Researchers studied 78,000 nurses in good health who didn't have diabetes, and who participated in the Nurses' Health Study beginning in 1980. The nurses filled out diet and lifestyle questionnaires in 1980, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 before the researchers completed their study in 2000. In the 20 years that the nurses were studied, 3,844 developed type 2 diabetes.
After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), researchers concluded that compared to whites, blacks were 34 percent more likely to have diabetes, Hispanics were 86 percent more likely, and Asians were 126 percent more likely.
While Asians had the lowest average BMI, they ran the highest risk of experiencing diabetes after weight gain. The researchers recommended lowering the cutoff BMI values that identify Asians as high-risk for diabetes. Blacks had the highest average BMI, but weight gain appeared to have a lower impact on diabetes risk than it did for whites.
However, blacks, Hispanics and Asians who adjusted their diet to include more fiber and unsaturated fats, while eating fewer foods that spike blood sugar or contain trans fats, experienced a greater reduction in diabetes risk than whites who similarly adjusted their diet.
Recent research conducted at UCLA shows that type-2 diabetes can be cured in over fifty percent of patients in only a few weeks through simple changes in diet that eliminate sugars, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. Despite the clear evidence demonstrating the causal link between foods and diabetes, the American Diabetes Association continues to claim that sugar consumption does not cause type-2 diabetes and suggests that diabetics control blood sugar through medication (prescription drugs and insulin) rather than food choice.
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