People with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of circulatory diseases, dementia, cancer, and bone fractures.
A recent study found that eating a diet high in whole grains, fiber, fish, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could reduce the risk of mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes.
The team carried out a systematic review of 107 studies investigating the link between dietary factors and the risk of death from any cause in adults aged 18 or older with type 2 diabetes.
Of these, 72 studies were included in 45 meta-analyses comparing high versus low intake over an average of 10 years.
The researchers found that there was a moderate certainty of a protective association between the intake of whole grain, fiber, fish, and n-3 PUFAs and death from all causes.
Increasing consumption of whole grains by 20 g/day (equivalent to a serving from brown bread, rice, or breakfast cereals) was linked to a 16% reduction in mortality risk. Each weekly increase in fish consumption was linked to a 5% lower risk.
Similarly, increasing dietary fiber intake by 5 g/day (equivalent to a medium pear or two shredded wheat) and n-3 PUFAs by 0.1 g/day was linked to a reduced risk of death from all causes—14% and 13% lower, respectively.
Eating larger amounts of vegetables and plant protein may also be beneficial. Increasing daily vegetable intake by 100 g and plant proteins by 10 g (such as nuts, tofu, beans, lentils, and peas) were linked to a 12% and 9% lower risk of death, respectively.
These foods could have potentially beneficial effects by causing favorable changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, as well as having anti-inflammatory effects, which might help to lower the risk of comorbidities like heart disease and cancer.
On the other hand, a higher intake of eggs and dietary cholesterol was linked to an increased risk of death—with a 10 g per day increase in egg intake (equivalent to two medium eggs per week) linked to a 5% greater risk of death, while adding 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day was linked with a 19% increase.
Conclusion
The study suggests that diet plays an essential role in managing type 2 diabetes and reducing the risk of mortality.
It emphasizes the importance of consuming foods rich in whole grains, fiber, fish, and n-3 PUFAs while controlling the intake of eggs and dietary cholesterol.
The research was led by Dr. Janett Barbaresko and presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that the MIND diet may reduce the risk of vision loss disease, and new therapy for type 2 diabetes remains effective 2 years later.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies that Vitamin E could help reduce blood sugar and insulin resistance in diabetes, and results showing diabetes drug metformin may slow down cognitive decline.
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