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Researchers analysed more than 300,000 people who followed a plant-based diet, such as vegetarian or vegan, to some degree. Those who stuck to it religiously had the lowest chances of getting the condition, compared to those who were more flexible. Adults who chose ‘healthy’ plant-based foods low in sugar, fat and salt, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, had the lowest risk. In all of the studies analysed, the highest category of adherence to plant-based diets still involved a significant amount of food derived from animals.I
t’s not currently clear whether reduced meat consumption is behind the reduced risk, or another factor such as a high amount of fibre. Plant-based diets have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce weight, both of which can slash the risk of type 2 diabetes. There are four million people living with diabetes in the UK, and 90 per cent of those have type 2.
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in Boston, Massachusetts, used nine studies which investigated the link between a plant-based diet and type 2 diabetes. The review included data from 307,099 participants, of which 23,544 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The researchers found people with the highest adherence to plant-based diets had a 23 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those with weaker adherence to the diets.
The risk was most reduced in those who ate healthy plant-based diets, according to the findings published in The Journal of the American Medicine. Healthy diets and plant-based foods have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and blood pressure, reduce weight gain, and alleviate systemic inflammation, all of which can contribute to type 2 diabetes risk. The increasingly popular ‘healthy’ plant-based diet includes a mix of foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, and little meat and dairy.
Experts called for more research to understand what components of a healthy plant-based diet can protect against type 2 diabetes. The high amount of fibre – found mainly in wholegrains, fruits, vegetables and legumes – may play an important role. Dietary fibre helps to maintain a healthy weight and has previously been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Dr Ian Johnson, nutrition researcher at Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, said: ‘It is well established from population studies that vegetarians tend to have a lower body-mass index and a lower risk of heart disease and other chronic health problems than meat-eaters.
However, the term “vegetarian” is applied to a whole range of different dietary habits ranging from those who only avoid red meat to vegans who avoid all foods of animal origin. ‘Whatever mechanisms may be at work, this study is consistent with current public health advice to consume substantial quantities of lightly processed plant foods rich in whole-grains and fibre, and to limit consumption of animal products.’ Professor Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics, King’s College London (KCL), said: ‘Generally, vegetarians are lighter than meat-eaters and they eat more wholegrains – both factors that would decrease risk of developing diabetes.’Indeed, a vegetarian or other plant-based diets that are high in free sugars and refined carbohydrates is likely to increase risk of type 2 diabetes especially when associated with low levels of physical activity.