Diet that reduces the risk of diabetes: details of a new medical study

A large-scale study conducted in Spain showed that overweight people aged 55–75 with metabolic syndrome who followed a Mediterranean diet, restricted their calorie intake, and exercised daily had a ... 31% lower risk of diabetes for six years. Reports The New York Times.

The participants in the medical tests took simple steps: they walked for 45 minutes every day, added strength training two to three times a week, and ate vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish, and olive oil.

The result, according to doctors, is impressive: they lost an average of more than 3 kg and reduced their waist circumference. And this was enough to reduce the risk of diabetes by almost a third.

"Even a small weight loss and a simple change in habits already have an impact on health," explains Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, a professor of public health at the University of Navarra.

Experts emphasize that diet, exercise, and weight control reduce insulin resistance, decrease inflammation, and protect cells from damage. All of this works together, like an "orchestra," and yields noticeable results.