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

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lungs causing obstructed airflow from the lungs (previously known as Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema). Most common symptoms are chronic cough, sputum production, and breathing difficulty. Risk factors for COPD are smoking, indoor air pollution (biomass fuel used for cooking and heating), outdoor air pollution and occupational dust and chemicals (vapors, irritants, and fumes).

COPD is the fifth leading cause of death as per World Health Organisation 2002 report and likely to be the third leading cause by 2030. It is not only deaths, but the financial burden on individuals and the countries is huge. Regular follow-up with the doctor and taking medication regularly is one part.

Non-pharmacological interventions (Pulmonary rehabilitation) which are useful in the management are:

• Smoking cessation- most important, it helps in a further decline of lung function and symptom improvement

• Diet- those with high BMI (body mass index) increased work of breathing – should lose weight. Those with low BMI-with reduced muscle mass will have a weakness: nutritional supplementation advised

• Exercise- increasing muscle strength, breathing techniques – such as Pranayama are proven to be helpful

• Occupational safety- strategies aimed at reducing the burden of inhaled particles and gases

• Vaccination- flu vaccination and pneumococcal vaccines help in reducing exacerbation of COPD

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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent a major peril to the economic growth and development and human health of any nation. The economic loss to India is pegged at $4.58 trillion before 2030 due to NCDs and mental health. The vicious cycle of high out-of-pocket expenditure on health, poor economic growth, workforce productivity loss and rising disease burden are intricately linked to the rising menace of NCDs.

The South Asian region─with a population of more than 1.7 billion─is experiencing a marked demographic transition─characterised by declining birth and death rates and an increasingly aging population. This increase in longevity has also been accompanied by a rise in the prevalence of NCDslike diabetes (78 million cases in 2015). India has the second highest number of diabetic patients in the world, at about 69 million, after China, and this figure is likely to reach 140 million by 2040 and almost half of them remain un-diagnosed. A recent study showed that seven out of ten diabetics in India – especially those in the 20-24 age group – do not take enough steps to control their blood sugar level – even after diagnosis.