Diabetes Health Talk

Healthy Mediterranean foods

Whether or not you have diabetes, there are nutrition guidelines that everyone should strive to follow. Healthy living includes many things, including diet, exercise, mental and emotional health. Life throws monkey wrenches in our path that is out of our control. What is in our control is how we adapt to and learn from these intrusions. By following the guidlines that Cooking Light shares, we’ll be better able to lead a healthier lifestyle.

1. Eat smart, be fit, and live longer–Eat a predominately plant-based diet that offers a balance of healthful fats; a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; and quality sources of protein that are low in saturated fat, which is linked to elevated rates of cardiovascular disease.

2. Select carbs that satisfy– Whole grains, in particular, are a superior carbohydrate choice. Women who average two to three daily servings of whole grains have a 30 percent reduced risk for heart attack and type 2 diabetes compared to women who consume less than one serving per week, according to the Nurses’ Health Study.

3. Boost your nutrient power–Dietitians increasingly recommend and have a term for foods inherently rich in vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients without additional calories: “nutrient dense” or “nutrient rich.” The idea is to choose foods that offer the most nutritional bang for the caloric buck.

4. Save room for treats–The key is to make even your discretionary calories nutritionally sound. Enjoy nuts (which offer satisfying protein, fiber, and beneficial fats) as a snack, or make hot chocolate with unsweetened cocoa, a touch of sugar, and fat-free milk for added protein, calcium, and vitamin D.

5. Be savvy about salt–focus on fresh, whole foods. “Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and meats may naturally contain minimal amounts of sodium, but that’s hardly the sodium found in many processed foods,” Bauer says. When you do use processed foods, look for no- or reduced-sodium versions to help avoid adding extra sodium to your dish.

6. Eat foods that are good for you — and the planet–Place as much emphasis on produce-based side dishes as on meat entrées.

7. Beware of portion distortion–Portion control is easy to practice in your own kitchen. hen cooking with ingredients that aren’t already portioned or plating finished dishes, pay close attention to measurements. Use tools like measuring cups or kitchen scales to help you identify the correct amount.

By following these healthy living tips, you’ll look and feel better. Plus, you’ll be fit enough to dodge all those monkey wrenches.

Microscope

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells, and it usually starts in childhood; type 2 diabetes is a metabolic derangement, often tied to obesity later in life.

Few studies have looked at how a family history of type 2 diabetes impacts the offspring with type 1 disease, according to a report in the medical journal Diabetes Care.

To investigate, Dr. Per-Henrik Groop, from Helsinki University Hospital, and colleagues analyzed data from 1860 patients with type 1 diabetes. About a third of the subjects had parents with type 2 diabetes.

On average, the onset of type 1 diabetes occurred at 17.2 years of age in the group with a family history compared with 16.1 years in the group without parental diabetes.

There’s no clear-cut answer to why this occurs, though, scientists say.

As with both types of diabetes, watch what you eat, exercise and take your medications as prescribed by your doctor or health care provider.

By eating low carb, low starch, low sugar foods, you deprive the body of the ability to raise your blood sugar, and you’re feeding your body healthy, nutritious foods it needs anyway. You’ll feel better, not only because your blood sugars will lower, but also because you’ll start losing weight. I know I do, since I’ve been eating more fiber-rich vegetables, like Eggplant, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Carrots, Bell Peppers and the like. You can make so much with just a few ingredients.

There haven’t been any more studies about Delayed Type 1 diabetics who have parents with Type 2 Diabetes.

Walking Trail

Easy lifestyle choices. That’s the phrase from health professionals for diabetes prevention. Making healthier choices like eating more fiber-rich vegetables and whole grains with less saturated fat, starches, cholesterol, and empty carbohydrates. Walking is one of the best and most easily attainable lifestyle change one can make in the fight against diabetes, according to doctors who treat those with Diabetes type-2. Here are more healthy lifestyle tips:

1. Get more physical activity

Whether you lose weight or not, physical activity lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin — which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range.

