A diet low in carbohydrates and high in plant-based foods is associated with a lower risk of premature death in people with type 2 diabetes, a study has found.
- A low carbohydrate diet has a beneficial impact on the health and life expectancy of type 2 diabetics.
- Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.
- A vegetable diet is also recommended for type 2 diabetics, according to this study.
Low-carb diets can help manage the progression of existing diabetes and lower the risk of premature death: This is the conclusion ofa new study about the link between this diet and type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes: lifestyle is the main risk factor
The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, who relied on 34 years of health data from 7,224 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study and 2,877 men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Studyall of whom developed type 2 diabetes after the start of these studies.
The main risk factor for type 2 diabetes, which concerns 90% of diabetics, depends on the hygiene of life. A diet that is too fatty and too sweet, combined with a sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical exercise), leads to obesity which is in itself a major risk factor for diabetes, indicates theInserm.
Study participants completed questionnaires about their lifestyle, diet, and medical history every two years. This data allowed the researchers to score them based on their intake of animal protein and fat, plant protein and fat, high-quality carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), and low-quality carbohydrates. (potatoes, added sugars and refined cereals).
Eating fewer carbs helps people with diabetes live longer
The results showed a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality in people who adopted a low-carb diet.
Diets that combined plant-based foods with high-quality carbohydrates had benefits: They were associated with lower mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The researchers also observed that a diet based on animal products and low-quality carbohydrates did not result in significantly lower mortality.
“This study highlights once again the importance of diet quality when choosing between different diets for the control and management of diabetes.said Qi Sun, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the departments of nutrition and epidemiology.
