Diet components and insulin resistance

Article Outline

• Copyright

Lifestyle factors, including dietary factors, may be associated with increased insulin sensitivity and could help prevent or slow the progress of type 2 diabetes. Hirschler et al evaluated the association between milk consumption and insulin resistance, and found, in a cross-sectional study, that increased consumption of milk was associated with greater insulin sensitivity. This relationship persisted after controlling for physical activity, TV viewing, soft drink consumption, socioeconomic status, age, and sex. However, milk consumption was also associated with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. It will be important for longitudinal studies to be done to confirm these relationships and better define the temporal relationships.