ABSTRACT

Significant overweight and obesity typically exist before the onset of type 2 diabetes, making weight management a crucial factor in helping to reduce the risks of this diet-related disease. Diabetes mellitus, or just diabetes, is a group of diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels and other adverse changes, including those affecting arterial wall functions. A few minerals, magnesium in particular, have been examined in relation to their role in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Population studies suggest that fiber-rich diets containing a variety of plant foods are beneficial to health and offer protection against several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. The greatly increasing incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States and in many other countries has heightened interest in discovering dietary patterns to help in counteracting these unhealthy trends.