A modified Mediterranean diet, combined with exercise and weight loss support, reduced the risk of developing type two diabetes by 31 percent. This finding comes from the PREDIMED-Plus trial, a large European study. The study involved 4,746 adults aged 55 to 75 who had overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Participants were followed for six years. One group followed a calorie-reduced Mediterranean diet, engaged in moderate physical activity, and received professional guidance. The comparison group followed a traditional Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction or exercise advice.
The intervention group lost an average of 3.3 kilograms and reduced their waist circumference by 3.6 centimeters. The control group lost 0.6 kilograms and trimmed their waist size by 0.3 centimeters. Researchers estimate that the program prevented about three cases of type two diabetes for every 100 participants.
Type two diabetes is a rapidly growing chronic disease globally. Over 530 million people worldwide live with diabetes. The PREDIMED-Plus trial is the largest nutrition trial conducted in Europe. It involved the University of Navarra and more than 200 researchers from 22 other Spanish universities, hospitals, and research centers.
The study's principal investigators include Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Navarra. Miguel Ruiz-Canela, Professor and Chair of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Navarra's School of Medicine, was the first author of the study. The findings were published in *Annals of Internal Medicine*.
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