Ojo, Omorogieva ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0071-3652 (2013) Diabetes in ethnic minorities in UK: The role of diet in glucose dysregulation and prevalence of diabetes. Journal of Food and Nutritional Disorders, 2 (2). pp. 1-7. ISSN 2324-9323 (Online) (doi:10.4172/2324-9323.1000110)

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Abstract

The aims of this paper are to evaluate the prevalence of diabetes among ethnic minority groups living in UK including Africans, AfroCaribbeans and people from South Asia and to discuss the role of diet in glucose dysregulation and the prevalence of diabetes. People of African and Caribbean descent are two to four times likely to have diabetes than those of European ancestry. In addition, while the prevalence of diabetes is 3-10% among Europeans, it is 1420% among Arab, migrant South Asian and Chinese populations. The higher prevalence of obesity, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and unhealthy diet are some of the notable risk factors contributing to the development of diabetes. Ethnic minority groups who have experienced malnutrition in early life in their countries of origin and now exposed to Western lifestyle are at increased risk of glucose dysregulation and development of type 2 diabetes. Also, an inherited lower percentage of skeletal muscle fibre type 1 found in Black people of West African origin may explain the lower fat oxidation and lower resting energy expenditure found in Blacks compared to Whites and these can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. The role of diet in the management of diabetes is very important. The correlations between Glycaemic Index (GI) or Glycaemic Load (GL) of foods and long term conditions are mixed. Therefore, more research is required in establishing the relationships between GI and GL of ethnic minority foods in the UK and diabetes. On the other hand, special diets such as Mediterranean diet, High Carbohydrate Low Fat (HCLF) diet and Low Carbohydrate High Protein (LCHP) diets can help in reducing weight and diabetes by increasing sensitivity of insulin. The practical ways of reducing energy intake and sugar in foods are outlined.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Diabetes; Diet; Glycaemic index; Glycaemic load; Ethnic minorities; Africans in diaspora; Glucose dysregulation; Special diets; Prevalence
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Health Sciences (HEA)
Last Modified:	10 Jan 2017 14:46
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/15964

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