Study flags with “reasonable certainty” that eating whole grains, fiber and fish will prolong life of diabetics

16 Sep 2022 --- Whole grains, fiber, fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has the potential to reduce all premature death risk factors in adults with Type 2 diabetes (T2D), flag researchers.

A study from the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf reveals a strong association between the addition of these dietary items and increased life spans for diabetic patients. 

This new information could lead to breakthroughs in the mitigation of T2D symptoms and mortality rates.

“There are some dietary recommendations and guidelines for people with type 2 diabetes, but most are not evidence-based or are derived from studies of the general population,” says Dr. Janett Barbaresko, co-author.

Increasing the amount of fiber, fish, whole grains and PFUAs in the diabetic diet is associated with decreasing all factors of death risks. “Our rigorous assessment of the best currently available evidence indicates with reasonable certainty that eating a diet rich in whole grains, fiber, fish and PUFAs as well as consuming more vegetables and plant proteins may help people with type 2 diabetes live longer,” she explains.

Food as medicine?
The authors state that people with T2D have an increased risk of developing other illnesses, including cancer, circulatory and cardiovascular diseases and even dementia. Moreover, they note that despite the numerous medicinal and therapeutic treatments available to diabetic patients, diet and exercise remain the foundation of all T2D treatment.

The researchers further state that data and information regarding how diet may be able to prevent death and illness are scarce. Some studies have looked at the effect of specific diets – such as vegan, vegetarian and Mediterranean – but a comprehensive survey of all dietary factors via the available information has, until now, not been conducted.

Adding one 20 g serving of whole grains from foods such as rice cereals and brown bread reduced mortality rates by an estimated 16%, the study found. One serving of fish per week decreased the risk of premature death by 5% and decreased risk by 5% more for each serving added during a week. 

Furthermore, adding 5 g of fiber to the daily diet lowered risks by 14%, and a 0.1 g increase in n-3 PUFAs through the consumption of fish, nuts, flax seeds and flaxseed oil, leafy vegetables and fish also decreased the risk of death by all causes an additional 13%. 

Additionally, increasing vegetable intake by 100 g per day could lower mortality risks by 12% and including 10 g of plant-based proteins per day could decrease the risk of death by another 9%.Adding just one serving of fish to the weekly diet could reduce the risk of premature death in T2D patients by 5%. 

“If individuals with type 2 diabetes are able to add a few servings of whole grains, fiber, fish, plant oils and vegetables to their weekly diets, our results suggest it may be an easy and low-risk way to possibly improve their outcome,” says Dr. Sabrina Schlesinger, a researcher at German Center for Diabetes Research, and lead author for the study.

More to be done
The researchers do, however, state that since the study was observational, it cannot prove that adding these items to a diet will absolutely extend the life of T2D patients, but it does reveal a strong association between diet and mortality. 

The study also states that limited evidence regarding other dietary factors like eating of foods like dairy and meat, eating patterns and micronutrients would also need to be investigated. 

“More research is needed to provide more robust and comprehensive evidence on different dietary factors and the progression of diabetes,” concludes Schlesinger.

Edited by William Bradford Nichols