Low type 2 diabetes risk is associated with vegetarian diets.
This study was carried out to determine the correlation between plant-based dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes development risk in men and women. Using self-reported dietary assessment questionnaires, researchers evaluated the diets of 200,727 US men and women recruited from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professional Follow-up Study. The type 2 diabetes mellitus hazard risk of each participant in this study was also assessed.
Researchers observed a low prevalence of type 2 diabetes among subjects who adhered to plant-based dietary patterns. High consumption of healthy plant foods, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, was found to diminish type 2 diabetes development risk significantly. The results of this study show that increased intake of vegetarian diets may be beneficial in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.