Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Through Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet can help prevent all women from developing type 2 diabetes but it’s especially helpful for minority women, new research suggests.

The findings are significant for Asian, Hispanic and black women because as minorities, they face a much higher risk for type 2 diabetes than white women, according to a news release from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

“As the incidence of type 2 diabetes continues to increase at an alarming rate worldwide, these findings can have global importance for what may be the largest public health threat of this century,” said lead author Jinnie Rhee, who conducted the research at Harvard Chan.

More than 29 million people nationwide have diabetes. In 15 years, the World Health Organization projects that diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death.

For the study, published online in Diabetes Care, researchers analyzed a person’s risk for diabetes and their overall diet. A healthier diet meant eating less foods with saturated and trans fats, sugary drinks and red and processed meats while eating more foods that had a low glycemic index and a higher intake of cereal fiber, polyunsaturated fats, coffee and nuts.

People who followed a healthy overall diet appeared to have a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. An analysis showed that for every 1,000 white women, 5.3 cases of diabetes could be prevented by following a healthier diet. However, for every 1,000 minority women, 8 cases could be prevented, the news release states.

“This finding confirms that we are in the same boat when it comes to preventing type 2 diabetes by diet,” said Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard Chan. “Our next challenge is to put this knowledge into practice so everyone can benefit.”

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health news release

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