According to recent studies, eating more foods high in flavonoids can dramatically lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
A recent investigation into the relationship between a diet high in flavonoids and the development of type 2 diabetes in a sizable population in the United Kingdom. Many plants, fruits, vegetables, and leaves contain phytochemicals called flavonoids, which may have uses in medical chemistry. There are health advantages are associated with flavonoids, such as their antiviral, anticancer, and antioxidant qualities.
It is already well established that eating a diet high in plant-based foods lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, a wide variety of polyphenolic chemicals with varying levels of bioavailability and bioactivity are plentiful in plants.
The study was published in Nutrition & Diabetes.
In depth
The six primary subclasses of flavonoids, a class of polyphenolic chemicals, are flavanones, flavones, flavan-3-ols, flavanols, anthocyanins, and isoflavones. A higher consumption of flavonoids may enhance blood lipid profile and increase insulin sensitivity, according to some research.
Over 500,000 persons in the UK were recruited between 2006 and 2010 for the UK Biobank, a large-scale population-based cohort study, which provided 113,097 participants for the current study. Two or more 24-hour dietary surveys were used to measure the participants’ flavonoid consumption, and the results were evaluated using databases from the US Department of Agriculture.
A selection of ten foods high in flavonoids was made using average daily consumption. To compute the Flavodiet Score (FDS), the servings of each of these ten items were added up. A correlation analysis between dietary flavonoid intake and the onset of type 2 diabetes was conducted, taking into consideration possible confounders.
Higher use of foods rich in flavonoids was shown to be more common among female participants, older adults, physically active individuals, and those with greater educational attainment.
The amount of flavonoids consumed on a daily average was 805.7 mg. Polymers, which include proanthocyanidins, and flavan-3-ols were the two most important flavonoid subclasses, contributing 67% and 22% of the overall intake, respectively. These subclasses primarily derived from tea. Pepper-derived flavones made up the majority of the total flavonoid consumption, yet they were the least.
The study took into account the demographic and lifestyle features of the subjects while examining the relationship between the consumption of flavonoids and the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. It was discovered that a higher Flavodiet Score (FDS), which is equal to eating six servings of foods high in flavonoids per day, was associated with a 28% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than a lower FDS of one serving per day.
According to the study, the risk of diabetes is lowered by 6% for every additional daily serving of foods high in flavonoids. The risk was also found to be lowered by 21% for four servings of black or green tea per day, 15% for one serving of berries per day, and 12% for one serving of apples per day.
Take away
Potential mediators were found to include body mass index (BMI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), cystatin C, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), C-reactive protein, and urate. According to the research, a diet high in flavonoids may have a beneficial effect on inflammation, glucose metabolism, weight control, kidney and liver functions, and overall risk reduction for type 2 diabetes.
Anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, and flavonols in particular are rich in flavonoids that promote insulin secretion and signalling, as well as glucose transport and metabolism.
However, because the study group included middle-aged British people, the findings might not apply to non-European populations.
