More than five cola servings a week before conception resulted in a 22% greater risk than consuming less than one per month. The study, published in the current issue of Diabetes Care, marks the first time the association has been established.

Researchers followed a test group of 13,475 women over 10 years, identifying 860 GDM cases. After controlling for known risk factors, they were able to make the connection with sweetened colas. No significant correlation was found for other sugar-sweetened beverages such as fruit drinks or for diet drinks.

GDM, defined as glucose intolerance beginning during pregnancy, is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and can lead to premature birth as well as Type 2 diabetes in the mother and early-onset diabetes, obesity and glucose intolerance in children.

Why the sugary colas foster GDM is not clear, but the study’s lead author speculates that the drinks could contribute to a high glycemic load, which can result in insulin resistance and impaired beta cell function. Higher sugar intake itself may inhibit pancreatic cell function.

Sugary drinks have already been tied to type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. The GDM link is all the more telling given that sugar-sweetened beverages are by far the biggest source of added sugars among the age group most likely to conceive, the author notes.

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On her blog Sugar Shock, Connie Bennett pointed out the recent promotion at Wendy’s Restaurant in Austin, Texas. She notes that a fund raising effort to fight diabetes might be better constructed if it didn’t include the selling of products that can potentially cause the disease. She points out that numerous studies have drawn a link between consuming too much refined sugar and Type 2 diabetes. While she applauds efforts to raise money to fight the disease, she calls the current campaign irresponsible.  

The food chain owned and operated by Pisces Foods has been donating funds to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which seeks to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes, for almost 13 years. Donations have totaled $700,000 since then. This year, Pisces Foods has raised at least $72,000 for the JDRF from Wendy’s franchise outlets through their new fundraising strategy. That amount was produced in a month’s time.

Wendy’s Restaurant has encouraged people to support the cause by buying coupon books to get sugar-loaded Frostys at a very low price or for free.  Each book contained four coupons for either a free small frosty or $1 off any frosty product, including the new bestsellers Frosty-Cino and Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty. Earnings from coupon book went to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Now checking the nutritional or caloric contents of the sweet beverages from the Wendy’s website makes you jump off from your seat. A small chocolate frosty has 41 grams of sugar or at least 10.25 teaspoons and is loaded with 320 calories. A large serving of Frosty contains 79 grams of sugar or at least 19.75 teaspoons screaming with 510 calories.

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The following tips were published by RD Rebecca Subbiah on the website Help Someone with Diabetes.

* Serve plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and regular portion controlled meals. It is necessary to control the amount of carbohydrates and choose to serve whole gains, leaner sources of protein at the same time use healthy oils like olive oil for cooking.

* Having a family member diagnosed with diabetes is an opportunity for the whole family to be better in shape. This is one way of showing support. It would lessen the struggle of the person with diabetes if the whole family will all eat healthful food and workout together.

*Do not deprive the person with diabetes of any kind of food. They can eat anything in moderation or in right proportion. For example a small slice of cake when attending a party will not hurt the person.

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Adult American Indians have the highest age-adjusted rates for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular ailments compared to any other ethnic group. The rates vary anywhere from 14% to 72%, which is a whopping 2.4 to 6 times more than the rate of the general population in the U.S.

Researchers report that culturally-sensitive educational programs incorporating the Medicine Wheel Model for Nutrition, a diet program based on Northern Plains Indians’ traditional consumption of macronutrients, seemed to be working.  This diet has specified contents of carbohydrate (45% to 50% of energy), protein (25% of energy), and low in fat (25% to 30% of energy). The program lasted for 6 months and random participants were chosen from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.

While the study produced encouraging results, researchers note that some American Indians have limited access to groceries stores that offer low fat products, whole grains and other healthful foods. There is concern that this diet program will not be sustained despite the desires of the tribal leaders to preserve it. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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‘Added sugar’ is sugar that is not naturally a part of the food, meaning it is added during the processing or cooking of foods. Avoiding items like soda can go a long way toward achieving the goals set by the AHA. After all, an average 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 8 teaspoons of sugar.

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That’s because vinegar helps lower a food’s glycemic index, which is a meaure of how fast carbs are converted to sugar. Vinegar helps prevent the carbs from being digested. Instead, they are excreted from the body, according to a study by Carol Johnston of Arizona State University. The American Diabetes Association says more data is needed before a conclusion on the impact of vinegar can be reached.

The Digg Health article suggests that vinegar also helps to control appetite and may assist in gradual weight loss. One way people interested in adding vinegar to their diet can do so is by mixing 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar into a glass of water, juice or other beverage or in salad dressing.

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The study, which appears in the August edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, was conducted to find out what foods people with Type 2 diabetes were eating to make them overweight, according to several news reports, including an article on Hiliq.com. Researchers found that most were not following national guidelines outlining optimal food intake.

Researchers said they expected to find that chronically ill individuals would be more educated and motivated to eat healthier to manage their disease. However, that was not the case, they say. The study examined the food consumption of 2,757 people with Type 2 diabetes. The study found that 93% of study participants consumed too many calories, while 85% had too much saturated fat. Also, 92% took in too much sodium, while less than half ate the recommended minimum fruits, veggies, dairy and grains.

The study’s findings illustrate the need for ongoing nutritional education for people with Type 2 diabetes, no matter how long they have had the disease, researchers say.

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In addition to possessing disease-fighting characteristics, whole grains are full of healthy nutrients and fiber, folate and niacin, vitamin B and magnesium, says Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Sandon recommends that people look for foods that are made with whole grain and aim for three servings, or 48 grams, each day. Swapping out white rolls and breads for whole wheat bread, substituting whole wheat bread crumbs, and adding brown rice to meals can help achieve that.

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Type 1 diabetics are insulin deficient, meaning their pancreas no longer produces insulin. They require several insulin injections each day to manage their blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetics are insulin resistant, meaning their pancreas produces insulin, but the body doesn’t respond to it properly. Many Type 2 diabetics manage their blood sugar, in part, through pills.

There are two scenarios that can lead to existing diabetics developing Type 3, according to the article in the Dallas Women’s Health Examiner. The first involves those people who already have Type 2 diabetes. Their body is not producing enough insulin, so their doctor’s put them on medication, forcing their pancreas to work overtime to produce extra insulin. Because Type 2 diabetics are generally insulin resistant, the body ignores the extra insulin and eventually the pancreas burns out and stops producing insulin altogether. Suddenly a Type 2 diabetic now has Type 1 as well, making them a Type 3 diabetic.  

The second scenario involves those people who have Type 1 diabetes already. In this scenario, the diabetic continues to eat food that is bad for them because they believe they can counteract the high sugars and carbs with insulin. Over time, they have to increase their doses of insulin to get the same level of control. Eventually, their body stops responding to the insulin altogether and they become Type 2 in addition to Type 1. They are insulin deficient and insulin resistant, making them Type 3.

The article says diabetics can lower their risk of developing Type 3 by following many of the same rules they are supposed to follow to maintain healthy blood sugar levels now. Eat right, exercise and avoid the trouble foods, such as sugar-filled desserts, pastas and breads.

An earlier guest column on the same site by Dr. Ron Rosedale, an expert on leptin physiology and author of The Rosedale Diet, blames the development of Type 3 on the medical community for failing to properly treat diabetics.

He calls it DIE, or Doctor Induced Exacerbation. He says that many doctors tell diabetics that they can eat many meals each day filled with items that turn into sugar as long as they take the “proper” doses of insulin to manage their blood sugar levels.   

He contends that many diabetics take two, three, or as much as ten times the amount of insulin they should take. And, overexposure to insulin can be just as damaging as too much sugar.