Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition that affects millions of persons worldwide. Unmanaged diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and other serious conditions.
Before diagnosis, your blood sugar levels may remain high – but not high enough to indicate diabetes. This is known as prediabetes. Taking a test like this trusted Source can help you understand your risk factors for this condition.
Approximately 37% of people with untreated prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 4 years.
Progression from prediabetes to diabetes is not inevitable. While you can’t change certain factors, such as your genes or age, various lifestyle, and dietary changes can reduce your risk.
Table of Contents
Here are 5 Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of Developing Diabetes.
Reduce Total Carbohydrate Intake
The amount and quality of your carbohydrate intake are important factors to consider when making dietary changes to help prevent diabetes.
Your body breaks down carbohydrates into small sugar molecules absorbed into your bloodstream. The resulting rise in blood sugar stimulates your pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that helps sugar move from your bloodstream into your cells.
In people with prediabetes, body cells are resistant to insulin, so blood sugar stays high. To compensate for this, the pancreas produces more insulin and tries to lower blood sugar.
Over time, this condition can steadily increase blood sugar and insulin levels until it develops into type 2 diabetes.
2. Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity can help prevent diabetes.
People with prediabetes often have reduced insulin sensitivity, also known as insulin resistance. In this case, your pancreas has to make more insulin to get the sugar from your blood into the cells.
Exercise increases your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, requiring less insulin to manage your blood sugar levels.
Many types of physical activity have reduced insulin resistance and blood sugar in adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. These include aerobic, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and strength training.
A study in 29 people with type 2 diabetes found that HIIT, which included intense bursts of activity followed by short-term recovery, improved blood sugar management, leading to longer endurance training sessions.
However, you don’t have to do HIIT to reap the benefits. Short exercises of as little as 10 minutes, such as brisk walking, are great options. If you’re starting an exercise routine, start with short workouts and work up to 150 minutes weekly.
3. Drink Water As Your Primary Beverage
Using water as your beverage of choice will help you limit drinks high in sugar.
Sugary drinks, such as soda and sweetened fruit juice, have been associated with an increased risk of both type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.
A large observational study in 2,800 people found that those who drank more than 2 servings of sugary drinks per day had a 99% and 20% increased risk of LADA and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Additionally, one review found that 1 serving of sugary drinks per day can increase the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 18%.
In contrast, increased water intake can lead to better blood sugar management and insulin response.
A 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, fasting blood sugar, and insulin levels.
4. Try to Get Rid Of Excess Weight
Carrying excess weight can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
In particular, visceral fat (excessive weight in your midsection and around your abdominal organs) remain associated with insulin resistance, inflammation, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes.
In particular, if you have prediabetes, are overweight or obesity, losing even a small amount of weight — as little as 5 to 7% — can help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
A randomized, 2-year study in over 1,000 people at high risk of type 2 diabetes showed that exercise, diet, and weight-loss interventions significantly reduced the risk of this disease by 40% to 47% compared to the control group.
There are many healthy weight loss strategies available. Preparing a balanced plate of non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is a great place to start.
5. Optimize your vitamin D levels
Vitamin D is important for blood sugar management.
Indeed, studies link vitamin D deficiency with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Some research also shows that vitamin D supplements can improve many aspects of blood sugar management in people with prediabetes, compared with control groups. However, current research remain mixed on whether vitamin D supplements prevent progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
Still, maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is important for your health, especially if you have a deficiency. Good food sources include fatty fish and cod liver oil. Additionally, sun exposure can increase vitamin D levels.
A daily vitamin D supplement may be necessary for some people to reach and maintain optimal levels. Before starting a supplement, talk to a doctor to check your vitamin D levels.
