Plant-Based Eating Linked to 21% Lower Risk of Death in People With Type 2 Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes who eat the most plant foods have a 21% lower risk of death, according to a UK Biobank study published in Diabetes Care on August 28.

Researchers at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) in Düsseldorf followed 4,829 people with type 2 diabetes for an average of 11.3 years, using repeated 24-hour diet recalls. Those in the top third for plant-based diet score had a 21% lower risk of dying from any cause than those in the bottom third.

Quality matters, though. An unhealthy plant-based pattern, heavy in refined grains, sweets and sugary drinks, was linked to a 24% higher risk, the paper reports. The benefits of plant-based eating looked biggest for people with higher blood sugar, a larger waist, an earlier diagnosis or a longer history of diabetes.

The authors conclude: "Higher PDI adherence was associated with decreased mortality risk and higher unhealthy PDI adherence with an increased mortality risk."

PDI is the plant-based diet index. In practice, plant-based done well means building meals around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds.

Doctors have been moving this way for a while: the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends a plant-based diet, and a whole food plant-based diet has been shown to help reverse type 2 diabetes. Just last week a study of 407,618 adults linked healthy plant-based eating to a lower risk of multiple chronic diseases.

More plants, more years.