Fruits,
Veggies, and Whole Grains Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by Almost 30%
By
Lauren Manaker MS, RDN,
LD, CLEC
Published
on July 17, 2020
Burak Karademir / Getty
Images
Key Takeaways
- As little as an additional quarter cup of
fruits or vegetables a day can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Daily intake of whole grains like oatmeal,
brown rice, and cereal showed a protective effect.
Higher consumption of fruit,
vegetables, and whole grain foods may help reduce your risk of developing type
2 diabetes, according to two studies published in the British Medical Journal on July 8.
Diabetes affects approximately
10% of the U.S. population, and 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with this
condition every day.1 While previous research has
suggested certain dietary patterns can reduce the risk of developing type 2
diabetes, these new studies corroborate this notion.
Fruits and Vegetables
The first study, which focused on
fruits and vegetables, used plasma vitamin C and carotenoids (plant pigments)
found in blood samples as indicators of fruit and vegetable intake.2 The researchers chose to use
blood samples instead of the more traditional food frequency questionnaire to
assess dietary intake to avoid measurement error and recall bias.
Because vitamin C and carotenoids
are found in many fruits and vegetables, they serve an objective markers of
fruit and vegetable intake. People who do not eat a diet rich in fruits and
vegetables are likely not taking in as much vitamin C and carotenoids, and this
would be reflected in their plasma levels.
After evaluating data from 9,754
participants with new-onset type 2 diabetes and 13,662 people without diabetes,
researchers determined the higher the plasma levels of vitamin C and certain
carotenoids, the lower the incidence of diabetes.
The researchers calculated that
every 66-gram increase in total daily fruit and vegetable intake was associated
with a 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For reference, a
medium-sized apple weighs about 100 grams.
This data “suggest that diets
rich in even modestly higher fruit and vegetable consumption could help to
prevent development of type 2 diabetes," the study authors wrote. "It
should be noted that these findings and other available evidence suggest that
fruit and vegetable intake, rather than vitamin supplements, is potentially
beneficial for the prevention of type 2 diabetes."
In other words, supplements are
not a substitute for a poor diet. But dietitians know hitting the recommended 2
cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies per day can be a challenge from whole
foods alone.3
“Many people are motivated to
avoid type 2 diabetes and know they should be eating
more fruits and vegetables, Casey Seiden, RD, CDE, a
registered dietitian, tells Verywell. "But when they are currently eating
one to two servings per day and are told the recommendation is to consume five,
it can feel overwhelming and cause many well-intentioned
individuals to abandon their efforts."
She explains that the
newly-published data regarding fruits and vegetables is encouraging
because it shows that even a slight increase of 66 grams per
day—equivalent to about a 1/2 cup of chopped red bell pepper—can decrease the
risk of type 2 diabetes by 25%.
Whole Grain
In the second study, researchers
focused on the relationship between whole grain intake and type 2 diabetes
risk.4 Whole grains are foods that are
rich in fiber, antioxidants, and B-vitamins, and include foods like quinoa,
popcorn, whole grain bread, and brown rice.
You May Be Eating More Grains Than You Think
Using data from 158,259 women and
36,525 men who did not have type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer
when the study began, researchers evaluated the relationship between whole
grain intake and type 2 diabetes incidence over the course of four years.
Participants who consumed the
most whole grain (one or more servings per day) had a 29% lower rate of type 2
diabetes compared with those in the lowest intake group (less than one serving
per month). Certain whole grains offered different rates of risk reduction. For
example, whole grain cold breakfast cereal and dark bread don't offer much type
2 diabetes risk reduction after 0.5 servings a day. And while popcorn can offer
a protective effect, it may actually increase type 2 diabetes risk if more than
one serving is consumed per day.4
Because associations did not vary
significantly after controlling for physical activity, family history of
diabetes, or smoking status, the authors concluded that higher consumption of
whole grain is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The specific
foods that they mentioned include:
- Whole grain breakfast cereal
- Oatmeal
- Dark bread
- Brown rice
- Added bran
- Wheat germ
Why This Matters
The findings from both of these
studies highlight how eating a generally healthy diet rich in fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
"These studies confirm what
we already know: that diet plays a critical role in preventing the risk of
diabetes," Shahzadi Devje, RD, CDE, MSc, registered
dietitian and owner of Desi~licious RD, tells Verywell. “In an era of
keto-craze and clean eating, it's important to remind ourselves that healthy
eating is not complicated for chronic disease prevention. Basic nourishing
foods—whole grains, vegetables and fruits—are accessible across cultures and
can be enjoyed daily.”
