Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Uncontrolled cases can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and other serious conditions.
Before
diabetes is diagnosed, there is a period where blood sugar levels are high but
not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This is known as prediabetes.
It's
estimated that up to 70% of people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2
diabetes. Fortunately, progressing from prediabetes to diabetes isn't
inevitable.
Although
there are certain factors you can't change — such as your genes, age or past
behaviors — there are many actions you can take to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Here
are 13 ways to avoid getting diabetes.
Eating sugary foods and refined carbs can put at-risk individuals on the fast
track to developing diabetes.
Your
body rapidly breaks these foods down into small sugar molecules, which are
absorbed into your bloodstream.
The
resulting rise in blood sugar stimulates your pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that helps sugar get out of the bloodstream
and into your body's cells.
In
people with prediabetes, the body's cells are resistant to insulin's action, so
sugar remains high in the blood. To compensate, the pancreas produces more
insulin, attempting to bring blood sugar down to a healthy level.
Over
time, this can lead to progressively higher blood sugar and insulin levels,
until the condition eventually turns into type 2 diabetes.
Many
studies have shown a link between the frequent consumption of sugar or refined
carbs and the risk of diabetes. What's more, replacing them with foods that
have less of an effect on blood sugar may help reduce your risk .
A
detailed analysis of 37 studies found that people with the highest intakes of
fast-digesting carbs were 40% more likely to develop diabetes than those with
the lowest intakes.
Performing physical activity on a regular basis may help prevent
diabetes.
Exercise
increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells. So when you exercise, less
insulin is required to keep your blood sugar levels under control.
One
study in people with prediabetes found that moderate-intensity exercise
increased insulin sensitivity by 51% and high-intensity exercise increased it
by 85%. However, this effect only occurred on workout days .
Many
types of physical activity have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and blood
sugar in overweight, obese and prediabetic adults. These include aerobic
exercise, high-intensity interval training and strength training.
Working
out more frequently seems to lead to improvements in insulin response and
function. One study in people at risk of diabetes found that burning more than
2,000 calories weekly via exercise was required to achieve
these benefits .
Therefore,
it's best to choose physical activity that you enjoy, can engage in regularly
and feel you can stick with long-term.
Water is by far the most natural beverage you can drink.
What's
more, sticking with water most of the time helps you avoid beverages that are
high in sugar, preservatives and other questionable ingredients.
Sugary
beverages like soda and punch have been linked to an increased risk of both
type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA).
LADA
is a form of type 1 diabetes that occurs in people over 18 years of age. Unlike
the acute symptoms seen with type 1 diabetes in childhood, LADA develops
slowly, requiring more treatment as the disease progresses . One large
observational study looked at the diabetes risk of 2,800 people.
Those
who consumed more than two servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a
99% increased risk of developing LADA and a 20% increased risk of developing
type 2 diabetes .
Researchers
of one study on the effects of sweet drinks on diabetes stated that neither
artificially sweetened beverages nor fruit juice were good beverages for diabetes prevention .
By
contrast, consuming water may provide benefits. Some studies have found that
increased water consumption may lead to better blood sugar control and insulin
response .
One
24-week study showed that overweight adults who replaced diet sodas with water
while following a weight loss program experienced a decrease in insulin
resistance and lower fasting blood sugarand insulin levels .
Although
not everyone who develops type 2 diabetes is overweight or obese, the majority
are.
What's
more, those with prediabetes tend to carry excess weight in their midsection
and around abdominal organs like the liver. This is known as visceral fat.
Excess
visceral fat promotes inflammation and insulin resistance, which significantly
increase the risk of diabetes .
Although
losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce this risk, studies show
that the more you lose, the more benefits you'll experience .
One
study of more than 1,000 people with prediabetes found that for every kilogram
(2.2 lbs) of weight participants lost, their risk of diabetes reduced by 16%,
up to a maximum reduction of 96% .
There
are many healthy options for losing weight, including low-carb, Mediterranean, paleo and vegetarian diets. However,
choosing a way of eating you can stick with long-term is key to helping you
maintain the weight loss.
