Diabetes Reaches Epidemic Proportions, Especially Among Hispanic and African-American Groups; Diabetics Get More Urinary Tract Infections Than General Population.

Health/Medical Writers

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass.--(BW HealthWire)--July 14, 2000

The statistics are staggering. Diabetes is the number one health problem facing Hispanic-Americans in the United States. In fact, they are twice as likely as Caucasians to die from the disease and complications stemming from it.

Equally as concerning, one in four African-American women over the age of 55 are estimated to have the disease. Both Hispanic and African-Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 or adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, where the body becomes insensitive to insulin and can no longer use it properly.

Although diabetes is a chronic disease without a cure, it can be controlled through diet, exercise, and sometimes medication. The greatest risk factors contributing to this growing epidemic are obesity and lack of regular exercise. But, obesity isn't the only factor that affects diabetics differently than the general population. Diabetics often have a higher incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

The good news is diabetics can take precautions to maintain a healthy urinary tract, and Ocean Spray is the brand scientifically proven to help. Medical research confirms what has been nutrition folklore. According to a 1994 university study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, elderly women who drank 10 ounces of OCEAN SPRAY(R) Lightstyle(R) low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail a day had a reduced chance for developing UTIs.

Lightstyle contains just 40 calories and only 10 grams of carbohydrates per 8-ounce serving, yet it's packed with 130 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C. One 8-ounce serving equals 1/2 fruit exchange. Appropriate for diabetics, Lightstyle juice drinks are sweetened with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener, the only low-calorie sweetener made from sugar.

Cranberry juices and juice drinks contain proanthocyanidins, more commonly known as condensed tannins. These natural compounds found in cranberries have been shown to inhibit the attachment of harmful bacteria in the urinary tract. Interestingly, the same anti-adhesion properties responsible for urinary tract health may help inhibit the activity of other disease-causing bacteria, including some bacteria that contribute to gum disease.

For more information on diabetes and/or LIGHTSTYLE juice drinks or to order free brochures on the two subjects, call the Ocean Spray Consumer Helpline at 1-800-662-3263 or visit their Web site at www.oceanspray.com.

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by 750 cranberry growers and 150 citrus growers throughout the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass., Ocean Spray ranks among the top 50 food and beverage companies and is the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled-juice category. For additional information about Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., visit their Web site at www.oceanspray.com.