What This Means For You
If you are trying to reduce your
risk of developing diabetes, even a small increase in your daily fruit and
vegetable intake matters. Opting for some carrot sticks as a snack or including
a cup of berries into a breakfast meal are examples of small dietary changes
that can have a big impact on your health.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/diabetes-risk-fruits-vegetables-whole-grain-5071689
Long-Term
Study Shows a Healthy Diet Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
By
Lauren Manaker MS, RDN,
LD, CLEC
Fact
checked by
Updated
on July 01, 2020
Foods like fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk of CVD.
Oscar Wong / Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- New data suggests that following certain
dietary patterns may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease over
time.
- Each of the dietary patterns evaluated
were high in plants in low in saturated fats and sugars.
- Four variations of similar diets all
proved to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Changing your diet is one of the
biggest ways to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD),1 the primary cause of death in
the United States and worldwide.2 A study published on June 15 in
the Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA)
highlights just how much dietary patterns can make a difference over time—32
years, to be exact.
Researchers from the Harvard T.H.
Chan School of Public Health found that a diet rich in foods like vegetables,
fruits, nuts, and legumes but low in saturated fats and refined sugars is
associated with a lower risk of developing CVD.3
The
Connections Between Heart Disease, Obesity, and Weight Loss
Typically, research regarding
diet and CVD risk is focused on individual nutrients or foods, like how eating
walnuts once a week reduces the risk of CVD by
19%.4 However, nutrients and foods are
not consumed in isolation. By identifying dietary patterns—the amount, variety, or
combination of different foods and beverages consumed—researchers were able to look
more holistically at the link between what people eat and their risk of CVD.
This research, which drew from
three separate studies, analyzed data from 169,310 women and 41,526 men over 32
years.
“This study is remarkable for the
large number of individual studies, the inclusion of multiple ethnic groups,
and a long follow-up with 5,257,190 patient years," Barry Silverman, MD, a
cardiologist at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, tells Verywell Health.
Researchers found the more people
adhered to certain types of diets, the lower their risk was of CVD. This
remained true regardless of race and ethnicity.
What This Means For You
Results from this study highlight
that your overarching dietary choices play a major role in reducing your risk
of heart disease. It's not as simple as choosing one or two heart-healthy foods
to focus on incorporating into your diet.
Which Dietary Patterns Were
Studied?
In this study, researchers looked
at how adherence to four very similar dietary patterns influenced risk of CVD.
They created scoring systems to measure compliance; a higher score meant a
higher-quality diet.
Healthy Eating Index – 2015
(HEI-2015)
To earn a high compliance score
for this dietary pattern, participants needed to eat diets rich in foods like:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Dairy
- Seafood/plant protein
- Healthy fats (e.g., avocado, olive oil,
walnuts)
Diets heavy in saturated fats,
added sugars, sodium, and refined grains received a lower score.5
The Healthy Eating Index dietary
pattern aligns with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans created by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Alternate Mediterranean Diet
Score (AMED)
Those who were more compliant
with the Mediterranean diet guidelines received a higher score. This type of
diet encourages high consumption of:
- Whole grains
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Fish
- Monounsaturated fats (e.g., avocado)
This diet also calls for limited
consumption of red meat and moderate alcohol consumption.6
What Is the Mediterranean Diet?
Healthful Plant-Based Diet
Index (HPDI)
In this dietary pattern, people
received higher compliance scores if their diets contained large amounts of
foods like:
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Plant-based oils
- Tea
- Coffee
People who consumed animal foods
or less healthy plant foods—like juices, refined grains, potatoes, fries, and
sweets—received lower scores.7
Alternate Healthy Eating Index
(AHEI)
To receive a higher compliance
score, participants had to eat more:
- Polyunsaturated fats (especially omega 3s,
like salmon)
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
Consuming less alcohol, red meat,
sodium, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice also contributed to a higher
score.8
What Should You Eat to Reduce
CVD Risk?
There is no single food that will
reduce the risk of CVD in everyone. However, following dietary patterns that emphasize certain foods and limit
others can reduce the risk.
Researchers concluded that
long-term adherence to any of the four dietary patterns evaluated led to a
reduced risk of developing CVD.
