New research shows that a healthy plant-based diet can reduce the risk of diabetes

A new study published in Diabetes (Journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) found that healthy plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee and beans, were associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in a generally healthy population ( associated with a lower risk of T2D) and supports its role in diabetes prevention

The study, conducted by Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.

A metabolite is a substance that is used or produced by chemical processes in an organism and includes a large number of compounds found in different foods, as well as a variety of complex molecules that are produced when these compounds are broken down and transformed by the body

More than 90% of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, a condition that poses a major threat to health around the world

The numerous complications caused by T2D, including macrovascular disease (eg, cardiovascular disease) and microvascular disease (damage to the kidneys, eyes, and nervous system), further increase the global health burden of T2D

The team analyzed plasma samples and dietary intake of 10,684 participants from three prospective cohorts (Nurse's Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study)

Study participants completed food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and rated their adherence to three plant-based diets: the overall plant-based diet index (PDI), the healthy plant-based diet index (hPDI), and the unhealthy plant-based diet index ( uPDI)

The researchers examined blood samples taken during the early stages of the three studies in the late 1980s and 1990s, established metabolic profiling scores for the participants, and recorded any cases of T2D during study follow-up

The study found that those diagnosed with T2D during follow-up ate less healthy plant-based foods and had lower PDI and hPDI scores than participants without T2D

Metabolomics data show that plant-based diets are associated with unique multi-metabolic profiles that differ significantly between healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets

Further analysis showed that the link between the plant-based diet and T2D largely disappeared after adjusting for levels of trigonelline, hippurate, isoleucine, a small group of triacylglycerols (tags) and several other intermediate metabolites, This suggests that they may play a key role in the link between these diets and the incidence of diabetes

Professor Hu explained: "While it is difficult to tease apart the contributions of individual foods as they analyze patterns together, individual metabolites from consuming polyphenol-rich plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, coffee, and beans are closely related to a healthy plant-based diet.

The researchers concluded: "Our findings supporting the beneficial role of a healthy plant-based diet in diabetes management provide new insights for future investigations.

Since they only took blood samples at one time point, the authors also believe that long-term replicated metabolomic data are needed to understand the relationship between dietary changes and metabolome changes that affect T2D risk