Pima Indians who have adopted an “Anglo” diet are three times more likely to develop diabetes over six years than their counterparts who eat a more traditional diet, according to the results of a striking new study reported in the May issue of Diabetes Care (24: pp. 811-816).
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The community now has the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the world and researchers Dr. Desmond E. Williams and colleagues from the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explained: “This study suggests that the adoption of an Anglo diet may increase the risk of developing diabetes in Pima Indians.”
The study focused on the lifestyle habits of 575 Pima Indians of Arizona, aged between 18- and 74-years, who would traditionally eat a diet rich in melons, legumes, squash and grains. Overall, 22% of the population was shown to develop the disease and researchers discovered the increased incidence of type 2 diabetes to tally with the adoption of a typical US diet, which is high in simple carbohydrates and low in vegetable protein and fibre. Sixty-three people per 1,000 on this diet developed the disease, compared to just 23 people per 1,000 who consumed the traditional fare.
Those who consumed a mixture of both diets were also at increased risk of developing diabetes, as the study revealed a rate of 35 cases per 1,000 people.
