The best foods to eat to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes

I contributed this piece to Today.Com about a new study from the British Journal of Medicine (BMJ) that suggests that eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruit may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 50%. As a large case study that spanned 16 years and focused on more than 23,000 participants with diverse eating patterns from eight European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK), this study was especially significant.

In the BMJ study, researchers analyzed serum plasma, which is believed to provide more accurate data for assessing fruit and vegetable intake. The researchers examined blood samples from study participants to create biomarker scores. Plasma vitamin C along with six single carotenoids were measured, and the findings suggested that dietary patterns abundant in fruit and veggies are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes, meaning that as fruit and vegetable intake increases, a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes decreases.

Additionally, researches found beneficial outcomes specifically related to how to prevent type 2 diabetes, even in people who previously consumed little to no vegetables or fruits. Moderate increases in fruit and vegetable intake appeared to have a protective effect.