Canola oil could help manage diabetes better

Switching your oil can in a way help you fight diabetes. Read to know more.

Editorial Team | Updated: June 15, 2014 5:22 pm

A new research from St. Michael’s Hospital suggests that Canola should be one of the oils of choice for people with Type 2 diabetes. Dr. David Jenkins, head of the hospital’s Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, compared people with Type 2 diabetes who ate either a low glycemic index diet that included bread made with canola oil, or a whole wheat diet known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Also know about the causes, symptoms and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

His study found that those on the canola bread diet experienced both a reduction in blood glucose levels and a significant reduction in LDL, or ‘bad’ cholesterol. Even more exciting, he said, was the finding that the canola bread diet seemed to have the most significant impact on people who needed help the most – those whose HbA1c test measuring blood glucose over the previous two or three months was highest. Also read about 10 ways to control diabetes.

Dr. Jenkins, who is a professor of both nutritional sciences and medicine at the University of Toronto, said the reduction in LDL cholesterol observed in his study of 141 people could translate into a 7 percent reduction in cardiovascular events. He said the benefit could also be translated into an additional 20mg dose of one of the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins-a doubling of a standard dose.

The word canola is a contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil. It was developed from rapeseed at the University of Manitoba in the 1970s. Canola oil contains only 7 percent saturated fat, less than half that of olive oil, widely touted for its health benefits. Also know of ways to choose the right cooking oil.

The study is published in the journal Diabetes Care.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is the more commonly found form of diabetes. It is an endocrine disorder where the pancreas may be producing insulin but your body may not be able to use it properly. This cause a rise in blood sugar levels. Due to the modern lifestyle where people are mostly sedentary, eat processed foods and lead a stressful life, type 2 diabetes is fast becoming the most common disease around the world with India leading the pack.

Other ways of preventing diabetes:

Diabetes has already become a huge epidemic of our times, and the number of diabetics will keep on increasing over the next 20 years or probably beyond that. A lot is being said and written about controlling diabetes and living a healthy life with diabetes, but the prevention aspect of diabetes also needs to be highlighted. The most disturbing part of this disease is that you cannot tell if you’re destined to be a diabetic. Therefore, it’s better to take the right measures beforehand and keep diabetes at bay.

1. Get your sugar levels checked: A lot of people have prediabetes (fasting sugar: 100-125 mg/dl) and are totally clueless about it. A blood sugar test will help you to understand whether you’re prediabetic and what are your chances of developing diabetes. If you get diagnosed with prediabetes, then you can take the right steps and prevent it from transforming into irreversible diabetes. Here are things you should know about prediabetes.

2. Change your lifestyle: Sometimes, small changes can make a huge difference. Lifestyle intervention for preventing diabetes is the best example for this. Several studies on diabetes prevention programme have proved that diabetes can be prevented effectively by giving up sedentary lifestyle and adopting healthier changes. Read more about sedentary lifestyle and diabetes risk.

3. Eat healthy: Eat a healthy diet that has low calories, especially low saturated fats. Trials have shown that fat intake should not exceed 30 percent of the total calorie intake, whereas saturated fats should be restricted to just 10 percent. Include more of vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, dairy products and sources of omega 3 fats. Also, increase your fibre intake. Here’s how fibre can help you to prevent diabetes.

Inputs from ANI

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Published: June 15, 2014 5:20 pm | Updated:June 15, 2014 5:22 pm

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