HHS HealthBeat (June 19, 2009)

A soda and a half cup of beans

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It doesn’t sound like a big plan for health. But researchers say that reducing sugar by the amount in one soda and increasing fiber intake daily by the amount in a half cup of beans can make a big difference in some people’s health.

The researchers at the University of Southern California conducted a nutrition education program with 54 overweight Latino teen-agers. The plan was to reduce sugar and increase fiber, to reduce the teens’ risk of diabetes, which is especially common in Hispanics.

USC’s Emily Ventura:

[Emily Ventura speaks] "We are pleased to show that these modest changes in dietary intake can be effective in the prevention of type 2 diabetes."

The study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: June, 22 2009