An apple a day could help prevent diabetes, new health guidelines suggest.
Yoghurt, cheese and regular cups of tea or coffee are among other foods and drinks which could help ward off the condition, the advice states.
But too much meat and potatoes can raise your likelihood of diagnosis, according to the diet advice from
Oxford University.
It is the first time health guidelines have specified which foods could help fight off the disease, which is linked to obesity. Previously, people at high risk of developing diabetes were given advice like “increase your fibre intake by 15 per cent” or to “lose 5 per cent of your body weight”.
But doctors have updated this guidance, saying it does not relate to how people live their lives.
Dr Pamela Dyson, research dietician at Oxford University and co-chair of the guidelines, said: “We’ve made these dietary guidelines in terms of food and not nutrients… because food is what people eat, they don’t eat “nutrients”. And it’s a message that’s far easier to communicate with people when you’re talking about foods they actually eat.”
The new advice suggests eating more wholegrains and fruit and vegetables – particularly apples, grapes, blueberries and green leafy vegetables.
The guidelines also recommend eating dairy products, particularly yoghurt and cheese, and having regular cups of tea or coffee.
Diets should be low in red and processed meat, sugary drinks, potatoes – especially chips – and refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice.
It is also recommended people at high risk of developing diabetes lose weight and increase their daily physical activity and exercise levels.
The guidelines, based on evidence from more than 500 scientific studies, were put together by a team led by researchers from Oxford University and the charity Diabetes UK.
The diabetes prevention diet
Foods to eat:
Wholegrains
Fruit, especially apples, grapes and blueberries
Green leafy vegetables
Low fat dairy products, especially yoghurt and cheese
Tea and coffee
Foods to avoid:
Red and processed meat
Potatoes, especially chips
Sugary drinks
Refined carboyhdrates, eg. white bread, white ric
source:-telegraph