Whole grains cut diabetes risk for black women

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Black women who eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods, especially whole grains, may lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research shows.

African Americans are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than whites, Dr. Rob M. van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues note in their report in Diabetes Care. Some studies suggest, they add, that calcium and magnesium may help lower type 2 diabetes risk, but this research has been done in predominantly white populations.

To investigate whether intake of these minerals might be tied to diabetes risk among black individuals as well, the researchers looked at 41,186 women participating in the Black Women's Health Study. None of them had diabetes at the study's outset, but 1,964 developed type 2 diabetes during eight years of follow-up.

High intakes of magnesium and calcium went hand in hand with healthier habits, such as a more active lifestyle and a lower intake of red meat and saturated fat, the researchers found.

After adjusting for these factors, women who consumed the most magnesium had a 31% lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those with the least amount of magnesium in their diet, the researchers found. However, there was no independent link between calcium intake and diabetes risk.

Eating more whole grains and low-fat dairy foods also reduced the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, the researchers found.

Given that the benefits of magnesium may be related to other substances contained in magnesium-rich foods like whole grains, vegetables, cereals, and milk, van Dam and his team add, it's not clear whether taking magnesium supplements would have the same benefits.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, October 2006.