Study finds this longevity diet provides more protection for diabetic people

Diabetes often requires strict dietary restrictions. However, a recent study has identified a "longevity diet" suitable for diabetics. By eating more soy products and 3 other affordable foods, the risk of diabetes-related death can be reduced by up to 75%.

According to mainland Chinese media People's Daily Health Times, as people enter middle and old age, blood sugar is one of the most common rising health metrics. The most challenging aspect of diabetes management is often strict dietary control. Researchers from Nanjing Medical University and the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention jointly published an 11-year study in the journal Nutrients, covering over 50,000 Chinese participants. Based on their eating habits, participants were divided into three dietary patterns:

• Traditional Diet / Love Pickled Foods: Low intake of most foods, but higher consumption of pickled items.
• Meat Lovers: Overall diet relatively balanced, but significantly higher meat intake.
• Fruit-Veg-Milk-Soy Rich: Diverse diet rich in fresh fruits, milk and dairy products, soy products, and whole grains, with low consumption of pickled vegetables.

The study found:

• For people with type 2 diabetes, switching to the "Fruit-Veg-Milk-Soy Rich" pattern significantly reduced mortality risk: all-cause death risk dropped by 39%, cardiovascular death risk by 53%, and diabetes-related death risk by a dramatic 75%.
• Even for people with hypertension, adopting this diet pattern reduced diabetes-related death risk by 60%.
• This dietary pattern is also suitable for generally healthy individuals, as it closely resembles the recently advocated "Eastern Diet" and "Southern Yangtze Diet" patterns, considered the most suitable "Mediterranean-style diet" for Chinese people.

Why Do These 4 Foods Help Extend Lifespan?

The study indicates that diabetics typically suffer from more severe metabolic disorders and systemic inflammation compared to healthy adults, increasing their death risk. The "Fruit-Veg-Milk-Soy Rich" diet offers significant protective effects through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, consisting of the following 4 food groups:

1. Eat Enough Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants like Vitamin C, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, acting as the body's scavengers to clear inflammation-causing free radicals. Studies confirm that quercetin, a flavonoid in fruits, not only improves insulin resistance directly but also protects the cardiovascular system – a natural heart protector for diabetics.

2. Eat More Soybeans and Soy Products

Soy products provide high-quality plant protein along with antioxidant components. They supply necessary nutrients without increasing the inflammatory burden like red meat. Soy products boost the body's overall antioxidant capacity, reduce lipid peroxidation damage, and alleviate chronic inflammation, thereby reducing the risk of fatal cardiovascular complications.

3. Ensure Adequate Milk Intake Daily

Milk's role in antioxidant defense may seem unassuming, but the high-quality protein, calcium, and potassium it provides are essential for heart metabolism. Calcium helps regulate blood pressure, whey protein improves insulin sensitivity, and potassium balances sodium's hypertensive effect. More importantly, combining dairy with plant-based foods helps stabilize metabolic regulation.

4. Increase Whole Grain Intake

The core advantage of whole grains is their abundant dietary fiber. The fiber and plant polyphenols in whole grains work together to regulate inflammation and oxidative balance, blocking the expression of pro-inflammatory genes. This stabilizes blood sugar and protects blood vessels at a metabolic level. They synergize with fresh fruits and vegetables for a combined anti-inflammatory effect, continuously improving the long-term health of diabetics.

8 Golden Rules of Longevity Diet – Achievable for Everyone

How exactly does one follow the "Fruit-Veg-Milk-Soy Rich" diet? Experts summarize the following 8 daily principles that anyone can easily adopt:

1. Eat 200-350g of fresh fruit daily: Choose low-GI fruits like apples, pears, blueberries, and strawberries, ideally eaten between meals.
2. Drink at least 300ml of dairy daily: Choose low-fat milk or unsweetened yogurt. Avoid sugary probiotic drinks.
3. Eat soybeans and soy products daily: Consume 15-25g of soybeans or an equivalent amount of soy products daily (e.g., soy milk, tofu, dried tofu). Alternate between them to replace some red meat as a protein source.
4. Eat over 500g of vegetables daily: Ensure half or more are dark-colored vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and carrots. The recommended eating order is vegetables first, then meat, then staple foods.
5. Replace half of refined white rice/white bread with whole grains: Brown rice, oats, corn, millet, etc., are more satiating and lower in calories.
6. Drink 1.5 liters of water daily: If you don't like plain water, add fresh lemon slices or mint leaves, or drink tea.
7. Use light cooking methods: Prefer steaming, boiling, and stewing. Limit total daily salt intake to under 6g, and sugar to under 25g.
8. Eat pickled vegetables sparingly: Limit consumption of salted vegetables, mustard greens, and pickled vegetables. If you must eat them, limit to once a week at most, and reduce other salt intake that day.

Sources: People's Daily Health Times, Nutrients

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