Mediterranean dietary pattern and the risk of type 2 diabetes

Previous meta-analyses assessed the association of adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MedDiet) with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Since then, new large-scale cohort studies have been published. In addition, dose-response relation was not previously investigated and the certainty of evidence was not assessed. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition explored the dose-response relationship between adherence to the MedDiet and the risk of T2D.
The researchers searched for prospective cohort studies of the relationship between adherence to the MedDiet and the risk of T2D in the general population. Fourteen prospective cohort studies (410,303 participants and 41,466 cases) were included. There was an inverse association for the highest versus lowest category of adherence to the MedDiet (RR: 0.79, 95%CI 0.72-0.88) and for a 2-point increment in the MedDiet adherence score (RR: 0.86, 95%CI 0.82-0.91). The RR remained significant after controlling for important confounders and in almost all subgroups, especially subgroups defined by geographical region. The researchers observed an inverse linear association between MedDiet adherence score and T2D incidence.
In this study, adherence to the MedDiet was inversely related to T2D risk in a dose-response manner. Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet may be a good advice for the primary prevention of T2D.
Source: Zeraattalab-Motlagh S, Jayedi A, Shab-Bidar S. Mediterranean dietary pattern and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Eur J Nutr. 2022 Jun;61(4):1735-1748. doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02761-3.