Mediterranean Diet Reduces Need for Diabetes Drugs

In that low-carbohydrate and low-fat calorie-restricted diets are recommended for weight loss in overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes, a study has found that the Mediterranean diet may reduce the need for antihyperglycemic drugs in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.  Katherine Esposito, from the Second University of Naples (Italy), and colleagues studied 215 overweight people (BMI greater than 25 kg/m2) between the ages of 30 and 75 who were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, had never been treated with antihyperglycemic drugs, and had hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels less than 11%.  Among those diabetics who followed a Mediterranean-style diet, only 44% required antihyperglycemic drug therapy, compared with 70% of patients who followed a standard low-fat diet.  Patients on the Mediterranean-style diet also lost more weight and experienced greater improvements in blood sugar control and coronary risk measures than those on the low-fat diet.  The researchers conclude that:  “"Compared with a low-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate, a Mediterranean-style diet led to more favorable changes in glycemic control and coronary risk factors and delayed the need for antihyperglycemic drug therapy in overweight patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes."

VIDEO: Brain Age Workshop
Dr. Eric Braverman, Director of The Place for Achieving Total Health (PATH Medical), Chairs the Brain Age Workshop taking place Dec. 9, 2009. Held in conjunction with the Winter Session of the 17th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine & Regenerative Biomedical Technologies. The Brain Age Workshop features presentations on Brain Mind Assessment via Neuropsychological Analysis, Movement Deficiency Syndrome, Hormones and the Brain, Nootropic Drug Mechanisms, and Traumatic Brain Injury. View this video to learn about Dr. Braverman’s brain-based model of aging and age modulation.