Share on PinterestThe source of protein in your diet may have an impact on your diabetes risk. Design by MNT; Photography by Giulia Fiori Photography/Getty Images & LindasPhotography/Getty ImagesMore than 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which often results from excess body mass and inactivity.Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body no longer responds to insulin, and commonly develops after the age of 45, although it is becoming more common in younger people.The condition is manageable, but if neglected can cause serious health issues and even be fatal.A new study has found that by eating a plant-based low carbohydrate diet, a person might decrease their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to the CDC, more than 37 million adults in the United States have diabetes, and of these, around 95% have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) develops when a person’s body stops responding to the insulin (the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels) produced by cells in their pancreas.
In contrast, people with type 1 diabetes, which is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction, do not produce insulin. They must test their blood glucose level regularly and use insulin to keep it within a healthy range.
A recent study has suggested that a low carbohydrate diet may decrease T2D risk. However, this study was unable to differentiate whether this finding was entirely due to reduction in carbohydrate or just calorie reduction.
Dr. Eamon Laird, visiting research fellow at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today: “It’s a very complex topic. We know already that consuming whole grains and plant-based foods is good for diabetes risk reduction.”
Now, a study, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, has suggested that it is not the low-carbohydrate diet but the type of non-carbohydrate food that a person eats that affects the risk of developing T2D.
T2D usually develops slowly and can have few symptoms at first, so may go unnoticed for some time. A person’s risk of developing T2D is increased by factors such as:
being over the age of 45having a family history of the…
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