Cut Down Your Risk Of Diabetes Through A Healthy Diet And Lifestyle
Diabetes is widely considered to be one of the deadliest non-communicable diseases in existence. Although those who have it are often able to manage their symptoms and live their lives with some normalcy, it is nevertheless a majorly damaging health condition.
However, individuals can greatly reduce their risk of contracting this disease through a number of fairly easy practices. This was confirmed in a recent study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers found that healthy living - a sensible diet, regular exercise and total or near-total avoidance of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages - can lower type 2 diabetes risks in the average person by up to 80 percent.
A healthy diet has long been associated with a lessened risk of diabetes. Combined with regular physical activity and exercise, all of which help promote a body weight that's appropriate for a person's build and bone structure, the risk of developing diabetes, in any form, drops to anywhere from 60 to 70 percent. Additionally, a healthy diet on its own can reduce those risks by approximately 15 percent, even without bringing other recommended practices into your lifestyle.
The roles of tobacco product use and alcoholic beverage consumption in the potential development of diabetes in both its forms are also fairly well-established. Researchers recommend not smoking at all, as this lowers risks by about 20 percent, and drinking alcohol only in moderation, if at all.
The NIH study analyzed 114,996 men and 92,483 women from the ages of 50 to 71 over a 10-year period. Among those incorporating healthy lifestyle choices, diabetes risk dropped by 31 percent in men and 39 percent in women.
You don't need to be middle-aged to start living healthily. But even if you are broaching your early 50s, making the right choices in your lifestyle immediately can still reduce these risks.
