A diet rich in whole grains, fiber, fish, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may decrease mortality risk in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
This is the finding of a comprehensive study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden.
Conducted by the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf, Germany, the study evaluated all existing evidence to provide dietary recommendations specifically for T2D patients.
Despite some general dietary guidelines for T2D, most are not based on firm evidence or are extrapolated from general population studies.
“Our rigorous assessment indicates that a diet rich in whole grains, fiber, fish and PUFAs, as well as consuming more vegetables and plant proteins may help people with type 2 diabetes live longer,” stated Dr. Janett Barbaresko from the German Diabetes Center.
However, the study team emphasized the need for comprehensive research on dietary patterns, foods like dairy, meat, and tea, and micronutrients like caffeine and vitamin D to better understand their impact on T2D progression.
The researchers conducted a systematic review of 107 prospective observational studies investigating dietary factors and mortality risk in adults with T2D. Ultimately, 72 studies were included in 45 meta-analyses.
Results showed a moderately certain protective association between the intake of whole grain, fiber, fish, n-3 PUFAs and death from all causes.
Specifically, adding one serving (20 g/day) of whole grain and each serving per week increase in fish consumption was associated with a 16% and 5% lower risk of death respectively.
Likewise, an additional 5 g per day intake of dietary fiber and 0.1 g per day increase in n-3 PUFAs led to a 14% and 13% lower mortality risk respectively.
The study also revealed possible benefits from consuming more vegetables and plant protein. Increasing intake by 100 g of vegetables and 10 g of plant proteins daily led to a 12% and 9% lower risk of death, respectively.
On the other hand, higher intake of eggs and dietary cholesterol was associated with an increased risk of death.
Specifically, a 10 g per day increase in egg intake was linked to a 5% greater mortality risk, while an additional 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day was associated with a 19% increase.
Lead researcher, Dr. Sabrina Schlesinger, stressed the need for further research to offer more robust evidence on different dietary factors and the progression of diabetes.
However, she pointed out that adding a few servings of whole grains, fiber, fish, plant oils, and vegetables to weekly diets may be an easy, low-risk way to possibly improve outcomes for individuals with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers cautioned that the study only demonstrated associations and did not provide definitive proof that a diet high in whole grains, fiber, fish, and n-3 PUFAs would guarantee a longer life for people with T2D.
Also, the limited number of studies in many of the meta-analyses could constrain the conclusions.
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