### How a Plant-Based Diet Can Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Smart diet and lifestyle choices are crucial for maintaining health, especially when aiming to prevent type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for the more than 1 in 3 Americans with prediabetes, losing weight and increasing physical activity can help avoid a type 2 diabetes diagnosis and potentially lead to a longer life. A new analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that following a plant-based diet, even without weight loss, may lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. The study found that individuals who ate largely plant-based diets, including vegan or vegetarian diets, had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers used data from nine previously published studies involving 307,099 participants, followed for 2 to 28 years. They defined a plant-based diet as one where a person consumed more plant-based foods and limited or eliminated animal-based foods like meat, dairy, eggs, and fish. During the follow-up, 23,544 participants (7.7 percent) developed type 2 diabetes. The study calculated that following a more plant-based diet was associated with a 23 percent risk reduction for developing diabetes. The benefits of a plant-based diet are not solely due to weight control. Plant-based foods help with weight homeostasis, glucose-insulin response, inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiome composition and function. These factors likely contribute to the beneficial association observed. To make your diet more plant-based, consider these tips: - **Eat more vegetables:** Only about 10 to 12 percent of people get three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day. Eating more can help protect against various diseases. - **Try fruit for dessert:** Replace cakes and cookies with a piece of fruit. - **Add more fiber:** Replace animal protein with chickpeas, hummus, or beans, which also offer fiber. Always discuss any dietary changes with a healthcare professional, especially if you have an underlying medical condition or may be at risk for nutrient deficiencies.