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Summary A vegetarian diet and active physical activity could help reduce risk of diabetes, a research says.
The study found that following a vegetarian diet and exercising at least three times a week, significantly reduced the risk of diabetes in African Americans, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes when compared to non-Hispanic whites.“These findings are encouraging for preventing type 2 diabetes in the black population, which is more susceptible to the disease than other populations,” said Serena Tonstad, MD, a professor at Loma Linda University and lead author of the research.In addition to being at a greater risk for developing diabetes, black persons in the US are also more likely to suffer from diabetes-related complications, such as end-stage renal disease and lower-extremity amputations, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.“A vegetarian diet may be a way to counteract the increased diabetes risk for the black population,” stated Dr. TonstadFruits and vegetables have a high fibre content, which may contribute to a decreased occurrence of type 2 diabetes.
