Cnr Denison St & Geils Crt Deakin ACT 2600
PO Box 148 Deakin West ACT 2600
Telephone 02 6285 2200
Facsimile 02 6285 2288
Email apl@australianpork.com.au
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Friday, July 10, 2009
NEW DIETARY RESEARCH FOR
DIABETES
New research from the team that brought you The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet
comes as welcome news during Diabetes Australia’s National Diabetes Week (12–18
July 2009). The research, jointly funded by Australian Pork Limited (APL) — the
representative body for pork producers in Australia — and the Pork Cooperative
Research Centre (the Pork CRC) and published in a paper titled The role of
Australian pork in improving thiamine status, heart disease risk factors and glucose
control in people with type 2 diabetes found that if you have type 2 diabetes and are
overweight or obese then a high protein, lower carbohydrate diet that includes
regular pork intake in conjunction with resistance exercise will give you excellent
weight and fat loss results. Researchers also found regular pork intake reduced risk
factors associated with the disease.
“High protein lower carbohydrate diets are becoming increasingly popular,
but scientific studies in people with type 2 diabetes are sparse,” said research team
leader Dr Manny Noakes of the study’s significance. “This study has shown that a
high protein diet including lean pork plus resistance exercise provides significant
health benefits for weight and fat loss and diabetes control.”
On monitoring the diet and health of participants with type 2 diabetes, the
researchers found that a high protein diet that included lean pork and resistance
exercise was very effective for weight and fat loss. Furthermore, the thiamine status
of individuals undergoing the weight loss programs was best maintained by the high
protein diet, which included pork.
“Thiamine is a nutrient abundant in pork,” said Dr Noakes. “The potential
role of thiamine in improving some diabetic complications has been reported.”
This news follows a recent string of research into the benefits of pork for
diabetics, which includes a study commissioned earlier this year by APL and carried
out by leading scientists at the CSIRO and National Measurement Institute, whose
findings revealed lean trimmed pork to be just as lean as skinless chicken breast. This
in addition to findings that named pork as a low fat, high protein dietary source.
The report — which based its research on actual pork cuts purchased in retail
stores across Australia to accurately reflect the pork that ‘real’ consumers purchase
every day and whose findings were published in the Pork Nutrition Study —
concluded that pork is lean and loaded with essential vitamins such as B12, B6,
thiamine, niacin, minerals such as zinc and selenium and nutrients that include iron
and magnesium. In everyday language this means that lean pork is beneficial for
growth, for nerves, for cardiovascular function, for muscle strength and isn’t
fattening. It has something for everyone.
The study also found pork to be of benefit to those with type 2 diabetes for its
role in a balanced diet. Studies show that the risk of type 2 diabetes can be
dramatically reduced through a combination of weight control, exercise and healthy
Cnr Denison St & Geils Crt Deakin ACT 2600
PO Box 148 Deakin West ACT 2600
Telephone 02 6285 2200
Facsimile 02 6285 2288
Email apl@australianpork.com.au
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eating. Lean trimmed pork can play an important role in a healthful lifestyle that
prevents or manages diabetes, making pork a healthy option in everyone’s diet. With
the cornerstone of good nutrition being variety, including one pork meal a week
instantly improves dietary variety.
Figures from the Medical Journal of Australia calculate that worldwide more
than 150 million people have diabetes, and that this number will rise to 300 million
by 2025. In Australia, the AusDiab study reported in 2000 that 7.4% of the
population aged 25 or over had diabetes, and that more than 50% of these were
undiagnosed — a figure that has more than doubled in the last 20 years. According to
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, type 2 diabetes accounts for 85–90%
of all diabetes cases in Australia. With prevalence of the disease increasing with age,
it is estimated that more than 20% of the population aged over 60 have type 2
diabetes. The latest CSIRO research into the benefits of pork for people with type 2
diabetes could not be timelier.
Pork is a major source of protein for many Australians. It is unique among
other protein sources for its particularly important levels of thiamine, niacin zinc and
selenium within a nutrient-dense environment. With lean trimmed pork so lean that
15 of its cuts have the Tick of approval from the National Heart Foundation, there’s
never been a better reason to get some pork on your fork.
ENDS
Further information regarding The role of Australian pork in improving thiamine status,
heart disease risk factors and glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes
Dr Manny Noakes
Senior Research Dietitian, CSIRO
ph 08 8303 8827
m 0448 663 868
e manny.noakes@csiro.au
Further Information regarding Australian pork nutrition
Dr Darryl D'Souza
General Manager, Research & Innovation, Australian Pork Limited
ph 02 6285 2200
m 0421 622 900
e darryl.dsouza@australianpork.com.au
Issued on behalf of Australian Pork Limited by Whiteworks Public Relations ph 9557 1433
Stewart White m 0418 284 036 | Joseph Brennan m 0439 391 334
NEWS 