2. Get plenty of fiber

It’s rough, it’s tough — and it may reduce the risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control. Fiber intake is also associated with a lower risk of heart disease. It may even promote weight loss by helping you feel full. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

3. Go for whole grains

Although it’s not clear why, whole grains may reduce your risk of diabetes and help maintain blood sugar levels. Try to make at least half your grains whole grains.

4. Lose extra weight

If you’re overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss. Every pound you lose can improve your health.

5. Skip fad diets and make healthier choices

Low-carb, low-glycemic load or other fad diets may help you lose weight at first, but their effectiveness at preventing diabetes isn’t known; nor are their long-term effects.

Talk to your doctor or health care provider before starting any health change. Now, go out there and get healthy!

Diabetes Desserts

Becoming diabetic doesn’t mean depriving yourself something sweet (and having only hard sugar-free candy). When I found I was diabetic and then started my lifestyle goal losing weight, I never deprived myself of dessert. It’s a common notion that when you deprive yourself something or cut out something altogether, you crave it then binge. Here’s some great dessert ideas:

* No-sugar hot chocolate with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top
* A low-calorie parfait made of sugar-free pudding alternately layered with sugar-free whipped topping
* Sugar-free gelatin made with fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in extra light syrup

Here are some more ideas for delicious, diabetes-friendly desserts.

Fruit Treats
Fruit is naturally sweet, and it’s easy to dress it up as a healthy treat for your entire household. Here are a couple of ideas:

Melon Salad
In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups of cubed cantaloupe and 3 cups of cubed honeydew melon. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves and 1 tablespoon honey. Toss gently to coat. Makes 6 servings.

From Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking. Reprinted with permission from the American Diabetes Association Inc.

Fruit Salad With Yogurt Dressing
In a medium bowl, toss together 2 cups of sliced strawberries, 1 cup of blueberries, and 2 cups green grapes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour this dressing over fruit and toss gently. Makes 5 servings.

My favorite is sugar-free cocoa and sugar-free chocolate pudding cups with a dollop of whipped cream. I am so grateful for Atkins low-carb bars! They are tasty, only 5 grams carbs per bar. They satisfy that need for a crunch, sweetness and flavor.

More dessert ideas:

For Chocolate Lovers and Banana Fans
Looking for a special dessert to serve at a celebration? Try Rondinelli’s recipes for banana fans and chocolate lovers.

Banana Split Cake
6 1/2 graham cracker sheets (two 1 1/2-inch squares per sheet)
1 ounce sugar-free, instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups fat-free milk
8 ounces light cream cheese
10 ounces canned, crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained
4 medium bananas, sliced
8-ounce container light whipped topping
3 tablespoons pecans, chopped

* Cover the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with graham cracker sheets.
* In a medium bowl, prepare pudding with 2 cups fat-free milk, according to package directions. Add cream cheese to pudding and whip together. Spread pudding mixture over graham crackers.
* Spread the crushed pineapple over the pudding layer and top with bananas, then spread whipped topping. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Exchanges: 1 fat, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (makes 16 servings, 156 calories per slice)

So enjoy your cake and eat it too.

Oats

According to the research, they are looking to develop new dietary plans which could improve diabetes control, delay the need for people with type 2 diabetes to start tablets or insulin to control their blood sugar, and potentially reduce the risk of some of the complications of diabetes, said UHI Professor Sandra MacRury, who works at the school’s Department of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Science.

Many oat-based cereals are on the market, so if this study turns out evidence Oat cereal will curb, delay or reduce diabetes type-2, I may start buying Oat cereal again.

Oat cereal has already been proven to reduce cardiovascular disease, cholesterol and fat in the blood. The only issue is many cereals are high carb, which I’m avoiding. A low-carb diet, in my case, has led to weight loss and reduced blood sugars. Anything that helps me reduce blood sugars is ok in my book.

If there is an oat cereal or product that will reduce blood sugars and be low-carb at the same time, you can bet i’ll be looking into it seriously.

