Combat Diabetes with Mediterranean Food: Study

Foodies and health experts alike have long praised Mediterranean diets for their supposed heart health benefits. Now, researchers have reviewed past studies on the health benefits of the diet and concluded that it may help reduce your risk of diabetes, especially for people who are at a high for cardiovascular disease.

Results of the review are slated to be presented Saturday at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting, in Washington D.C.

According to a preliminary ACC press release, key findings of the study included the finding that a Mediterranean diet can result in a 21 percent lower risk of diabetes, compared to more standardized eating habits.

A Mediterranean diet is traditionally rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish. A good portion of these ingredients are served fresh or lightly seared, making the diet very different than a contemporary Western diet which consists of a significant amount of red meats and starches cooked at high heats.

Previous studies have showed that a Mediterranean diet results in a healthier heart, compared to the results of a western diet. A study published last year found conclusive evidence that a Mediterranean diet "supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts" effectively reduced the chances of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in at-risk patients.

However, this latest review takes things a step further.  According to the ACC release, researcher reviewed 19 studies of the Mediterranean diet, assessing a grand total of 162,000 people from several countries over approximately 5.5 years.

Researchers had theorized that diabetes -- a key contributor in raising a person's risk of CVD -- could be prevented in a larger portion of patients at-risk of CVD if they changed their eating habits. They found that this was indeed the case, with a notable 27 percent decrease in chances of developing type-two diabetes in patients at-risk of CVD resulting from a switch to a Mediterranean diet, compared to no change in diet.

The results of this comprehensive review are scheduled to be presented at the 63rd ACC annual meeting, in Washington D.C. on March 29.

Until published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, it is suggested that the results of the review are to be considered preliminary findings.

The earlier study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 10, 2013.