Mixed
Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils; low in refined grains, sugary beverages, and animal foods) is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
To lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, focus on building your diet around high-quality plant foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils. While you don't need to eliminate animal products entirely, prioritizing these healthy plant foods and limiting refined grains, sugary drinks, and potatoes is key. Simply being 'plant-based' isn't enough; the quality of the plants matters significantly.
Our study suggests that plant-based diets, especially when rich in high-quality plant foods, are associated with substantially lower risk of developing T2D.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort studies (NHS, NHS2, HPFS) with long follow-up and large sample size, but observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies
Ambika Satija et al. · PLoS Medicine · 2016
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