Proven that with the right lifestyle habits, you can reduce your risk of diabetes by 31%

2025/08/27 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Berdintasuna
• Dietetika/Elikagaiak

Through a program that combines the Mediterranean diet, exercise, and weight loss, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes has been shown to be reduced by 31% as part of the PREDIMED-Plus study.

PREDIMED-Plus is the most extensive study in Europe to study the impact of diet and lifestyle habits, through different centers in Spain, with the long-term participation of thousands of people. In another previous study, it was already observed that the Mediterranean diet had a healthy effect, in which it contributed to the prevention of diabetes. Now they have taken another step and, along with their diet, they have wanted to study the impact of other healthy lifestyle habits.

In this way, 7,746 volunteers (aged 55-75) who are participating in PREDIMED-Plus were selected, divided into two groups and followed up for six years. Everyone followed the Mediterranean diet, but while those in the control group had nothing else to do, those in the other group had to follow a program. In this program, they had limited calories, had to exercise at moderate intensity, and had to lose weight under the guidance of a professional.

After a six-year period, 31% fewer participants in the second group have been shown to have developed diabetes. In addition, they lost more weight than those in the control group (3.3 kg; those in the control group, 0.6) and decreased the waist circumference more (3.6 cm; others, 0.3).

The researchers explain that the Mediterranean diet acts synergistically to improve insulin sensitivity and relieve inflammation. Now they have seen that physical exercise and weight loss increase this effect.

The study is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. In the editorial of the same issue, the authors emphasize the value of the research and warn of the need to take other steps in other contexts. For example, in the U.S., structural barriers such as difficulties in access to healthy food, limitations in the urban environment, lack of professional training, should be removed to address all this, and the implementation of the program described in the study claims that effective policies are needed.