The food that will help you avoid diabetes. It has many health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer

A new study shows that plant compounds can reduce the risk of diabetes by up to 27%. The type of lignan found in flaxseed and whole grains showed the greatest association.

right Eating wellfrom fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to legumes, nuts, and seeds, plant-based foods provide a range of nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Many also add healthy essential fats. A plant-based diet has been proven to have many health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Some plant-based foods contain plant compounds called lignans, which act as inflammation-fighting antioxidants, as well as phytoestrogens.

If you’ve never heard of phytoestrogens before, these plant compounds act like estrogen in certain tissues of your body. Since estrogen levels drop during menopause, eating more foods rich in phytoestrogens can help reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. Many plant-based foods contain very little lignans, but they are especially concentrated in flaxseeds and sesame seeds, he says. the aforementioned publication.

A new study published on August 7, 2024 in JAMA Network Open examines this topic to see if there is a link between lignan consumption and type 22 diabetes.

The study was conducted on 201,111 people who did not have diabetes at the start of the study. The average age at the start of the study was 45, and about 80% of the participants were women.

Participants completed food frequency questionnaires every 2 to 4 years. The purpose of the questionnaires was to identify the food frequency of foods eaten by the participants that contained lignans.

The researchers included the frequency of consumption of these foods as well as the lignan content of the foods in their calculations. They further divided lignans into categories because there are several types of lignans. This would help them see if certain types of lignans were more valuable for specific health outcomes.

Foods that support lignans

In addition to food frequency questionnaires, participants completed demographic and lifestyle questionnaires along with health outcomes every two years. This data included things like race, body weight, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, multivitamin intake, and physical activity.

Women who were going through or had gone through menopause were also asked about hormone therapy.

Participants who responded that they had been diagnosed with diabetes were asked to complete an additional questionnaire that asked about symptoms, test results, and diabetes medications. These diagnoses were confirmed by reviewing the medical records.

The researchers found that the results suggested that a higher intake of lignans was associated with a lower rate of diabetes. Specifically, they found that regular intake of lignan-rich foods was associated with an approximately 8% to 27% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes. This was true for all types of lignans except only one -lariciresinol.

According to these researchers, foods containing lignans can be particularly beneficial for reducing the risk of diabetes and improving blood sugar control, including flaxseeds, whole grains, and coffee.

Remember that there is no one food, supplement or food group that will be a magic bullet to prevent all diseases.

Exercise also helps regulate blood sugar and can reduce the risk of diabetes, as can managing stress and getting good sleep.

If you’re not ready to completely overhaul your habits, try adding ground flaxseeds to your meals. These go well in smoothies, yogurt and oatmeal.