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Here's a brand new medical study that would change your life: Eat healthy.
Of course you've heard it before, but this time the profit is diabetes prevention. This is a giant deal, especially if, like many other people, you might be in danger for the disease. More on that in a moment.
First, let's review the study. Researchers publishing in PLoS Medicine Describe a the study Of greater than 200,000 people within the U.S. who participated in a health survey over a 20-year period. They found that:
- Those who selected a food plan that consisted primarily of plant-based foods had a 20 percent lower incidence of type 2 diabetes than the remaining of the study subjects.
- For those that ate a really healthy plant-based food plan (including fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains), type 2 diabetes was reduced by 34 percent.
- On the opposite hand, those that made less healthy selections (akin to sugar-sweetened beverages and refined grains) were 16 percent more prone to develop type 2 diabetes than those that didn't.
It's value emphasizing that this wasn't a study of the consequences of being vegan or following an expensive, prepackaged food plan plan that will be difficult to take care of over time. This was a study of “normal” dietary selections across a spectrum, with all variations from largely animal-based to largely plant-based. This makes it more applicable to the common man.
Although this sort of study cannot prove that the reduction in diabetes was strictly attributable to a difference in food plan, a “diet response” (a better degree of protection with the healthiest food plan) would strongly indicate a real effect of food plan. Is.
Current recommendations
USDA Current Dietary Guidelines (called “MyPlate”) encourages everyone to make healthy food selections. For example:
- Half of every meal should consist of whole vegatables and fruits.
- About one-quarter of every meal needs to be protein, and one-quarter grains (preferably whole grains).
- Low-fat dairy products akin to low-fat milk and yogurt are preferred over high-fat options.
- Moderate Total calorie intake (Depending in your age, gender, size, and physical activity).
- Reduce intake of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. Read nutrition labels so you recognize what you're eating.
According to the USDA website, My Plate Diet “Can help you avoid being overweight and obese and reduce your risk of diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.”
Even more recently, 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee “Diets that are high in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and low in animal-based foods, are more likely to promote health,” the report states. Is.” And just this week, US News and World Report Plant-based diets (DASH food plan and Mediterranean food plan) are considered the healthiest.
These recommendations have been endorsed by nutritionists, doctors and public health authorities. But, the info they're based on isn't perfect. The latest research is among the many strongest yet to support the notion that a healthy food plan can lower your risk of chronic disease like diabetes.
Of course, there are caveats
Is this the ultimate word on the connection between food plan and diabetes prevention? Not by a protracted shot.
For one thing, the study examined the trends of 1000's of individuals over time. While this permits for some observations (and predictions) about large groups of individuals as an entire, it doesn't allow accurate predictions for a person. You can follow a healthy food plan your whole life and still develop diabetes. And not everyone who chooses an animal-based food plan high in refined sugars will develop diabetes.
Information on food plan was self-reported, so some errors are inevitable. And for some foods, the designation of “healthy” is somewhat subjective.
Also, such studies are unable to say that food plan is the primary reason for the outcomes. Some other factor — exercise, genetics, or a number of other possibilities together — matters greater than food plan alone. However, the response to food plan (as described above) suggests that food plan is playing a very important role.
And finally….
Given the dramatic increase within the incidence of diabetes on this country, studies that address prevention approaches are worthy of attention. In addition to providing the strongest support to this point for recommendations for healthy diets, perhaps the best impact such studies must have is on people at increased risk of disease. For example, a one that is obese, has “pre-diabetes” (a high blood sugar that isn't high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes), or a robust family history of diabetes may take this data to heart. And can commit to changing it. Food
Studying the consequences of dietary (or every other) recommendations is a very important approach to validate the efficacy of guidelines. This latest study is a great example.