Finding ways to prevent type 2 diabetes

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - Researchers at UMass Amherst have found out new information about how to prevent type two diabetes.

We know that exercise can help prevent type two diabetes, and the medicine metformin can help prevent it as well, so these researchers wanted to find out how the drug and exercise work together. Researchers found that it actually did not help in preventing type two diabetes as much as when each is used alone.

UMass Professor Barry Braun, one of the researchers involved in this study, told 22News that you would think one plus one equals two, but that isn't the case here. Still, he said he believes exercise and weight loss is the best way to reduce your chances of getting type two diabetes. We asked him whether the type of exercise you do matters.

“Anything that expends calories seems to work,” Braun said. “There might be an advantage of higher intensity for building muscle. There might be advantage of lower intensity in terms of being more doable; especially by people who are obese. But, it doesn't seem the mode is as important as the effect of doing it.”

Braun said this research is helpful, because it closes the door on one theory and helps them move on to other theories that may actually benefit people more.