Avoid risk of type-2 diabetes through a plant-based diet!

Zee Media Bureau

New York: Diabetes is considered to be a silent killer by medical professionals across the world. Even a single symptom reflecting the onset of the disease is a cause for concern.

From the medication to the lifestyle, every aspect requires immediate attention and improvement, especially the diet.

Diabetes patients are often asked to avoid certain food items, which can be harmful for them and could possibly lead to a severe form of the disease in the long term.

Now, based on a new study, a team led by an Indian-origin scientist has discovered that a plant-based diet would be highly beneficial in order to curb the risk of type-2 diabetes.

The findings showed that eating a healthy version of such a diet was linked with a 34 per cent lower diabetes risk, while a less healthy version -- including foods such as refined grains, potatoes, and sugar-sweetened beverages -- was linked with a 16 per cent increased risk.

High in fibre, antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids, and micronutrients such as magnesium, a planet-based diet is also low in saturated fat, through which one can avoid the risk of type-2 disease.

Adherence to a plant-based diet was found low in animal foods, with a 20 per cent reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Healthy plant foods may also be contributing to a healthy gut microbiome, the authors said.

"A shift to dietary pattern marking higher plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods, especially red and processed meats, can confer substantial health benefits in reducing risk of type 2 diabetes," added Frank Hu, Professor at Harvard Chan School.

The study, published in an online journal named PLOS Medicine, was the first to make distinctions between healthy plant-based diets and less healthy ones that include things like sweetened foods and beverages, and some animal foods, which may be detrimental for health.

The researchers conducted a 20 years survey of more than 200,000 male and female health professionals, and questioned them on their diet, lifestyle, medical history, and new disease diagnoses.

The diets of the participants were evaluated using a plant-based diet index, in which they assigned plant-derived foods in higher scores than animal-derived foods.

(With IANS inputs)