Eating diet rich in fruit and veg can cut diabetes risk by a quarter

IT IS good news for vegetarians and vegans as eating plenty of fruit and vegetables slashes the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter, research suggests.

Adding whole grains to your daily diet along with legumes and nuts also protects against the potentially deadly disease as they improve sensitivity to insulin – the hormone that controls blood sugar – and reduce weight gain.

Rich in antioxidants, they also combat inflammation, researchers said.

An analysis of 307,099 participants with 23,544 cases of type 2 diabetes found those who stuck to a plant-based diet and avoided refined grains, starches and sugars were 23 per cent less prone to the disease.

Senior author Prof Qi Sun, a nutritionist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School, said: “Overall, the data highlighted the importance of adhering to plant-based diets to achieve or maintain good health.”

The findings, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, add to evidence that diet is crucial in tackling a condition that now affects about four million people in the UK.

The vast majority, about nine in ten, suffer from Type 2 diabetes that can be avoided by making lifestyle changes.

Frank Qian, who conducted the research as a masters student in the lab, said: “Plant-based dietary patterns are gaining popularity in recent years.

“So we thought it was crucial to quantify their overall association with diabetes risk, particularly since these diets can vary substantially in terms of their food composition.”

It is thought that around 550,000 people could have Type 2 diabetes but be unaware of it.

‘We thought it was crucial to quantify the association of plant-based dietary patterns with diabetes risk’