Mediterranean Diet May Decrease Diabetes Risk

A Mediterranean diet, already known to protect against heart disease, also appears to decrease risk of developing diabetes according to a prospective study of 13,380 Spanish university graduates without diabetes at baseline followed up for 4.4 years.

Mediterranean diet was defined by features such as a high intake of fibre, a high intake of vegetable fat, a low intake of trans fatty acids, and a moderate intake of alcohol.

People who adhered closely to the diet were 83 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not. The researchers admit they did not expect such a large reduction.

According to other studies, Mediterranean diet seems to improve cardiovascular risk factors after just 3 months and protect against asthma in childhood.

I try to follow a variant of the Mediterranean/DASH diet as much as possible. After adding 2-3 tablespoons of flax seed flower in the morning, my LDL decreased by 33% (from 136 mg/dL to 91 mg/dL).

My limited experience pales in comparison to John Halamka, the CIO of Beth Israel, Harvard, who literally became a new man by changing his diet and lifestyle. Read more in A Vegan Thanksgiving and check out his medical records available online.

References:
Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of developing diabetes: prospective cohort study. BMJ.
Mediterranean diet may also help stop diabetes. Reuters.

Related:
Mediterranean diet during childhood may protect against asthma
Mediterranean Diet Seems to Improve Cardiovascular Risk Factors After Just 3 Months

Why to Eat Like a Greek http://goo.gl/Chpwf - Mediterranean diet improves heart risk factors http://goo.gl/DkPhF
Diet Guidelines: No more than 1.5 gm of sodium/day, get off your "SoFAS" - Solid Fats and Added Sugars
Image source: Olive oil, Wikipedia.