Research
Mixed
An unhealthful plant-based diet (high in refined grains, sugary beverages, potatoes, and sweets) is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Avoid labeling your diet as 'plant-based' if it relies heavily on refined grains, sugary beverages, potatoes, and sweets. These foods are linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, even if you don't eat meat. Focus on whole, unprocessed plant foods to get the benefits.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
uPDI was positively associated with T2D even after BMI adjustment (HR for extreme deciles 1.16, 95% CI 1.08–1.25, p trend < 0.001).
Why this rating
Same large prospective cohort studies as N1, providing robust observational evidence.
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
DOI 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039
cohort · n=200727Cited 1,018×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Mixed
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