It's a complicated little world, isn't it? For example, type 2 diabetes is a growing problem in Australia, particularly in rural areas. Recently, however, some good news appeared: immigrants from Mediterranean regions living in Australia who stuck with a traditional Mediterranean diet over long periods of time, enjoyed much better health than other segments of the population. And that includes less diabetes.

But now, there's news that Australia's ethnic minorities suffer from type 2 diabetes at much higher rates than the rest of the population. Hardest hit are Asians, Pacific Islanders and people originally from the Middle East. The finding results from a survey of 11,000 Australians. There are some good reasons why immigrants suffer from diabetes more. First, those affected the worst were not able to maintain their traditional lifestyles in the new country. Fatty foods and lack of exercise are a big problem. Second, there are psychological factors contributing to poor overall health, especially the stress involved in learning to live in a new culture with a different language.

An Australian company is making the rather ambitious claim that it has discovered a plant that could be used as a substitute for insulin. The plant is a vine that grows in the rainforests of the Pacific Islands. The chairman of Dia-B Tech, the biotechnology company behind the announcement, says that the vine has been used in traditional medicines for a long time.

Although it has not yet been used to treat diabetes, the company has reason to believe it will be effective and could be a "proxy" for insulin. The company also claims it could be better than insulin because it would not cause organ damage, as long-term use of insulin can do. Whether or not this discovery ever comes to anything for diabetics is the question. In any case, it's an intriguing and bold announcement!