LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The study followed more than 80,000 women over 26 years and found that women with a sweet tooth who had diets that are high in refined carbohydrates eating white bread, potatoes, and sugary beverages, had a 30 percent lower risk of developing diabetes if they drank moderate amounts of alcohol.

Earlier research has linked drinking with lower diabetes risk, but this study was the first that looked specifically at women with high-glycemic diets to see how alcohol would affect their diabetes risk.

According to Doctor Frank Hu, the senior author of the study, "however, if you eat a high carb diet, but (drink) a moderate amount of alcohol, the increased risk is reduced." 

Researchers are paying more attention to diabetes, since 26 million American adults have developed the disease. Researchers blame poor diet and lack of exercise for the recent surge. Diabetes is a serious issue which leads to heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, amputations, and even death.

Researchers warn that the new study does not prove that alcohol actually protects against diabetes, but they found that there is a correlation between moderate consumption and high-glycemic diets to reduced diabetes risk.

For this study, moderate drinking was defined as average alcohol intake above half an ounce per day, or what average out to about two drinks per week.

The study used data taken from the 26 year long Nurses' Health Study which provided detailed data on the inhabitants of tens of thousands of women. Results of the study are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

It should also be noted, before anyone gets to the liquor store, that the long-term health effects of drinking, especially consuming alcohol above what is defined as moderate, may decrease diabetes risk but will cause greater risk for alcohol-related illnesses. Therefore, it should not be considered a viable treatment option for diabetes prevention.

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