What and how you eat affects your chance for type 2 diabetes

SATURDAY, June 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) – Three new studies suggest that the type of foods you eat and even the order in which you eat them can affect your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

The studies – presented at the American Society for Nutrition – revealed:

• Switching to a predominantly herbal diet (but that could still include meat and dairy products) could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes up to 60%.
• Consumption of greater amounts of vitamins B2 and B6 was badociated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while increased intake of B12 in the diet appeared to be badociated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
• The order in which you eat your food seems to be of importance. People who ate vegetables before eating meat or rice had low blood sugar and positive changes in their hunger hormones.

Dr. Rekha Kumar, Endocrinologist, New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, reviewed the results.

"Focusing on fruits and vegetables and whole foods is a very practical and easy way to manage type 2 diabetes," she said. "Half of your plate should be green, even at breakfast, where you could have an egg-white omelette with spinach for example."

Kumar explained that vegetables, high fiber foods and even protein take longer to leave the stomach, slowing the rise in blood sugar levels.

"Theoretically, changing the order in which you eat food could have consequences on weight control and appetite," she said.

Prioritize plants

The first study involved more than 2,700 people recruited at an average age of 25 years. Forty percent were blacks and nearly 60% were women. Their health and diet were followed for 30 years.

The study found that people who improved their food quality the most from early to middle age reduced their chances of developing diabetes by nearly two-thirds, compared with those whose quality was better. diet decreased slightly.

What is a quality diet? The researchers said the product contains more nutrient-rich and plant-centered foods.

Lead author of the study, Yuni Choi, doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in St. Paul, said that a plant-based diet is rich in "natural plant foods", low in highly processed foods and generally low in animal products. food based. "

Thus, vegetables, fruits and whole grains have a boost, but white bread and white rice have poor quality scores. Choi said that this type of diet can include lean meat and low fat dairy products.

On average, those who improved most on their diet ate at least four servings of vegetables a day, two servings of fruit, 1-1 / 2 serving of nuts or seeds, nearly two servings of whole grains, less than 'a portion of processed meat and about a serving of red meat,' says Choi.

Choi and his advisor and co-author, David Jacobs, believe that the various nutrients found in plant-based foods help prevent diabetes.

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The second study examined food data from about 200,000 US adults over the age of 15.

People who had the most vitamins B2 and B6 had a reduction of about 10% in their risk of diabetes. B2 is found in eggs, lean meat, green vegetables and fortified grain products such as cereals and bread, according to the US Department of Agriculture. B6 is found in fish, lean meat, fruits (other than citrus fruits), potatoes and other vegetables without starchy foods.

Although total vitamin B12 intake was not badociated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, probabilities increased by 11% when researchers examined vitamin B12 alone. food origin. They found no similar increase in the risk of diabetes related to vitamin B12 in dietary supplements. They said that this could be due to the fact that vitamin B12 in foods often comes from products of animal origin.

The third study found that the order in which you eat can affect your blood sugar. The researchers asked 16 Chinese adults, mostly men, to eat five experimental meals in a defined order. The meals contain a vegetable, meat and rice, and the portion sizes have remained the same.

Overall, the smallest increase in blood sugar was found when vegetables or meat were eaten first. The meal consisting of vegetables, meat and rice, taken separately, in that order, resulted in a lower increase in blood sugar and a favorable reaction of the appetite hormones.

"The way we eat and present foods to our mouths can have significant physiological effects," said Christiani Henry, author of the study, director of the Institute's Clinical Nutrition Research Center. clinical sciences of Singapore.

Henry said that the fiber and other nutrients in the vegetables seemed to slow food transit time, which could also slow the rise in blood sugar levels after eating.

Eating vegetables first is "a simple and practical way to reduce blood sugar when you eat rice," he said. Henry added that more research is needed to see if similar changes would help control blood sugar spikes in foods eaten in places like the United States.

The three studies were to be presented between Saturday and Tuesday at the meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Baltimore. Research presented at meetings is generally considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

Learn more about nutrition and diabetes at the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.