One
study found that obese people whose blood sugar and insulin levels decreased
after losing weight experienced elevations in these values after gaining back
all or a portion of the weight they lost.
Smoking
has been shown to cause or contribute to many serious health conditions,
including heart disease, emphysema and cancers of the lung, breast, prostate
and digestive tract.
There's
also research linking smoking and second-hand smoke exposure to type 2 diabetes.
In
an analysis of several studies totaling over one million people, smoking was
found to increase the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers and 61% in
people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily.
One
study followed the risk of diabetes in middle-aged male smokers after they
quit. After five years their risk had reduced by 13%, and after 20 years they
had the same risk as people who had never smoked .
Researchers
stated that even though many of the men gained weight after quitting, after
several smoke-free years, their risk of diabetes was lower than if they'd
continued smoking.
Following
a ketogenic or very-low-carb diet can help you avoid
diabetes.
Although
there are a number of ways of eating that promote weight loss, very-low-carb
diets have strong evidence behind them.
They
have consistently been shown to lower blood sugar and insulin levels, increase
insulin sensitivity and reduce other diabetes risk factors.
In
a 12-week study, prediabetic individuals consumed either a low-fat or low-carb
diet. Blood sugar dropped by 12% and insulin dropped by 50% in the low-carb
group.
In
the low-fat group, meanwhile, blood sugar dropped by only 1% and insulin
dropped by 19%. Thus, the low-carb diet had better results on both counts.
If
you minimize your carb intake, your blood sugar levels won't rise very much
after you eat. Therefore, your body needs less insulin to maintain your blood
sugar within healthy levels.
What's
more, very-low-carb or ketogenic diets may also reduce fasting blood sugar.
In
a study of obese men with prediabetes who followed a ketogenic diet, average
fasting blood sugar decreased from 118 to 92 mg/dl, which is within the normal
range. Participants also lost weight and improved several other health markers.
For
more info, check out this Guide to Healthy Low-Carb Eating With Diabetes
Whether
or not you decide to follow a low-carb diet, it's important to avoid large
portions of food to reduce the risk of diabetes, especially if you are
overweight.
Eating
too much food at one time has been shown to cause higher blood sugar and
insulin levels in people at risk of diabetes.
On
the other hand, decreasing portion sizes may help prevent this type of
response.
A
two-year study in prediabetic men found that those who reduced food portion
sizes and practiced other healthful nutrition behaviors had a 46% lower risk of
developing diabetes than the men who made no lifestyle changes .
Another
study looking at weight loss methods in people with prediabetes reported that
the group practicing portion control lowered their blood sugar and insulin
levels significantly after 12 weeks.
It's
important to avoid being sedentary if you want to prevent diabetes.
If
you get no or very little physical activity, and you sit during most of your
day, then you lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Observational
studies have shown a consistent link between sedentary behavior and the risk of
diabetes.
A
large analysis of 47 studies found that people who spent the highest amount of
time per day engaged in sedentary behavior had a 91% increased risk of
developing diabetes .
Changing
sedentary behavior can be as simple as standing up from your desk and walking around for a few
minutes every hour.
Unfortunately,
it can be hard to reverse firmly entrenched habits.
One
study gave young adults at risk of diabetes a 12-month program designed to
change sedentary behavior. Sadly, after the program ended, the researchers
found that participants hadn't reduced how much time they sat.
Set
realistic and achievable goals, such as standing while talking on the phone or
taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Committing to these easy, concrete
actions may be the best way to reverse sedentary tendencies.
Getting plenty of fiber is beneficial for gut health and weight
management.
Studies
in obese, elderly and prediabetic individuals have shown that it helps keep
blood sugar and insulin levels low.
Fiber
can be divided into two broad categories: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber
absorbs water, whereas insoluble fiber does not.
In
the digestive tract, soluble fiber and water form a gel that slows down the
rate at which food is absorbed. This leads to a more gradual rise in blood
sugar levels .
However,
insoluble fiber has also been linked to reductions in blood sugar levels and a
decreased risk of diabetes, although exactly how it works is not clear.
