The study “Dietary Antioxidant Capacity is Inversely Associated with Diabetes Biomarkers” published in Nutrition, Metablolism & Cardiovascular Diseases looked at dietary habits, such as daily or weekly average intake of several food items including fruit, vegetables, legumes, non-alcoholic beverages, chocolate, honey, nuts, rice, pastas and grains.

 The results indicated that higher total dietary antioxidant intake is correlated with lower levels of diabetes biomarkers (glucose, insulin and insulin resistance in healthy individuals, as well as in pre-diabetic and diabetic ones.

 Recent studies suggested that oxidative stress is related to diabetes, possibly originating through increased free radical production. The scientists also report that high dietary antioxidant capacity has been found to decrease markers of inflammation, suggesting that inflammation and oxidative stress are interrelated.

 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 150 million people have diabetes mellitus worldwide, and this number may double by the year 2025 due to population growth, aging, unhealthy diet, obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

From the April 28, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.