New research published in JAMA Network Open shows a Mediterranean style diet can impact diabetes risk. The study suggests a healthy diet can slash type-2 diabetes risk by 30% in obese and overweight women.
A Mediterranean style diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds. It occasionally includes fish and lean proteins.
This study does a couple of things. One is that it lends more support to the inadequacy of “fad diets” in preventing chronic illness. The study period lasted more than 20 years and noted that overall eating style was most important for long-term metabolic health.
It also found that the Mediterranean style diet can do more for your health than reducing the risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses.
Metabolic conditions like type-2 diabetes do not happen overnight. It is years of eating in a specific way that can’t slowly erode or enhance metabolic function. Type-2 diabetes is marked by metabolic failure in the form of insulin resistance.
A Mediterranean diet may not have a noticeable effect in the short-term, but years of adherence is likely to preserve this system. Researchers found that cholesterol levels and insulin resistance, and inflammatory markers were lower in those on a Mediterranean diet.
A Mediterranean diet is also much higher in fiber than the Standard American diet, likely adding to its effect. It is also low in processed and high sugar foods that contribute to inflammation, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and insulin resistance.
Even though this new study had some limitations, following a Mediterranean-style diet can likely result in long-term health improvement and a much lower risk for chronic illnesses like heart disease and type-2 diabetes.