Group-based lifestyle counseling may help men make healthier food selections and reduce their risk of diabetes. A study Published in September 2025. European Journal of Nutrition.
Over a three-year period, roughly 550 men (aged 50 to 75 years) diagnosed with prediabetes who were also obese or obese underwent five to seven group counseling sessions on healthy eating habits. Men also had access to an online portal that provided monthly online content and a discussion platform for participants. Second, a control group of 345 otherwise similar men received just one counseling session on healthy lifestyles at first of the study.
Periodic questionnaires tracked participants' eating habits. The men also underwent tests to discover genetic variants related to an increased risk of diabetes.
Compared to the control group, men who received counseling and support increased their intake of healthy foods, resembling whole grains, berries, vegetables, fish, and plant-based oils. They also reduced their intake of salty, high-fat foods.
After the researchers adjusted for risk aspects resembling being obese, smoking and drinking alcohol, they found that healthy eating patterns were related to a 33 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. Among men who carried the very best risk genes for diabetes, the effect was even greater: those with higher diets had a 47 percent lower risk of developing the disease.
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