Scientists from the University of Oxford and elsewhere found a dietary pattern that is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.
Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes mainly from the food you eat.
Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose get into your cells to be used for energy.
In type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Too much glucose then stays in your blood, and not enough reaches your cells.
In the current study, researchers aimed to identify common dietary patterns and their association with incident type 2 diabetes.
They used data from more than 120,000 participants from the U.K. Biobank study with at least two 24-hour dietary assessments.
The team focused on energy density, free sugars, saturated fat, and fiber intake. They also examined associations with type 2 diabetes.
Over 8.4 years of follow-up, the team found 2,878 participants developed type 2 diabetes.
Two diets were identified that jointly explained a total of 63% variation in four nutrients.
One diet was characterized by high intakes of chocolate and confectionery, butter, low-fiber bread, and sugars and preserves, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables.
This diet was associated with a higher type 2 diabetes risk.
The second diet was characterized by high intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, table sugars, and preserves, and low intakes of high-fat cheese and butter, but it showed no clear association with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers also found there were strong interactions between both diets and age, with increased risks among younger people in the first diet.
The second diet, as well as the first diet and BMI, were linked to increased risks among people with obesity.
Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that a diet with high intakes of chocolate and confectionery, butter, low-fiber bread, and added sugars, and low in fresh fruits and vegetable intake is associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, particularly among younger people and those with obesity.
The research was published in Diabetes Care and conducted by Min Gao et al.
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