Nutritionist, Med diet delay need for diabetes drugs

According to a study in the September 1st issue of Annals of Medicine, following a Mediterranean diet rather than a low-fat diet, newly diagnosed diabetic patients may postpone the need for drugs to control the disease.

After four years of continued nutritional advice, only 44% of patients on a Mediterranean diet versus 70% of those on a low-fat diet required drug therapy to control their diabetes. Patients on the MD also showed improvement in cardiovascular risk factors.

What is important to note is that patients received frequent counseling sessions from nutritionists - monthly for one year, then every two months for three years.

The researchers implore that diet with professional support can "no longer be overlooked."