A Mediterranien Diet Reduces Diabetes Risk

Posted on July 17, 2008 in Latest News

A diet followed the Mediterranean way- one that is rich in nuts, fruits, grains and legumes may bring down a person’s risk of developing type-2 diabetes by more than a whopping 80%, finds a study published in May this year.

The study, carried out by Spanish researchers and published in the British Medical Journal, observed 13,380 Spanish university graduates for an average of 4.4 years. The diet components were high intake of fish, low intake of meat and meat products, high intake of legumes, high intake of nuts, high intake of grains, high intake of fruits, moderate alcohol consumption, moderate intake of dairy products, and a high ratio of mono-unsaturated to saturated fat in their diets.

During the study 103 of the participants developed type-2 diabetes. The researchers discovered that those who strictly followed the Mediterranean diet were 83% less likely to develop type-2 diabetes compared to those with low adherence to a Mediterranean diet (scores between 0 and 2). Moderate adherence to a Mediterranean diet (scores between 3 and 6) was associated with a 59% reduction in type-2 diabetes risk compared to low adherence.

Interestingly, participants who adhered to the Mediterranean diet were heavier, older, more likely to smoke and had a higher prevalence of diabetes in the family compared to those who did not follow a Mediterranean diet. Despite having many diabetes risk factors, these individuals were still much less likely to develop type-2 diabetes suggesting diet is a very important risk factor in determining diabetes likelihood.

It is believed that the high levels of mono-unsaturated fats found in Mediterranean diets may improve insulin sensitivity and bring down lipid levels of the blood, which in turn decreases the chances of a person developing type-2 diabetes.

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