Best Diet For Type 2 Diabetes
Although dieting is important in the prevention of diabetes, it is significant that the Mediterranean diet in that study reduced the risk of developing diabetes, although no effort was made to reduce energy intake from food. Combining diet with the Mediterranean diet, which is of course recommended, will further reduce the risk.
In addition, it is important that the Mediterranean diet not only reduces the incidence of diabetes but has also reduced cardiac events such as myocardial infarction in a controlled study ( Guasch-Ferré 2014 ).
In the following sections, I discuss food groups and particular items that have been linked to a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. Incidentally, it is worth noting that while weight loss reduces the risk of diabetes, the benefits of the means I have listed below are only partially explained by the effect on weight management.
Dietary components
Use extra virgin olive oil
I have already mentioned above that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil has greatly reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes in a controlled study. Indeed, extra virgin olive oil is the preferred dietary fat to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The fact that olive oil includes oleic acid, which stabilizes blood sugar, as well as phenolic components that decrease inflammation and serve as antioxidants, makes it beneficial in the prevention of diabetes. Studies have shown that the use of olive oil compensates for HbA1c, ie sugared hemoglobin, and fasting blood sugar in diabetics ( Schwingshackl 2017 ).
It is a good idea to eat a couple of servings of whole grains a day
A summary study published last year shows that 2 servings of whole grains a day reduce the risk of diabetes by 25 percent. According to the same composite study, the higher the number of whole grains, the risk is not reduced anymore ( Schwingshackl 2017 ).
For example, two servings of whole grains mean one serving of oatmeal or two pieces of rye bread.
Eat salads all year round
Vegetable consumption appears to lower the risk of diabetes to some extent. According to a pooled study, about 300 grams of vegetables a day reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes by about 9 percent.
In particular, eating leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables reduces the risk of diabetes. Leafy vegetables include lettuce and spinach. Cross-flowered vegetables include e.g. broccoli and other cabbages.
A British study found that those who regularly ate salads and raw vegetables year-round had a more than 80 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If they were eaten only during the summer, the harvest season, the risk of diabetes was not reduced. Thus, seasonal food thinking should not be taken to extremes, but it is healthy to eat salads even in winter ( Williams 1999 ).
Eat blueberries and apples in particular
Berries and fruits contain sugar, so one could imagine that they increase the risk of diabetes. However, the research evidence shows otherwise. In a pooled study, a couple of servings of fruit a day reduces the risk of diabetes.
According to data from three large American follow-up studies, the risk of type 2 diabetes is reduced by eating fruits and berries, especially blueberries, grapes, and apples. Those who ate blueberries at least three servings a week had a 26 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely ate them ( Muraki 2013 ).
Eating blueberries reduces the risk of diabetes.
The diabetes-reducing effect of fruits and berries is explained at least in part by the flavonoids and other polyphenols they contain, which act as antioxidants in our body. A recent study found that women who received the most antioxidants from their diet had a 27 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those who received them the least ( Mancini 2017 ).
Of dairy products, yogurt, in particular, reduces the risk
Dairy products have a risk-reducing effect on type 2 diabetes. Regular eating of yogurt but also other dairy products seems to reduce the risk the most ( Drouin-Chartier 2016 ).
When buying yogurt, you should choose natural yogurts with no added sugar on the store shelf. A suitable dose of dairy products is two servings a day, ie 2 dl of yogurt and 2-3 pieces of hard cheese.
Walnuts reduce the risk by a third
Walnuts contain fatty acids that reduce the risk of diabetes.
The main finding of the study was that those who ate walnuts at least twice a week had a 33 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to those who never ate walnuts ( Pan 2013 ).
Overall, eating nuts was associated with only a 6 percent lower risk of diabetes.
The advantage of walnuts is that they contain a lot of essential fatty acids: linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fat). In addition, they are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and natural plant sterols.
Replace meat with beans and tofu
Tofu and beans should be included in a diabetic diet because they effectively replace animal protein, which is associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Protein from plant sources does not increase the risk of diabetes ( Sluijs 2010 ).
Eat fish - but don’t fry it in a pan
For fish, the research evidence is contradictory. It has been found that in American and European studies, eating fish increases the risk of diabetes, but in Asian studies, eating fish is associated with a lower risk of diabetes.
This discrepancy may be due to the preference for different fish species as well as different cooking methods. In many western countries, low-fat fish is eaten and baked and fried. In Japan, on the other hand, fatty fish is often eaten as sashimi, or raw. In this way, the fish's sensitive omega-3 fatty acids have not been spoiled.
