Eating Homemade Meals May Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

The trend of eating at restaurants or eating take-out has increased notably over the past 50 years. During that same time period, there has been a rise in incidences of type 2 diabetes. A recent study suggests that eating more homemade meals may lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

Participants in the study included approximately 58,000 women who took part in the Nurses’ Health Study and more than 41,000 men who took part in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The participants were followed for a total of 36 years, from 1986 to 2012. None of the participants had cardiovascular problems or type-2 diabetes at the onset of the study.

After examining the data, the researchers found that people who ate two homemade lunches or dinner per day — for a total of 11 to 14 meals per week — had a 13% lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes when compared with those who ate less than six homemade lunches or dinner per week.

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted the study. It was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015 held the week of November 7, 2015.

The trend towards consuming more meals outside of the home is having an impact on the nutritional quality of the American diet. Poor diet contributes to obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and osteoarthritis. The researchers in this study did specify the number of meals that should be eaten at home but did suggest that people try to prepare as many of their meals at home, using healthy ingredients.