Mediterranean diet and diabetes risk
You guessed it.
The risk is lower among those who follow the traditional Mediterranean diet — rich in olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, legumes, and fish but relatively low in meat and dairy products, according to researchers in Spain.
First, the details.
- 13,380 university graduates without diabetes were followed for about 4 years.
- They were monitored for their adherence to a Mediterranean diet and the incidence of diabetes.
- The risk of developing diabetes was adjusted for confounding factors such as sex, age, years of university education, total energy intake, body mass index, physical activity, sedentary habits, smoking, family history of diabetes, and personal history of hypertension.
And, the results.
- During the study, 103 participants reported a new diagnosis of diabetes.
- Those who adhered closely to a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of diabetes.
The bottom line?
A Mediterranean diet protects against coronary mortality, and is inversely associated with the incidence of diabetes among patients who survived a heart attack.
In this study, higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with incidence of type 2 diabetes among initially healthy participants.
6/16/08 21:39 JR