It is not necessary to eat fish raw but it is good to favor gentle cooking methods. I would like fish soups to come back into vogue, for example, because it is a healthier way to cook fish than cooking in a pan.
Drinking more coffee reduces the risk of diabetes
Drinking coffee is strongly associated with a lower risk of diabetes. In a Finnish follow-up study, those who drank 3-4 cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who drank less or not at all. If more than 3-4 cups of coffee were drunk per day, the risk of getting sick was even lower ( Tuomilehto 2004 ).
Caffeine-sensitive is pleased to know that even decaffeinated coffee reduces the risk of diabetes. Thus, at least some of the coffee ingested may be decaffeinated.
It is still not worth relying on the power of drinking coffee alone to prevent diabetes, because, despite the abundant drinking of coffee by Finns, a lot of people get diabetes here. So other means are needed in parallel.
Drinking tea also reduces the risk of diabetes
Coffee is not suitable for everyone. The good news for them is that drinking tea also reduces the risk of diabetes. Green tea may be a somewhat better option than black tea ( Huxley 2009 ).
Enjoy the wine in moderation
Moderate alcohol consumption is not usually mentioned as a means of preventing diabetes. However, research evidence shows that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes ( Huang 2017 ).
The benefits of moderate alcohol consumption are due, at least in part, to the effect on insulin sensitivity. A controlled crossover study has shown that moderate alcohol consumption improves insulin sensitivity ( Joosten 2008 ).
Of the different types of alcoholic beverages, drinking wine is clearly more beneficial than drinking beer or spirits.
In a Danish follow-up study, women who drank 9 glasses of wine a week were the least likely to develop type 2 diabetes. In men, the amount of the most affordable wine to drink was somewhat higher. The benefits of drinking wine may be due to the fact that the polyphenols it contains help to balance blood sugar ( Holst 2017 ).
White wine contains the same phenolic compounds as extra virgin olive oil.
And is it better to drink white or red wine, or are both useful in preventing type 2 diabetes? It has not been specified in many studies. However, an extensive American follow-up study found - perhaps contrary to expectations - that drinking red wine was not associated with lower risk but white wine was. Thus, it may be that drinking white wine from different types of alcoholic beverages best reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes ( Conigrave 2001 ).
The benefits of white wine - if they are now better than red wine - are based on the fact that it contains the same phenolic compounds as extra virgin olive oil.
There are strong indications that alcohol use should break down well for a week to be useful in reducing the risk of diabetes. So it is clearly better to drink 1-2 glasses of wine on different days of the week than a larger amount at a time on the weekend.
Avoid these
The harmful foods listed below have a risk-increasing effect on diabetes. It is a good idea to keep them as low as possible - with the possible exception of eggs, which are part of a healthy Mediterranean diet of 1-4 per week.
Avoid limes sweetened with sugar
If one were to choose a method that increases the risk of diabetes unnecessarily, it would perhaps be the daily consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Consumption of these and other sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to a 30 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes. For every quarter-liter consumed daily, the risk of diabetes increases by 21 percent ( Schwingshackl 2017 ).
Sugar-sweetened juices and 100% fresh juices also slightly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Thus, drinking fresh juices is better replaced by eating whole fruits. The reason that eating fruit is a better option than drinking fresh juices is mainly because the fiber and structure of the fruit slow down the rise in blood sugar compared to drinking juice.
Incidentally, it is worth noting that fruit-rich smoothies also raise blood sugar levels too quickly. If smoothies are put in, it is better to prefer vegetable-weighted smoothies to which some protein as well as something high in fat, such as avocado or extra virgin olive oil, has also been added. In this way, the effect on blood sugar levels remains moderate.
Sugared drinks should be eared with water, coffee or tea. When done, it reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
Sausages and cold cuts increase the risk of diabetes
Eating processed meats such as sausages, bacon and cold cuts clearly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For every 50 grams per day, eating processed meats increases the risk of developing diabetes by 37 percent ( Schwingshackl 2017 ).
It is not known what increases the risk of diabetes in processed meats, but it can be due to several reasons. Possible villains include saturated meat fat, high salinity, and nitrites, phosphates, and other additives added to the meat. From processed meats, bacon is usually fried, producing a wealth of anti-inflammatory AGE products.
Whatever the reason for the harmfulness of processed meats, it is recommended to use them as little as possible.
