There is unequivocal evidence that whole grains protect against diabetes, while diets rich in refined or highly processed carbohydrates increases the risk of getting diabetes. Eating an extra two servings of whole grains a day decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%. Whole grains offer a ‘total package’ of health benefits, unlike refined grains, which lose their valuable nutrients during the refining process. A food product high in 100% whole grains lists it first or second in the ingredient list. Better yet, choose unprocessed whole grains: Brown rice, Wild rice, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Barley, Oats, Corn, etc. They offer nutritional benefits of whole grains without any additional ingredients. Whole-grain foods that are high in fiber are even better. Be careful when choosing foods labeled as whole grains: ‘Whole grain’ does not always mean healthy, unfortunately, due to inconsistent labeling. The USDA has laid out the following criteria that identify whole grains in a food product.

·         any whole grain as the first ingredient

·         any whole grain as the first ingredient, and added sugars not being one of the first three ingredients in the ingredient list

·         the word ‘whole’ before any grain ingredient

·         a carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio of less than 10:1

·         industry-sponsored Whole Grain Stamp.

Whole grains don’t contain a magical nutrient that fights diabetes and improves health. It’s the entire package—elements intact and working together—that’s important. The bran and fiber in whole grains make it more difficult for digestive enzymes to break down the starches into glucose, which leads to lower, slower increases in blood sugar and insulin and a lower glycemic index. As a result, they stress the body’s insulin-making machinery less, and so may help prevent type 2 diabetes. Whole grains are also rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of diabetes.

In contrast, white bread, white rice, mashed potatoes, donuts, bagels, and many breakfast cereals have a high glycemic index and glycemic load. They cause sustained spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which in turn may lead to increased diabetes risk. The researchers estimated that replacing 50 grams of white rice (just one-third of a typical daily serving) with the same amount of brown rice would lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%. The identical replacement with other whole grains, such as whole wheat and barley, was associated with a 36% reduced risk.

Skip the sugary drinks and choose water, coffee, or tea instead Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. Water is your friend.

Like refined grains, sugary beverages have a high glycemic load, and drinking more of this sugary stuff is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. For every additional 12-ounce serving of sweet beverage that people drink each day, their risk of type 2 diabetes rises by 25%. Fruit drinks— powdered drinks, fortified fruit drinks, or juices—are not healthy choices.  Women who drank two or more servings of fruit drinks a day had a 31% higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared with women who drank less than one serving a month in a study. 

How do sugary drinks lead to this increased risk? Weight gain may be an obvious explanation. Several studies show that people who drink soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages are more likely to gain weight than those who don’t and that switching from these to water od unsweetened drinks can reduce weight. But weight gain caused by sugary drinks doesn’t fully explain the increased diabetes risk. It is becoming increasingly apparent that sugary drinks contribute to chronic inflammation, high triglycerides, decreased “good” cholesterol, and increased insulin resistance, all of which are risk factors for diabetes.

What can one substitute in place of the sugary stuff? Water is an excellent choice. Coffee and tea are also suitable as calorie-free substitutes for sugary beverages. There’s convincing evidence that coffee may help protect against diabetes. There’s been some controversy over whether artificially sweetened beverages are beneficial for weight control and, by extension, diabetes prevention. Some studies have found that people who regularly drink diet beverages have a higher risk of diabetes than people who rarely drink such beverages. Still, there could be another explanation for those findings. People often start drinking diet beverages because they have a weight problem or a family history of diabetes; studies that don’t adequately account for these other factors may make it wrongly appear as though the diet soda led to the increased diabetes risk. A long-term analysis of data from 40,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study found that drinking one 12-ounce serving of diet soda a day did not appear to increase diabetes risk. So, in moderation, diet beverages can be a sugary-drink alternative for adults.

Choose healthy fats.

The type of fat one consumes can also affect the development of diabetes. Healthy fats, like the polyunsaturated fats found in liquid vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds, can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Trans fats work the opposite. Eating polyunsaturated fats from fish—also known as “long-chain omega 3” —does not protect against diabetes, even though there is much evidence that it does help prevent heart disease. If a person has diabetes, eating fish can help protect against a heart attack or dying from heart disease. 

Limit red meat but avoid processed meat; choose nuts, beans, whole grains, poultry, or fish instead.

Red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and processed red meat (bacon, hot dogs, deli meats) increase the risk of diabetes. Studies indicate that eating just one 3-ounce serving of red meat daily— like a steak that’s about the size of a deck of cards—increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%. Eating just two slices of bacon, one hot dog, or the like—increased diabetes risk by 51%.

These studies also reveal that exchanging red or processed red meat with a healthier protein source, such as nuts, low-fat dairy, poultry, or fish, or whole grains lowers diabetes risk by up to 35%. 

Studies do indicate that people who most frequently ate meats and chicken cooked at high temperatures are not only at a higher risk of developing obesity but are also at 1.5 times more chance to develop type 2 diabetes, compared with those who ate the least.  

The high iron content of red meat blunts insulin response and or damages the islet cells that produce insulin. Processed red meats have high levels of sodium and nitrites as preservatives, which may also be worsening it.  Red and processed meats seem to trigger diabetes in people who are already at genetic risk.

There is no doubt in the scientific literature that plant-based diets may help lower type 2 diabetes risk. Those who adhere to predominantly healthy plant-based foods may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who follow these diets with lower adherence.

Don’t smoke

Smokers are roughly 50% more likely to develop diabetes than nonsmokers, and heavy smokers have an even higher risk.

Take the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Risk Test:   https://www.diabetes.org/risk-test

About Us

Dr. Amar Singh, MD, and Dr. Poonam Singh, MD, are board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Obesity Medicine. They specialize in preventing, treating, and reversing chronic diseases using an evidence-based holistic approach. They are specifically interested in weight management, hormone rebalancing, and longevity. The American College of Physicians has recognized them as Fellows, FACP,  for their excellence and contributions made to both medicine and the broader community. They enjoy teaching, volunteering, and advocating for their patients