Bottom Line: This study (called a systematic review and meta-analysis) combined the results of nine studies and examined the association between adherence to plant-based eating habits and risk of type 2 diabetes in adults. The analysis included 307,099 adults with 23,544 cases of type 2 diabetes. The authors report higher adherence to plant-based eating habits was associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, especially when only healthy plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, were included in the definition of plant-based. Limitations include that all of the studies analyzed were observational and dietary habits were self-reported.
Authors: Qi Sun, M.D., Sc.D., of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, and coauthors
(doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2195)
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