 lakh cases of snake bites occur in India and about 50,000 Indians die due to snakebites every year. Yet it remains a neglected public health problem.

Many of the deaths and disabilities due to snake bites can be averted if health authorities take steps to prevent snake bites as well as improve facilities for treating those bitten by venomous snake bites. Snakebite mitigation needs concerted efforts just like other public health problems such as malaria and tuberculosis.

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Poor health facilities in rural areas are a major reason due to which snakebite victims do not get adequate care. First, people don’t reach health facilities in time due to lack of transport and even if they do so, healthcare personnel have inadequate knowledge of snakebite management and lack effective antivenom, according to a new study published last month in the medical journal, The BMJ.

“Most snakebite victims die before they reach a health facility because they first approach a traditional healer for treatment. The quality of available antivenom in health facilities is another problem,” pointed out Dr. Ravikar Ralph, a member of the research team from Christian Medical College Vellore, while presenting his findings at a meeting here.

The antivenom manufactured inIndia is exclusively against venoms offour major snake species and is not effective against other species prevalent in different regions. It has also been seen that there is an intra-species variation of venom of the four major species. In addition, the antivenom products available vary in their neutralization efficacy and clinical effectiveness, the study pointed out. The quality of liquid antivenom is also compromised due to problems in maintenance of cold chain during transportation as it must be stored between 2 to 8 degrees.

The call to end the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) under the Sustainable Development Goals framework has brought the problem of snakebite into focus, and this could be an opportunity to take up research in this neglected public health problem, the study has said.

The special issue of the medical journal has focused on neglected diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, kala-azar, neonatal sepsis, and multidrug-resistant enteric fever. It was supported by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). “This collection highlights the notable successes of public health programs in neglected diseases in South Asia and identifies areas where research and supportive policy are needed to sustain plans for control or elimination,” said Dr. Suman Rijal, Head of DNDi, India.

Credits: India Science Wire