Take a walk

A SHORT brisk walk after a meal can help diabetics reduce blood sugar levels by 17% according to research from the Complutense University of Madrid.

Around 5.1 million people in Spain have type 2 diabetes and the numbers are rising, not helped by poor diets.

As an example, cancer is now the second leading cause of death in Spain, with half of cancer patients experiencing malnutrition during hospitalisation.

Malnutrition alters drug properties and their effects, often requiring higher doses, leading to increased toxicity and extended treatment cycles or even treatment abandonment due to inefficacy. Conducting nutritional screening upon hospital admission would reduce costs, shorten hospital stays, decrease the likelihood of readmissions, and, most importantly, improve treatment efficacy for patients. Nutritional screening upon admission would enable doctors and medics to catch malnutrition early and undertake a more effective treatment approach.

In fact, its inclusion in healthcare could result in a remarkable cost reduction, with potential savings of up to €99 for every euro invested in dietary treatment. It would also align Spain with the standards proposed by the World Health Organization and the European Union.

The university's Professor Carmen Sanz said: “After eating nutrients including glucose pass into the bloodstream from the intestine and body sugar levels rise.

“When walking, contracting muscles absorb glucose to provide energy to blood cells and decreases the need for insulin,” she added.

and the increasing figures have been described by Complutense’s study as ‘alarming.’

In Spain, a total of 4,097 people committed suicide in 2022, almost 100 more than in 2021, when the number was 4,003.

People can also call Samaritans in Spain between 10am and 10pm on FREEPHONE 900 525 100 for a confidential service in English or email pat@ samaritansinspain.com

Spain’s national suicide helpline 024 also offers a service in English.

Across: 7 Anarchy, 8 Group, 9 Tames, 10 Observe, 11 Yokel, 13 Ecology, 15 Mariner, 17 Sleep, 19 Dunster, 21 Other, 22 Cubic, 23 Leotard.

Down: 1 Earthy, 2 Haymaker, 3 Ices, 4 Bygone, 5 Door, 6 Speedy, 8 Gaseous, 12 Lunatic, 14 Overheat, 15 Medico, 16 Rarely, 18 Parade, 20 Nibs, 21 Oxon.