These results support the notion
that individuals can choose different healthy eating patterns based on their
personal food preferences or customs to manage heart health.
“In general, the
heart-healthiest diets tend to be the ones that include the most plants, and this
new study corroborates that," Laura Yautz, RDN, a registered dietitian who
specializes in heart health, tells Verywell Health. "Some adherence is
good, and more is better.”
A Heart-Healthy Diet Includes
- Whole grains and vegetables as the
foundation
- Fruit
- Fresh herbs
- Nuts
- Healthy oils like olive oil and grapeseed
oil
- Plant-based protein sources like legumes,
soy, nuts, and seeds
- Lean animal proteins like seafood and
poultry
A Heart-Healthy Diet Excludes
- Fried foods
- Daily desserts
- Packaged snacks
- Sugary beverages
- Refined grain products
Moses Osoro, MD, a cardiologist based in
Knoxville, Tennessee, offers the following diet and lifestyle modifications for
people who are aiming to reduce their risk of CVD:
- Avoid sodium. It's the biggest trigger
for hypertension and heart failure exacerbation. Some high-sodium foods
include processed meats, frozen entrees, and canned soups.
- Incorporate fruits or vegetables in every meal.
- Exercise on a moderate-to-intense
level for at least 30 minutes a day for five to seven days a week.
Fast walking is a good example.
- Try a whole-food diet (preferably plant-based) or
Mediterranean diet.
When it comes to diet, the key to
reducing your risk of CVD is thinking about the big picture. Your overall diet
should align with the recommendations above, but the occasional indulgence of
your favorite fried chicken or fast-food is okay. No one food will make or
break your heart health.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/dietary-patterns-cardiovascular-disease-5069797
Paper Reviewed
da Rosa Dorneles, K., Martins, A.C., Fernando, J.A., do Amarante, L., de Avila,
L.A., Deuner, S. and Dallagnol, L.J. 2020. Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration
causes modification of physiological, biochemical and histological
characteristics that affects rice-Bipolaris oryzae interaction. European
Journal of Plant Pathology DOI: 10.1007/s10658-020-01972-4.
Brown spot is a
grain yield-reducing disease in rice caused by the fungus Bipolaris
oryzae. In the words of da Rosa Dorneles et al. (2020) it
infects the panicle, "causing sterility of the floral organs, reduction of
the green leaf area due to plant tissue chlorosis and necrosis, and reduction
of photosynthesis, due both to impaired light capture ability and decreased
mesophyll capacity to fix CO2," citing the works of Sunder et al.
(2014) and Dallagnol et al. (2011).
Because brown
spot is prevalent in all rice-growing regions and can reduce grain yields by
50% or more, there is considerable interest in learning how this disease might
fare in a CO2-enriched world of the future, especially since multiple studies
have shown a reduction in plant pathogen-related diseases under higher levels
of CO2 (see, for example, the following links: Growth
Response to CO2 with Other Variables (Disease: Agriculture, Other Crops) and Growth Response to CO2 with Other Variables
(Disease: Agriculture, Legumes)). Such was the objective of da Rosa
Dorneles et al. in a recent study published in the European
Journal of Plant Pathology.
To accomplish
their objective the seven Brazilian researchers grew two rice cultivars (BRS
Querencia and Inov CL) in open-top chambers located on the Capão do Leão Campus
of the Federal University of Pelotas (Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil) under ambient
(400 ppm) or elevated (700 ppm) CO2 concentrations. At phenological stage
V7-V8, the scientists inoculated the leaves on half of the plants in each CO2 treatment
with Bipolaris oryzae, thereafter measuring disease severity at
three different intervals post inoculation (3, 8 and 16 days after).
In describing
their findings, da Rosa Dorneles et al. report that "plants at
700 ppm [CO2] showed lower severity of brown spot, regardless of the evaluation
time, and smaller lesions at 16 days after inoculation, compared to the plants
at 400 ppm CO2." Searching for the mechanism(s) behind this favorable
outcome, the scientists observed a CO2-induced alteration of plant anatomic and
photosynthetic characteristics, reporting "data from the present study
indicate that the reduction of the parenchyma thickness and bulliform cell size
and increase of carbohydrate concentration are related to the reduction of the
severity of brown spot caused by B. oryzae in rice plants
cultivated at 700 ppm CO2." Such positive changes in leaf morphological
traits and carbohydrate accumulation are welcomed news in the future battle
over rice brown spot. As the air's CO2 rises, the negative impacts of this
disease will be reduced, translating to higher grain yields to feed an
increasing world population.
