Tag Archives: disease risk

6 Common Diabetes Myths and Facts Explained

Last year, the American Diabetic Association said that on average, Americans scored about 51 percent when tested on the facts about diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disease and with Type 2 diabetes on the rise, it’s important that we all know a little more about it. Here are a few of the most common diabetes myths and the truth behind them:

Myth: Diabetics can’t eat any sweets.

Fact: Sweets are not entirely off-limits, as long as they are eaten in moderation. A healthy meal-plan is important for diabetics, but it’s also important to everyone else. Processed and refined sweets should be limited but so should fruit. Many people make the mistake of thinking that fruit is a health food, so you can eat as much as you want. Fruit is very healthy, but it still contains a lot of sugar.

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High Glycemic Index Diet Boosts Disease Risk

The glycemic index is an effective way of evaluating your eating habits. The GI refers to how a particular food’s carbohydrate affects your blood sugar level. This will not only have a say in your weight, but your energy levels and, proponents will say, your susceptibility to certain diseases.

A new study reaffirms the disease risk.

The study, conducted by Dr. David S. Ludwig and his colleagues from Children’s Hospital Boston, asserts that people who eat lots of high GI foods not only risk weight gain, they also run the risk of developing a condition that can lead to liver failure and death. The condition is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

If you are new to the GI way of thinking, high-GI foods include white bread, white rice and potatoes. Low-GI foods include most fruits, lentils, soybeans, yogurt and many high-fiber grains.