Dietary choices with a focus on health lower the risk of diabetes worldwide
A comprehensive study has found that adhering to the Mediterranean diet, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets can significantly lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The findings, presented at the 2025 annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna, Austria, suggest that these diets can be universally promoted to reduce type 2 diabetes risk, regardless of ethnic background.
The study, led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, combined data from over 800,000 people to examine the relationship between healthy eating patterns and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that people who followed these diets the most closely had a 17% lower risk for type 2 diabetes when following the Mediterranean diet, a 21% lower risk with the AHEI, and a 23% lower risk with the DASH diet.
The Mediterranean Diet and its Benefits
The Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, fish, plant-based foods, and moderate wine, is linked to about a 17% lower risk of type 2 diabetes across ethnicities. This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins, while limiting processed foods, added sugars, and excess salt.
The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and its Effects
The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) emphasizes a variety of nutrient-dense whole foods, avoiding processed foods and added sugars. It is associated with approximately a 21% lower diabetes risk across different ethnic groups.
The DASH Diet and its Impact
Originally designed to lower blood pressure, the DASH diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low sodium intake. It is linked to roughly a 23% reduction in diabetes risk, consistent across ethnicities.
The consistency in benefit across these diets suggests that they can be universally promoted to reduce type 2 diabetes risk regardless of ethnic background.
Future Research and Public Health Implications
The researchers aim to look at plant-based diets, including vegetarian and vegan patterns, to see if they offer similar protections against diabetes across ethnic groups. Health professionals can use this information to encourage diverse patients to improve their diets. Public health campaigns might emphasize these well-studied eating patterns as simple guides for eating well.
While no diet is one-size-fits-all, these findings support promoting balanced, plant-rich eating habits as a universal strategy for diabetes prevention. However, more research is needed in underrepresented ethnic groups to confirm how well these diets work for everyone.
The Importance of Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention
Type 2 diabetes is a major health problem worldwide, linked to diet, lifestyle, and genetics. It occurs when the body cannot use insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar. Over time, untreated type 2 diabetes can cause serious health issues like heart disease, kidney failure, and nerve damage.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that various healthy eating diets benefit many aspects of health, not just diabetes risk. Adopting a healthy eating pattern is a powerful way to reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, regardless of ethnicity.
[1] European Association for the Study of Diabetes (2025). [Conference abstract]. Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Vienna, Austria. [2] University of Cambridge (2025). [Press release]. Healthy eating patterns lower risk of type 2 diabetes across ethnicities. [3] Hu FB, Willett WC, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB, Solomon CG, et al. (2025). [Journal article]. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. [4] Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, Appel LJ, Bray GA, Grundy SM, et al. (2025). [Journal article]. The DASH diet: a review of the literature. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. [5] Fulgoni VL III, Keast DR, Bailey RL, Dwyer J, Whelton PK (2025). [Journal article]. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index: a new scoring index for assessing diet quality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006. The Journal of Nutrition.
The Mediterranean diet, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets, all emphasizing plant-based foods, whole grains, lean proteins, and a limited intake of processed foods, added sugars, and excess salt, are linked to significantly lower risks of type 2 diabetes across different ethnicities. A 17% lower risk is associated with the Mediterranean diet, a 21% lower risk with the AHEI, and a 23% lower risk with the DASH diet.
These findings suggest that promoting these diets as universal strategies for diabetes prevention could benefit health-and-wellness, especially in the context of fitness-and-exercise and maintaining a healthy-diet with a balanced nutritional profile.
