Low-fat diary enhances weight loss in diabetics

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research results suggest that a diet rich in low-fat dairy calcium boosts weight loss in overweight type 2 diabetics. "Such a diet should be tried in diabetic patients," researchers conclude, particularly in those individuals who have a tough time sticking to other weight loss diets.

The weight-loss promoting effect of dairy calcium came to light in ancillary analyses of data from a study in which 259 overweight diabetic patients were put on a mixed glycemic index diet, a low-glycemic index diet, or a modified Mediterranean diet.

Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food causes blood sugar, or "glucose," to rise. Generally, foods with refined sugars and simple starches, like candy and white bread, have a high glycemic index, while those with more complex carbohydrates and greater fiber content, such as vegetables and whole grains, have a low glycemic index.

Dr. Danit R. Shahar from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva and colleagues found that a higher intake of low-fat dairy products among overweight type 2 diabetic patients on a calorie-restricted diet enhanced the weight loss process over 6 months.

People with the highest intake of dairy calcium had a 2.4-fold increased odds of weight loss of greater than 8 percent compared with people with the lowest intake of dairy calcium, despite consuming more calories.

Based on the current findings, "the recommendation for a diet rich in low-fat dairy products seems highly appropriate for weight loss among diabetic patients," the authors conclude in the journal Diabetes Care.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, March 2007.