Diet Strategies to Reduce Your Risk of Developing Type Two Diabetes.

Type two diabetics is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar levels become too high. In type two diabetics the hormone known as insulin which is needed to take sugar from the blood to the cells of your body is either is not produced in adequate amounts or your body or your body does not respond to the release of insulin the way it should be. This is called insulin resistance.

The number of people who have diabetes is on the rise. A recent study investigated the significance of eleven foods and the risk of developing type two diabetes. The study investigated these foods in 184 countries from 1990 and 2018. Researchers concluded that suboptimal intakes of these eleven dietary factors were linked to 14.1 million new cases or 70.3% of type two diabetes.

The eleven dietary factors linked to increased type two diabetes risk were insufficient intake of fruits, not consuming enough non-starchy vegetables, inadequate nuts, and seeds, not consuming enough yoghurt, inadequate whole grains, excess intake of potatoes, excess intake of refined rice and wheat, excess amounts of processed meats and unprocessed red meats in the diet, too much fruit juice and excess sugar sweetened beverages.

The largest contributors to increased type two diabetes were linked to insufficient intake of whole grains, excess wheat intake, excess refined rice, and excess processed meat. Whole grains include foods such as oats, quinoa, red, brown, or black rice, whole grain breads, pasta & couscous whole grain crackers or other whole grains containing foods like Corn Thins slices. Processed meats include foods like ham, bacon, sausages, and salami.

There is no need to eliminate the higher risk foods from your diet. The key is to enjoy the refined grains, processed meats, and red meats in moderation. Every food has a place and by focusing on a whole diet approach this will help to fit all the foods you enjoy.

Take home message: Unlike type one diabetes, type two diabetes is largely preventable. A large component is your lifestyle choices which include your diet. By including more of the recommended foods above and less of the processed meats, excess red unprocessed meats, and refined grains, you will be helping to promote overall health and may reduce your risk of developing type two diabetes.

References:

1. Type Two Diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/type-2-diabetes
2. O’Hearn, M., Lara-Castor, L., Cudhea, F. et al. Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries. Nat Med 29, 982–995 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02278-8