Orowheat makes a light carb bread, called “Orowheat Light” that is only a 5.5 carbs per slice, so a sandwich at lunch or toast in the morning is only 11 carbs. Thats much better than other breads, being twice or 2 1/2 times that carb count. Another low carb product I buy is Dreamfields Pasta. It’s only 5 carbs per serving, compared to 30-45 carbs per serving of all other pastas.

Love my bread and pasta!

Green Tea

In this study,

EGCG, the investigators found, reduced the severity and delayed the onset of salivary gland damage associated with Sjogren’s syndrome — a condition with no known cure.

EGCG also dramatically slowed the development of type 1 diabetes in the rodents. At 16 weeks, they found, 25 percent of the mice given the green tea compound had developed diabetes, compared to 67 percent of the mice given water. At 22 weeks, 45 percent of the EGCG group had diabetes, while 78 percent of the control group did.

Green Tea is becoming something of a wonder. Science is proving more and more what Asian countries have already known: that Green Tea is beneficial for one’s health. I drink two mugs of Green Tea a day, which has been shown to be a fat fighter, helping me lose 41 pounds. Green Tea also aids digestion (especially drinking after meals), removing helping to remove waste from your body, in turn, giving you more energy, feeling less weighed down.

Green Tea with added herbs is growing in popularity. There are Green Teas with Ginsing, ginger, Chamomile, Lavendar and Jasmine, to name a few. Green Tea is great for an afternoon pick-me-up, instead of a double tall espresso with whole milk, mocha and whipped cream.

So, to help yourself and those around you, suggest they drink more Green Tea, maybe with a little honey and/or lemon.

study says eating too much red meat can increase your chance of getting conditions that lead to heart disease and diabetes. Middle-aged people who ate at least two servings of meat per day increased their risk of metabolic syndrome by 26 percent. The research was published in the January 22, 2008, issue of Circulation.

Questions and answers
What did the study find?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent: This study says metabolic syndrome is a problem in the United States because of the way we eat: lots of red meat, lots of processed meat, and too much fried food. Researchers found eating two servings of meat per day, such as burger patties, increased the risk of metabolic syndrome by 26 percent. Forty-seven million Americans have metabolic syndrome, which means they have at least three risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. These include conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, high sugar levels, and either too much bad cholesterol or too little good cholesterol.

Red meat isn’t the only factor. Fried food led to a 25 percent greater risk, and diet soda increased the risk by 34 percent. This was unexpected, and it will require more research to explain. When it comes to red meat, the study doesn’t say you should stop eating it. Just don’t eat too much of it — less than three servings per week. Red meat is an excellent source of iron, which is good for making red blood cells. And it has Vitamin B-12 — you need this to keep your nerve cells healthy.

So how do we lower our risk of getting metabolic syndrome?

Gupta: This study found that dairy seemed to decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome by 13 percent. People who consumed three servings of dairy per day had lower risk when compared with people who had it only twice a week. You can also lower your risk factor by eating lots of whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and by exercising and not smoking.

Are there other foods you can eat besides red meat to get protein?

Gupta: Try eating fish or white meats such as chicken breast. These are lower in saturated fat, a food component that leads to high cholesterol. You can also get protein from beans, peas and lentils. Nuts are also a good source of protein.

Another study finds type 2 diabetes increases cancer death risk

Courtesy Amanda Day: new study found that a diet of “low-glycemic foods” — such as beans, nuts, peas, lentils and pasta — was superior to a high-cereal-fiber diet when it comes to lowering blood sugar and other risk factors for heart disease in people with diabetes.

“These findings fit with the general tenor of what’s gone before. The trouble is that those studies tended to be considerably smaller and for shorter periods of time, and they didn’t always show the effects significantly,” said study author Dr. David J.A. Jenkins, Canada research chair in nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital in Canada. “I think this certainly supports a recommendation to people that this is an extra tool in the tool kit.”

“This reemphasizes what we know — at the end of the day, the best diet is the Mediterranean-type diet: nuts, beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables,” said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. “The study didn’t exactly call it a Mediterranean diet, but the components of it were Mediterranean.”

A second study found that people who have type 2 diabetes when they are diagnosed with cancer face a greater risk of death compared to cancer patients without diabetes.

