More of one food type on your dinner plate may cut diabetes and heart disease risk

The new research was outlined by the American Society for Nutrition at its annual NUTRITION 2025 event

Many people understand that staying fit and maintaining a healthy weight are important for lowering the risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes. However, recent research has highlighted an even more neglected factor that warrants additional study.

Although not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, the American Society for Nutrition shared these findings at its annual NUTRITION 2025 event. They based their conclusions on data combined from three studies involving over 200,000 US adults.

“Our findings support the dietary recommendation of adhering to healthy plant-based dietary patterns that are rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains,” Fenglei Wang, research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explained in a statement. “These findings can help people make informed dietary choices.”

Many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains share a common feature: phytosterols. These naturally occurring compounds are structurally similar to cholesterol, which is present in numerous plant foods.

The team specifically observed that increased phytosterol consumption was linked to better insulin regulation markers and lower inflammation, along with changes in the gut microbiome that could enhance metabolism.

Chronic inflammation is a recognized driver of many heart and circulatory diseases, while worsened insulin resistance increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Poor metabolic health is often associated with obesity and high blood sugar, being potential risk factors for both diabetes and heart disease.

Wang continued: “Our clinical biomarker and metabolomic results suggest the involvement of insulin activity, inflammation and the metabolism of metabolites associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This suggests that phytosterol might reduce risk by alleviating insulin resistance and inflammation.”

Although these findings are valuable, it is important to acknowledge several limitations of this study. It was not peer-reviewed, and the entire participant group comprised nurses and other health professionals, with nearly 80% of them being women.

This highlights the need for additional research to determine if outcomes differ with a more diverse study population.

Two-minute test to examine your risk of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a widespread condition in which the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces is ineffective. Insulin, produced in the pancreas, is crucial for regulating blood sugar levels; without it, blood sugar can increase to unsafe levels.

Anyone wanting to evaluate their personal risk can visit the Diabetes UK website for a quick two-minute test. Although it doesn’t deliver a diagnosis, it offers an indication of your potential risk over the next decade.

Participants should have a tape measure and scales ready before starting, as obesity and waist measurements above 35 to 40 inches are considered risk factors for the condition.

Gathering specific health and ethnicity data is vital for accuracy. Diabetes UK highlights that individuals from Black African, African Caribbean, and South Asian groups face a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes earlier in life.

“The Know Your Risk tool is not a diagnostic tool,” a description for the online tool reads. “It is designed for people without a current diagnosis of diabetes and is intended to highlight a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.

“The results are not medical advice. If you are at risk or concerned about diabetes, we advise visiting a healthcare professional for further information. Please note: the results will underestimate your risk if you have a history of gestational diabetes.”

The assessment is intended for individuals over 18 and should not be taken by pregnant women, as their results may be unreliable. For more details, visit Diabetes UK.