- A new study has found that a healthy diet can lower blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in men, regardless of genetic predisposition to the disease..
- The study involved nearly 1,600 men in Finland who did not have type 2 diabetes and who completed a dietary questionnaire and a blood sugar test.
- Experts say many of the societal and personal risks associated with type 2 diabetes can be avoided through lifestyle and dietary changes.
Following a healthy diet based on recommended dietary levels can help protect against high blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of a person’s genetic predisposition, according to a new study from Finland.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland, examined data from the Metabolic Syndrome in Men (METSIM) cohort. After excluding METSIM participants with missing data, their analysis included nearly 1,600 Finnish men aged 51 to 85 who did not previously have type 2 diabetes.
Participants completed a questionnaire about their food frequency and took a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test between 2016 and 2018. Researchers in the current study assessed these data alongside their level of risk for type 2 diabetes based on 76 genetic variants associated with this risk.
Two diets were identified: healthy and unhealthy. The healthy diet included vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, whole grains, unsweetened and low-fat yogurt, and potatoes, among other items. The unhealthy diet was rich in foods such as French fries, processed meats, baked treats and candies, refined grains, high-fat and sugary dairy products, and convenience foods.
The researchers concluded that following a healthy diet was associated with lower blood sugar levels and the same positive impact on reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of genetic factors.
Today’s Medical News The research team spoke to Sebnem Unluisler, a genetic engineer and longevity lead at the London Regenerative Institute, who was not involved in the study. She said the study may provide some optimistic conclusions about the effect of diet on genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes, but the population sampled also has some limitations.
“This implies that if parents with high genetic risk maintain healthy diets and pass these habits on to their children, their children may have a lower risk of developing diabetes than their parents,” Unluisler said. “However, the study may have limitations if it did not include a diverse range of ethnicities, income levels or geographic locations, as these factors can influence dietary habits and genetic risks.”
“Genetic predispositions to type 2 diabetes can vary considerably across regions and ethnic groups, with some populations, such as Asians and Africans, having higher genetic risks,” she said. “These findings highlight the importance of personalized dietary advice and public health strategies to effectively reduce diabetes risk in different populations.”
– Sebnem Unluisler
The study also only included men, so it’s unclear whether the results would apply to women, which is important because of sex differences in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes.
Melanie Murphy Richter, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and director of communications for nutrition company Prolon, who was not involved in the research, said: Today’s Medical News that the study results support the idea that type 2 diabetes can often be shaped by factors within society’s control, such as diet, exercise and socioeconomic conditions:
“By encouraging healthy lifestyles and addressing environmental factors, we have the potential to reduce the risk of diabetes and significantly improve public health outcomes. Looking to future generations, the study suggests that diet can effectively reduce the risk of diabetes, regardless of genetic predisposition.
This implies that adopting healthy eating habits could potentially improve the health of future generations. For example, a child who follows a healthy diet may have a lower risk of diabetes than his or her parents who did not prioritize a healthy diet.
“Although genetic components, particularly those that influence insulin production, can increase susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, the disease is highly modifiable, manageable, and even reversible through dietary and lifestyle interventions. Notably, dietary and lifestyle choices can influence epigenetics, potentially altering gene expression that is passed on to future generations,” Richter explained.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Exercise and diet, as well as medications, can help people manage it. There are two types of risk factors: some are modifiable and some are not. Risk factors that are generally non-modifiable include:
- family history of the disease
- Race: African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, or Pacific Islanders all have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes
- be over 45 years old
- a history of gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy
- depression
- have a baby who weighs more than 9 pounds at birth
- suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Some risk factors that are generally modifiable or preventable include:
- a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise
- hypertension, or high blood pressure
- obesity or overweight
- heart or vascular disease and stroke
- low levels of “good” cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
- high levels of fats called triglycerides
- unhealthy diet
Sometimes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other risk factors listed as modifiable can be inherited or result from other health conditions that can’t be prevented. However, experts say that making healthy dietary changes and managing modifiable risk factors can benefit everyone.
Richter said that before the 1960s, type 2 diabetes was not as common, but the mass production of processed foods has had a huge impact on global rates of the disease.
“Its prevalence has increased with the global adoption of the Western diet rich in processed foods, refined carbohydrates and animal proteins, contributing to the widespread increase in obesity and diabetes. Factors such as family dietary habits passed down from generation to generation and socioeconomic conditions affecting access to diabetes-promoting foods also play an important role in its development,” Richter said. “Diets high in refined sugars, processed foods and animal proteins (high in saturated fats), typical of many Western countries, have been linked to higher rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In fact, we have seen the emergence of diabetes in countries such as Mexico, China and India after they began to adopt Western diets.”
Richter added that the results of the Finnish study are not at all surprising.
“Type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by dietary and lifestyle choices influenced by the widespread availability of processed foods and the promotion – and glorification – of unhealthy habits. Despite this understanding, it is often viewed in health circles as a chronic disease requiring medication. While medication is essential for some, many people can effectively modify or even reverse this disease through dietary and lifestyle changes, often reducing or eliminating their need for medication over time,” Richter said. “It is encouraging to see that healthy habits can be passed down from generation to generation, highlighting the critical importance of early nutrition education and government-led initiatives to ensure that all communities can access and afford nutritious foods. These efforts should be at the heart of research and health discussions surrounding type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases influenced by dietary and lifestyle choices.”