References
Dallagnol, L.J., Rodrigues, F.A., Martin, S.C.V., Cavatte, P.C. and DaMatta,
F.M. 2011. Alterations on rice leaf physiology during infection by Bipolaris
oryzae. Australasian Plant Pathology 40: 360-365.
Sunder, S.,
Singh, R. and Agarwal, R. 2014. Brown spot of rice: An overview. Indian
Phytopathology 67: 201-215.
Posted 17 July 2020
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V23/jul/a8.php
Texas to fall short of 2030 higher-education goals, report predicts
1of3Photo: Yi-Chin
Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
·
·
·
Only 40 percent of Houston residents in that
age group and 50 percent throughout Texas will have a post-secondary education
by 2030 if new policies or practices aren’t implemented to help meet goals.,
according to a study by Rice’s Houston Education Research Consortium, part of
its Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
The projections, based on past data, are not
exempt from error and were made before the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting
economic downtown — factors that will likely affect college attendance,
graduation rates, and thus the coordinating board’s “60x30TX”
goals, researcher Brian Holzman said.
“Students and their families are re-evaluating
their college plans due to financial hardship and the job market,” Holzman said
in a statement. “Interventions and supports at school districts and colleges
will become more crucial, particularly for students from marginalized
backgrounds.”
Higher Education Commissioner Harrison Keller,
who leads the coordinating board, said “educational attainment doesn’t always
occur a straight line,” but acknowledged that this year is an important
benchmark year for the 60x30TX plan.
Keller wrote in a statement that he was
encouraged Texas was close to an annual 1.3 percent growth level in educational
attainment from 2015 to 2017, but noted more recent data has shown slower
progression. Add to that the upheaval and uncertainty Texas is experiencing due
to COVID-19, “it is difficult to know what the future will bring,” he said.
“While it is important to increase educational
attainment in Texas, it isn’t enough to say 60 percent of current young adults
ought to achieve any sort of postsecondary certificate or degree. Some
credentials will be especially important for the future of our state. Some will
be more valuable for Texas students and their families,” Keller added.
“Looking ahead, our state’s higher education
institutions will play critical roles in providing individual Texans with
opportunities to upskill, reskill and achieve the kinds of high-value
credentials that will help drive the recovery of the Texas economy,” Keller
sid.
Keller said the board is working with several efforts
in the Gulf Coast region to expand efforts through post-secondary education,
including Houston Guided Pathways to Success, a program that helps create
pathways from Gulf Coast and Houston area community colleges to Houston area
universities, and the Greater Houston Partnership/Upskill Houston, an
employer-led initiative that helps create a pipeline between skilled workers
and employers.
Additionally, Rice researchers predicted that
there will be an increasing gap between the supply and demand of college-educated
workers.
The report, which analyzed information from the
U.S. Census Bureau, the Texas Workforce Commission and Houston Independent
School District, says the demand for workers with bachelor’s degree increased
by 54 percent between 2013 and 2016 and will continue to grow, as will the
shortage of students with degrees. Similarly, the demand for employees with
associate’s degrees will increase slightly, but supply will also decrease.
The report reaffirmed the value of higher
education, noting that college graduates often earn more than those with a high
school diploma. Employees with a bachelor’s degree earned 120 percent more than
those with a high school diploma in 2016, and those with a two-year degree
earned 70 percent more than high school graduates. That advantage is expected
to double for four-year degree holders and will remain constant for those with
associate degrees through 2030.
Still, pay equity issues remain, Rice
researchers noted.
A seven-year analysis of former HISD students
who graduated in spring 2007 through 2009 showed that wages and unemployment
insurance benefits people receive early in their careers differ based on
gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic background. Women with a
postsecondary education continued to earn less than men, and Black and Asian
people earned less than white people.
Researchers suggested that policymakers and
higher education officials develop strategies and new efforts to help students
obtain postsecondary credentials, including expanding college and career
readiness support and considering the high demand of interpersonal skills in
Houston, an area that typically requires one to two years of higher education.
“Otherwise, economic growth may slow or
employers may need to attract more educated workers from other parts of the
country,” the report read. “Equipping students with interpersonal skills, in
addition to academic knowledge, may help students be prepared for the needs of
Houston’s growing economy.”
brittany.britto@chron.com
