Implications for practice and research

• A Mediterranean diet resulted in fewer diabetes medications than a low-fat diet for up to 8 years, which could reduce healthcare costs.

• A diet higher in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fatty fish, low-fat dairy products, nuts and monounsaturated oils should be promoted in diabetes management.

Context

Type 2 diabetes is pandemic.1 Certain dietary patterns have been shown to exert a protective effect in the prevention of chronic diseases.2 Recently, dietary pattern research gained prominence over a single nutrient focus, because people usually consume …