Spare the Meat, Skip the Type 2 Diabetes? | WPN World People News

Eating a mainly plant-based diet -- especially one with lots of healthy veggies, fruit and whole grains -- may significantly lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

"This study highlights that even moderate dietary changes in the direction of a healthful plant-based diet can play a significant role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes," said expert.

"These findings provide further evidence to support current dietary recommendations for chronic disease prevention," expert added.

The study included information from more than 200,000 Americans. They all completed a series of questionnaires about their diet, lifestyle, medical history and current health. The information was collected over 20 years.

People who closely followed a plant-based diet low in animal-based foods had a 20 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes than those who didn't. However, the research didn't establish a firm cause-and-effect relationship; it only showed a link.

The researchers also found that the healthier the foods, the lower the risk seemed to be.

A healthy version of a plant-based diet lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 34 percent. A healthy diet included foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, the study noted.

But, people who opted for less healthy foods -- though they still ate many plant-based foods -- had a 16 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the study revealed. The less healthy diet included foods such as refined grains, potatoes and sugar-sweetened beverages.

The researchers also found that even a modest reduction in animal-based food consumption was linked to a lower type 2 diabetes risk. The reduced risk was seen with as little a change as going from five to six servings of animal-based foods per day to about four servings per day, the study said.

"A shift to a dietary pattern higher in healthful plant-based foods -- such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds -- and lower in animal-based foods, especially red and processed meats, can confer substantial health benefits in reducing risk of type 2 diabetes,"expert said.

In related news, another study found that eating three or more servings of whole grains a day lowered the risk of premature death by 20 percent compared to eating fewer or no servings of whole grains daily.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services