Both papers were published in the Dec. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the new study, researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto in Canada randomly selected more than 200 people with type 2 diabetes to follow either a high-cereal-fiber or a low-glycemic-index diet for six months. All the participants were already taking blood-sugar-lowering medications.

Carbohydrates in a low-glycemic-index diet are absorbed through the small intestine and converted to blood sugar at a slower rate than higher glycemic foods, meaning blood sugar is more stable, the researchers said.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, a longer-term measure of blood sugar levels, decreased by 0.5 percent in people on the low-glycemic-index diet, compared with a decrease of 0.18 percent in the alternate group.

Those in the low-glycemic group also saw an increase in their high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good”) cholesterol of 1.7 mg/dL, compared to an HDL decrease of 0.2 mg/dL in the high-cereal-fiber group.

Although the reduction in HbA1c levels was small, the study authors speculated that, based on previous studies, this might result in a 10 percent to 12 percent reduction in cardiovascular complications.

Sugar has been banned at Georgia elementary school for a decade

Recent research suggests banning soda not curbing kids’ consumption

As schools around the country have begun removing soda and junk food from their premises, the elementary school in Lithonia, Georgia, was ahead of the curve, cutting out sugar 10 years ago under the watch of principal Dr. Yvonne Sanders-Butler.

Sanders-Butler overhauled the school’s menu, nutrition program and vending machines after battling her own weight troubles and surviving a stroke at 39. When she sought to eliminate sugar from the school, many resisted and warned her she was endangering her job.

“If we don’t do something, we’re talking about children that are probably going to lose their life at some point. We have to take a stand,” she said.

Schools are now pulling soda from their vending machines and cafeterias. California schools can sell only water, milk and fruit and sports drinks that contain a specified amount of sweeteners. Beverage distributors such as Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice, and flavored and unflavored low-fat and fat-free milk at all elementary and middle schools by the 2009 school year.

Research into the effectiveness of these kinds of interventions in schools is beginning, but recent studies suggest banning soda at school has minimal impact.

A study in Maine compared the soda intake between students at high schools where soda was permitted and schools where it was banned. Researchers found that reducing soda availability did not decrease consumption, according to the 2008 study published in the Society for Nutrition Education.

Another study published this year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that limiting soft drinks at school decreased consumption by 4 percent.

Removing junk foods from schools may not eliminate the problem.

What happened in Browns Mill was the result of a number of factors, said Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu, former U.S. Surgeon General, who now chairs the Johnson and Johnson Diabetes Institute. He credits the principal for creating “an environment in her school where it became a normal part of the curriculum to learn about what’s important as far as diet.”

“It really focuses on the children and having the children learn how to make healthy decisions for themselves,” he said. “Second, it created an environment within the schools that encouraged the kids to make those decisions. By having healthier foods, by having physical education, by having vending machines, that gives the children the opportunity to make healthy choices.”

Browns Mill fifth-grader Cori Bostic said she would prefer honeydew, watermelon or cantaloupe to cake anyway.

Wincing slightly, the fifth-grader said, “Junk food makes my stomach hurt.”

Courtesy Matthew Moore: Mycoprotein, which is made from fungus, could reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes if consumed in sufficient quantities, a new study has shown.

The food may also help prevent obesity as it prolongs the feeling of fullness after meals, reducing the temptation to snack.

Mycoprotein, which was first made 40 years ago, is produced by adding oxygen, nitrogen, glucose and minerals to a natural fungus called Fusarium venenatum. It is now used as a meat substitute in vegetarian foods including mince, sausages and ready meals.

People who ate 190g of mycoprotein a day for three weeks saw an average 14 per cent cut in their cholesterol, according to a review of existing data published in the journal of the British Nutrition Foundation.

Eating between 120g and 140g of the food a day led to average cholesterol reduction of 10 per cent. A single serving of vegetarian mince contains 80g of mycoprotein.