Most
unprocessed plant foods contain fiber, although some have more than others.
Check out this list of 22 high-fiber foods for many excellent sources of fiber.
Vitamin
D is important for blood sugar control.
Indeed,
studies have found that people who don't get enough vitamin D, or whose blood
levels are too low, have a greater risk of all types of diabetes).
Most
health organizations recommend maintaining a vitamin D blood level of at least
30 ng/ml (75 nmol/l).
One
study found that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were 43%
less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest blood levels.
Another
observational study looked at Finnish children who received supplements
containing adequate levels of vitamin D.
Children
who took the vitamin D supplements had a 78% lower risk of developing type 1
diabetes than children who received less than the recommended amount of vitamin
D.
Controlled
studies have shown that when people who are deficient take vitamin D
supplements, the function of their insulin-producing cells improves, their
blood sugar levels normalize and their risk of diabetes reduces significantly.
Good
food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish and cod liver oil. In addition,
sun exposure can increase vitamin D levels in the blood.
However,
for many people, supplementing with 2,000–4,000 IU of vitamin D daily may be
necessary to achieve and maintain optimal levels.
One
clear step you can take to improve your health is to minimize your consumption
of processed foods.
They're
linked to all sorts of health problems, including heart disease, obesity and
diabetes.
Studies
suggest that cutting back on packaged foods that are high in vegetable oils,
refined grains and additives may help reduce the risk of diabetes (53, 54, 55).
This
may be partly due to the protective effects of whole foods like nuts,
vegetables, fruits and other plant foods.
One
study found that poor-quality diets that were high in processed foods increased
the risk of diabetes by 30%. However, including nutritious whole foods helped
reduce this risk (55).
Although
water should be your primary beverage, research suggests that including coffee or tea in your diet may help you avoid diabetes.
Studies
have reported that drinking coffee on a daily basis reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 8–54%, with the
greatest effect generally seen in people with the highest consumption .
Another
review of several studies that included caffeinated tea and coffee found
similar results, with the largest risk reduction in women and overweight men Coffee
and tea have antioxidants known as polyphenols that may help protect against
diabetes.
In
addition, green tea contains a unique antioxidant compound called
epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that has been shown to reduce blood sugar
release from the liver and increase insulin sensitivity.
There
are a few herbs that may help increase insulin sensitivity
and reduce the likelihood of diabetes progression.
Curcumin
Curcumin is a component of the bright gold spice
turmeric, which is one of the main ingredients in curries.
It
has strong anti-inflammatory properties and has been used in India for
centuries as part of Ayurvedic medicine.
Research
has shown it can be very effective against arthritis and may help reduce
inflammatory markers in people with prediabetes .
There's
also impressive evidence that it may decrease insulin resistance and reduce the
risk of diabetes progression .
In
a controlled nine-month study of 240 prediabetic adults, among the group who
took 750 mg of curcumin daily, no one developed diabetes. However, 16.4% of the
control group did.
In addition,
the curcumin group experienced an increase in insulin sensitivity and improved
functioning of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Berberine
Berberine is found in several herbs and has been used in
traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
Studies
have shown that it fights inflammation and lowers cholesterol and other heart
disease markers.
In
addition, several studies in people with type 2 diabetes have found that
berberine has strong blood-sugar-lowering properties).
In
fact, a large analysis of 14 studies found that berberine is as effective at
lowering blood sugar levels as metformin, one of the oldest and most widely
used diabetes medications.
Because
berberine works by increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing the release of
sugar by the liver, it might theoretically help people with prediabetes avoid
diabetes.
However,
at this point there are no studies that have looked at this.
In
addition, since its effects on blood sugar are so strong, it should not be used
in conjunction with other diabetes medications unless authorized by a doctor.
You
have control over many of the factors that influence diabetes.
Rather
than viewing prediabetes as a stepping stone to diabetes, it may be helpful to
see it as a motivator for making changes that can help reduce your risk.
Eating
the right foods and adopting other lifestyle behaviors that promote healthy
blood sugar and insulin levels will give you the best chance at avoiding
diabetes