After reviewing a series of studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants, a team of researchers found three eating plans that significantly reduced the development of type 2 diabetes. All are relatively easy to follow.
Of the more than 38 million Americans who have diabetes, 90-95% of the cases are of the type 2 variety. The disease can develop over time as the body develops resistance to insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas that helps your body convert the sugar in your blood to energy. Diet has long been recognized as both a cause of the condition and a way to control it. For example, a study released just this week showed that consuming just one diet soda per day increased type 2 diabetes risk by 39%, while last year another study showed that a 5:2 intermittent fasting routine could be more effective than medication in controlling the disease.
For the most recent study, researchers from the University of Cambridge and other institutions conducted a meta-analysis of studies that examined the link between different eating plans and the development of type 2 diabetes. They found 33 studies they were able to use, which included data on over 800,000 patients. After the analysis was complete, those who were in the top 10% of adherence to three common diets were shown to have a significantly lower risk of developing the disease.
Those following the DASH diet had a 23% lower risk; those following Harvard University's Alternative Healthy Eating (AHEI) diet had a 21% lower risk; and those on the Mediterranean Diet had a 17% lower risk. All three of the diets have an emphasis on eating whole foods, especially fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
All three of these eating plans have also previously shown health benefits beyond the lowering of diabetes risk. The DASH eating plan, for example, was ranked the best out of 10 diets for its heart healthy benefits, while the Mediterranean Diet was shown to have a powerful effect on the way which the brain organizes itself, and the AHEI diet demonstrated its ability to lower the risk of all chronic diseases by 19%.
In terms of the most recent study, the researchers point out that one of its weaknesses was that the studies they focused on had a preponderance of participants from European descent. However they did say that the effects of the three diets did not differ across the different ethnic groups that were included, which is not always the case in diabetes research thanks to genetic factors and varying dietary culture.
“Although more research is needed in specific populations, this study strengthens the evidence that the Mediterranean, AHEI, and DASH dietary patterns may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes across diverse ethnic groups, and that they can be promoted across all populations,” say the authors.
The findings from the study will be presented at the 61st annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes to be held in Vienna from September 15-19.
Source: European Association for the Study of Diabetes via EurekAlert
