Watch what you eat to reduce diabetes risk

A new study has revealed that watching one's diet than just the number of calories can help in reducing the risk of diabetes.

According to the study, you don't have to be overweight to develop Type 2 diabetes and researchers found that postprandial levels of circulating metabolites in the blood of identical twins tends to be similar after a fast food meal, independent of weight difference.

The study compared genetically identical twins-one heavier and one leaner-and found that after eating a fast-food meal, the circulating metabolites, including those related to Type 2 diabetes, were found in both individuals at the same levels. These findings suggest that the onset of this type of diabetes is largely influenced by genetic factors and/or the composition of gut microbiota.

Results showed that twin-pair similarity is a dominant factor in the metabolic postprandial response, independent of obesity. Branched chain amino acids, known risk factors of diabetes, were increased in heavier as compared to leaner co-twins in the fasting state, but their levels converged postprandially. This study also demonstrated that specific bacterial groups were associated with postprandial changes of specific metabolites.

Study author Matej Oresic said that their study contributes to better understanding of the genetic and environmental factors influencing several risk factors which are associated with obesity and metabolic disease (e.g., Type 2 diabetes).

The researchers found that a calorie is not just a calorie as some would contend. Exactly what we eat and drink, and not just the number of calories, may be the most important factor in our health.

The study was published in The FASEB Journal.