Worried about your diabetes risk? Turns out there’s a new way to reduce your risk–by up to as much as 40 percent.
Published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, editor-in-chief and Jefferson Medical College associate professor of medicine Dr. Christine Laine says this study reveals how important diet is when it comes to reducing a person’s type 2 diabetes risk.
“The study suggests it is possible to reduce the risk of diabetes by changing the composition of your diet,” says Laine. “It is another piece of evidence that the Mediterranean diet has health benefits.”
Why the Mediterranean Diet Works
Recruiting a total of 3,541 Spanish older adults, researchers in Spain asked the participants to follow one of three diets: A Mediterranean diet containing extra nuts, a Mediterranean diet containing extra olive oil, and a low fat diet. Their initial goal was to see which diet had the best effect on heart disease outcomes, though at the end of the study they modified their findings to see how it affected their type 2 diabetes rates.
Following the next year, researchers then asked them about the foods they ate, how well they adhered to the diet, and had their blood and urine analyzed to see how much olive oil or nuts they were consuming.
Sadly, during the height of the study, 273 people developed type 2 diabetes–the highest amount coming from those consuming a low-fat diet.
This finding piqued the researchers’ curiosity.
Following the end of the study, researchers then examined the evidence further to see if any additional links could be drawn between their diet and type 2 diabetes risk–and the correlations were hard to deny.
“After taking into account factors that could affect diabetes risk–such as total calorie intake, physical-activity level and alcohol intake–participants who followed the Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil had a reduced risk of developing diabetes compared with the group following a low-fat diet,” says Rachel Rettner, a senior writer for Live Science. “Those who followed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts also had a reduced risk of diabetes, but this particular finding could have been due to chance.”
In conclusion, researchers say this study suggests–though, it does not prove without a doubt–that eating a Mediterranean Diet with a higher olive oil intake could help people reduce their diabetes risk, though it shouldn’t be the only measure they take to reduce their overall risk.
“The new findings do not take away from exercise and weight loss as methods to help prevent diabetes,” says Cohen. “Rather, the findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet has its own additional benefits.”
What You Should Do
If you’re not already, adding foods commonly eaten on the Mediterranean diet–such as lean meats, olive oil, and nuts–to your diet could help reduce your type 2 diabetes risk by as much as 40 percent. Remember that it needs to be combined with other lifestyle measures as well, such as a calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise.
Readers: Have you tried this diet before?
Sources:
Mediterranean Diet Prevents Diabetes – LiveScience.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.