Eating more homemade meals may lower type 2 diabetes risk

Eating at home instead of in restaurants could reduce chances of developing diabetes, according to a new study.

The researchers found that those who ate homecooked lunches and dinners, which comprised about 11 to 14 of their total meals in a week, reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 13 percent compared to those who ate less than six homecooked lunches or dinners each week.

“We tried to analyze differences in the diet of these people and found, among other differences, that there was a slightly lower intake of suger-sweetened beverages when people had more homemade meals, which is another bridge linking homemade meals and diabetes in this study”, Zong said in a press release according to Health Day.

The study findings presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015, are based on data from 57,994 women and 41,679 men who had enrolled in two separate health studies and were followed for up to 26 years.

The findings were presented on Sunday, October 8, at the annual meeting of the American Heart’s Association, held in Orlando, Florida. “At the same time, Type 2 diabetes rates have also increased”. Excess weight and obesity are two major factors in the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Sodas, which are often laden with high amounts of sugar, is being strongly linked to obesity and its complications such as cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes by several other studies.

There is nothing like a home-cooked meal; but if you are concerned about your health, this seems to be the best way to eat any meal.

Geng Zong, Ph.D., a research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts stated that during the last five decades the United States has witnessed an increasing trend for eating ready meals, dining in restaurants or picking up food from take-out outlets. “Cooking at home overall makes sense for achieving current dietary recommendations and guidelines and more control of portions and calories, and in turn, controlling body weight over time”.

The study, however, does not list out a particular number of home cooked meals that people should consume on a weekly basis but researchers do assure that the more the better.

“The possibility is that food cooked at home in a less stressful environment can be even a more significant factor than the type of food”, he said.

He attests, too, “Keeping a balance between food intake and physical activity remains essential for maintaining body weight and health”.

“I endorse less work, ‘slow food, ‘ relaxation and conversation around the table and wine for healthier lives”, he added.