Eat less meat
Eating a lot of red meat has been associated with a 21 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to not eating it at all.
The most detrimental factor in red meat seems to be the form of iron it contains Hemi-iron. Hemic iron and high body iron stores have both been strongly associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes ( Zhao 2012 ).
Grilled meat contains anti-inflammatory compounds.
The risk-increasing effect of red meat on diabetes may also be due to the fact that red meat appears to raise fasting blood sugar and insulin for some reason. In addition, red meat has been linked to the risk of obesity ( Fretts 2015, Rouhani 2014 ).
A pooled study of red meat and processed meat states that "their use should be kept to a minimum, although the mechanistic path is still unclear." In Finnish, this means that although it is not yet known why red meat and processed meats increase the risk of diabetes, it is nevertheless worth keeping them to a minimum ( Schwingshackl 2017 ).
Eating chicken and other poultry appears to have a fairly neutral effect on the risk of diabetes.
It is a good idea to replace eating red meat with, for example, vegetable protein or fish that has not been fried in a pan, or in an oven with a so-called frying surface. I will talk more about the disadvantages of cooking at high temperatures below.
Avoid bad carbs
A high glycemic index and a high glycemic load in the diet have been associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The terms describe how heavily eaten food raises blood sugar levels. The goal should be that blood sugar does not rise sharply after a meal, nor does it fall sharply afterward.
The quality and shape of carbohydrates are factors that contribute to the rise in blood sugar levels. Poor, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and buns, quickly raise blood sugar and insulin levels.
Poor carbohydrate intake has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. However, according to the pooled study, the disadvantages only start to appear when the amount of use is quite high, ie 200-400 grams per day. Such an amount increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 6 to 14 percent.
Potatoes are often included in bad carbohydrates. It is justified because it raises blood sugar as strongly as other refined carbohydrates. In addition, the potato is quite nutritionally poor. It has no carotenoids and little polyphenols found in many vegetables to replace its use.
Moderate to eating eggs
It is potentially detrimental to eggs that the choline metabolite TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) they contain can increase the oxidation and inflammation of LDL cholesterol, and thus increase the risk of diabetes. Here again, however, the scientific evidence is unclear.
If eggs are eaten, I recommend a daily intake of 1-4 eggs per week according to the Mediterranean diet.
Other factors
Avoid roasting and grilling meat
Chefs often aim for so-called cooking. baking surface. That’s a bad thing, because especially when baking at high temperatures, there are a lot of harmful changes in the fats and proteins in the food. Some fats are oxidized and sugars occur in food proteins. When food is cooked at high temperatures, heterocyclic amines, PAHs, and AGE products are formed in the food. They increase inflammation and oxidative stress in the body and reduce insulin secretion.
Eating a lot of fried food has also been found to impair insulin sensitivity. In addition, in three large American follow-up studies, frying meat at high heat has been associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes ( Birlouez-Aragon 2010, Liu 2017 ).
To reduce the risk of diabetes, it is recommended to avoid eating roasted and grilled food in particular. Instead, you should prefer salads as well as cooked, steamed, and stewed dishes. Food can also be baked in the oven under the lid or in a paper baking bag.
Prefer organic to avoid pesticides
Pesticides are suspected in the scientific literature as one of the causes of the obesity epidemic and type 2 diabetes. Among other things, pesticides interfere with the body's hormonal function.
The research literature suggests that pesticides are an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes ( Magliano 2014, Song 2016 ).
In addition, when it is known that pesticides have other disadvantages, it makes sense to favor organic whenever possible and affordable. In particular, it makes sense to buy organic fruits that are eaten with their peels, such as apples.
Summary of the diet
In summary, it can be said that the quality of the diet plays a lot of role in reducing the risk of diabetes.
The risk of type 2 diabetes is increased by a Western-type diet rich in processed foods, high in meat, processed meats, and soft drinks, and lacking in vegetables and fruits.
The risk of diabetes is reduced by a highly vegetable-focused Mediterranean diet with an emphasis on dietary quality.
Other lifestyle factors
Adequate sleep is important for overall health and is also helpful in preventing diabetes. The lowest risk of type 2 diabetes is sleeping 7-8 hours a night. Usually, the problem is not getting enough sleep ( Shan 2015 ).
Sleep is made especially easier by calming the last couple of hours of the evening from the use of mobile phones, tablets, and computers, as the use of equipment is combined with less and worse sleep. There should be no TV or other technology in the bedroom except for the alarm clock.
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