Eating vegetables linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes

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In a study from the Danish Cancer Society Research Center, scientists found that vegetable intake is associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes, while potato intake does not increase risk after accounting for the underlying dietary pattern.

They examined associations between exposure to vegetables/potatoes and incident type 2 diabetes and quantified mediation by body mass index (BMI).

The team found a total of 7,695 cases of type 2 diabetes during a follow-up of 16.3 years among 54,793 participants in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort.

Compared with those with the lowest vegetable intake, participants with the highest intake had a 0.35 kg/m2 lower BMI and a 21%lower risk for type 2 diabetes.

The team also found about 21 percent of the association between vegetable intake and incident type 2 diabetes was mediated by baseline BMI.

Participants with the highest versus the lowest potato intake had a 9% higher risk for type 2 diabetes. But after accounting for underlying dietary patterns, no association was found.

The team also found a higher intake of green leafy and cruciferous vegetables was strongly associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes.

They say the finding that vegetables lower diabetes risk is crucial for public health recommendations, and people shouldn’t ignore it.

Regarding potatoes, researchers can’t say they have a benefit in terms of type 2 diabetes, but they also aren’t bad if prepared in a healthy way.

If you care about diabetes, please read studies about how to control diabetes-causing genes, and diabetes drug metformin may reduce cognitive decline.

For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about a drug that prevents kidney failure in diabetes, and results showing salt and processed meats linked to deaths in diabetes and heart disease.

The study was conducted by Pratik Pokharel et al and published in Diabetes Care.

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