The fungus food also slows the transport of good sugars from the stomach to the bloodstream, lessening the high peaks of insulin that are believed contribute to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Nutritionist Angela Dowden told the Daily Express: “Mycoprotein is a really healthy food and the bonus is all these benefits on top. If it fills you up and helps to reduce the impact of blood sugar and reduce cholesterol, it sounds like it is a bit of a superfood.”

What is Mycoprotein?

Mycoprotein is the ingredient common to all Quorn™ products. It is a healthy, meat-free source of protein and is also a good source of dietary fibre. Mycoprotein is low in fat and saturates and contains no cholesterol and no trans fats at all.

Fusarium Venenatum
Fusarium venenatum, the principal ingredient of Mycoprotien is an ascomycota, one of the largest groups within the fungi family, which also includes truffles and morels. It is one of a genus of filamentous fungi, meaning it is comprised of a web of finely spun strands (hyphae).

Texture
Products made with Mycoprotein have a meat-like texture because the harvested strands (hyphae) have a similar structure to animal muscle cells (ie they are filamentous with a high length/diameter ratio).

For some people, eating out is an occasional indulgence. For others, it’s a way of life. Either way, moderate portions and careful choices can help you make restaurant meals part of your overall plan for diabetes nutrition.

Keep portion sizes in check

Large portions are the norm at many restaurants — but diabetes nutrition is often based on moderate portions. If the restaurant offers meals in several sizes, choose the smallest. Or get creative. Sometimes you can order a lunch-sized entree for dinner or a child-sized meal. You can also share meals with a dining partner or request a take-home container. You might even ask the server to put half the meal in a take-home container before it’s served to you.

Make substitutions

Don’t settle for what comes with your sandwich or meal. Instead of fries, choose a diabetes-friendly side salad or fruit bowl. Use fat-free or low-fat salad dressing rather than the regular variety. Ask for salsa with your burrito instead of shredded cheese and sour cream. On a sandwich, trade house dressings or creamy sauces for ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce or fat-free mayonnaise.

Keep in mind that extras such as bacon bits, croutons and fried chips can sabotage diabetes nutrition goals by quickly increasing a meal’s calorie and carbohydrate count. On the other hand, many healthy additions — including fat-free salad dressing, salsa, barbecue sauce and fat-free mayonnaise — count as “free foods.” You can enjoy up to three small servings a day of these foods without adjusting your meal plan.

Speak with the chef

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“If you or a loved one has diabetes, you need to eat heart-healthy meals,” says the back cover of a new cookbook for diabetics and those who eat with them.

“To stay on track, you need great-tasting meals everyone can enjoy.”

And that’s the reason two of the largest health associations in the country — American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association – partnered to produce a cookbook filled with recipes that are good for diabetics and good-tasting enough to share with loved ones who don’t suffer from the disease.

“Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two,” as its subtitle counts, collects “Over 170 Delicious Recipes that Help You (Both) Eat Well and Eat Right.”

Sound delicious

Cherry Tomato Toppers. Watercress and Apple Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. Peach-Glazed Chicken. Salmon with Blueberry Sauce. Roasted Carrots with Shallots and Sage. Mixed Berry Crisp with Almond Streusel. They all sound tasty.

And the next morning, you can start the day off with French Toast with
Orange-Strawberry Sauce. While eating, it turns out, you don’t have to suffer from a disease, no matter what the vernacular claims.

“When you make healthy food and lifestyle choices, you and your family can enjoy the benefits for years to come,” the book begins. “The most important things are to develop a healthy eating pattern that includes a wide variety of nutritious foods and to be physically active.”

The recipes serve two, both of whom should be left smiling. While they’re “designed for those looking to improve or maintain their cardiovascular health,” the ingredients when mixed in proper proportions don’t tell your mouth that you’re trying to eat foods that are good for you.
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If you could jazz up your cooking and protect yourself from high blood sugar with a sprinkle of this and a dash of that, it’s a no-brainer, right?

Certain spices could help control high blood sugar or minimize the damage it causes. The kitchen roll call? Cloves, allspice, and cinnamon — three holiday favorites.

