It's no secret that calcium is vital to a healthy diet and overall well-being, but new research has shown it could also go a long way in reducing the risk for diabetes.
Currently, 25 million people in the United States — approximately one in 12 — struggle with diabetes. The risk for developing this disease is particularly strong in African-Americans, whose conditions for diabetes typically emerge in childhood. Dr Laura Tosi, director of the Children's National Medical Center's bone health program, recently spearheaded a study that analyzed nutritional information — such as body mass index and vitamin intake — among 142 African-American children between the ages of five and nine. Her findings indicated that the participants who consumed greater levels of calcium had considerably lower body mass index and a smaller body fat percentage compared to those with a lower calcium intake.
This is especially illuminating for diabetics, as body fat and body mass index are both heavily indicative of whether or not a child will develop diabetes in their lifetime. This study, while not conclusive, would point to greater levels of calcium consumption in children as key to reducing this health risk.
"Even though life expectancy for people with diabetes has gone up, the disease has a significant impact on quality of life, so finding ways to prevent people from developing diabetes is critical," said Dr. Tosi, one of the study's lead investigators, in an official statement. "We were excited to find that higher calcium intake appears to mitigate the impact of some of the risk genes for type 2 diabetes, and we're eager to see if these results hold true in other populations."
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