Undo Sugar Damage
A recent lab study revealed that the antioxidants in cloves, allspice, and cinnamon may inhibit the formation of bad-for-your-body high-blood-sugar compounds — the very compounds that can lead to a host of diabetes-linked problems, like heart disease, nerve disorders, and eye and kidney damage. Other spices seemed to have a similar — though weaker — effect: sage, marjoram, tarragon, and rosemary. Cinnamon may not only inhibit high-blood-sugar damage but also help lower blood sugar.

Spice Advice
Of course, the real keys to blood sugar control are eating right, exercising, and keeping your weight down. But it’s nice to know there are some little things you can do — like cooking with low-cal, fat-free spices — that may support your efforts. Try cubing up your leftover turkey and using it in place of the ground turkey.

Blood Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

It’s great on french toast. It’s lovely in apple pies, oatmeal, and eggnog. And now, it may be good for your blood sugar, too.

Give up? It’s cinnamon. People with diabetes who eat three-eighths of a teaspoon a day enjoy better blood sugar levels after a little over a month. Here’s what else will get your blood sugar under control.

It’s In Your Blood
How does cinnamon work its magic? Researchers aren’t sure yet. It’s possible that something in cinnamon helps make insulin receptors more sensitive. But more research is needed before doctors recommend it as a mainstay of diabetes treatment. Still, there are lots of other ways to help stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep type 2 diabetes at bay.

Findings show some don’t get enough nutrition for proper cell function and metabolism.

A study finds that obese children from poor families often don’t eat enough.

Researchers have long blamed childhood obesity and diabetes, especially in poor neighborhoods, on too much food and too little exercise.

But new findings from a San Antonio study point to another explanation: children living in poverty are obese in part because they don’t eat enough to meet the daily nutritional requirements needed for cell function and metabolism.

A 9-year-old should consume 1,400 to 2,200 calories daily to sustain growth, said Dr. Roberto Trevino, director of the nonprofit Social and Health Research Center. But in the study of 1,400 inner-city children, 44 percent were consuming less than 1,400 calories, and 33 percent were obese.

“They were not overeating,” Trevino said. “This study shows these kids were not eating enough, and when they did eat it was all the wrong things.”

Missing from the children’s diets were four key nutrients: calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. All play important roles, but magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body that help to spur metabolism and cell function.

When magnesium — found in cooked spinach, black beans, bran cereal and other foods — is missing from the diet, it can predispose an individual to diabetes, Trevino said.

Nearly 7 percent of children in the study screened positive for type II diabetes, typically an adult disease, Trevino said.

Without early intervention, these children could be facing open-heart surgery at age 25 and will be on dialysis by age 35, he said.

In the United States, 12 percent of children are overweight.

Researchers also found that a sedentary lifestyle contributed to the problem. In the study, nearly 90 percent of children scored marginal or unacceptable on physical fitness tests. On average they were watching 3.5 hours of television daily.

Dietary change enhances blood glucose control, study finds

Eating fish twice a week may help reduce the risk of kidney disease in people with diabetes, according to a British study of more than 22,000 adults, including 517 with diabetes.

The participants’ fish consumption was determined using dietary and lifestyle questionnaires. People with diabetes who ate less than one serving of fish per week were about four times more likely (18 percent) to have protein in their urine than those who ate at least two servings of fish per week (4 percent).

“Protein in the urine is one of the earliest signs of kidney disease,” noted study co-author Dr. Amanda Adler, of the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.

The study was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Adler and her colleagues suggested the “unique nutrient composition of fish” may benefit kidney function by enhancing blood glucose control and improving plasma lipid profiles.

People who consume fish may have other lifestyle factors that reduce their risk of having protein in the urine (albuminuria), but the study design attempted to account for that possibility, Adler said.

“Diet is a relatively simple lifestyle change to make, and the benefits could be significant,” Dr. Kerry Willis, senior vice president for scientific activities at the U.S. National Kidney Foundation, said in a foundation news release.

In addition to eating fish, other measures that help lower the risk of albuminuria include tight control of glucose, keeping blood pressure under control, quitting smoking, and following a diabetic diet as prescribed by a doctor, according to the kidney foundation.