Researchers from around the globe analyzed findings from 102 randomized clinical trials, encompassing 4,660 participants, to see how different types of fat (saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated) and carbohydrates affect diabetes markers (including blood sugar, insulin production, and insulin sensitivity).  Polyunsaturated fats are found in fatty fish (salmon, trout, mackerel) and plant oils (soybean, sunflower, corn oil), while monounsaturated fats are found in olive and canola oil, and saturated fats are found in red meat and dairy products. The authors found that “substituting carbohydrate and saturated fat with a diet rich in unsaturated fat, particularly polyunsaturated fat, was beneficial for the regulation of blood sugar.” However, the authors did not test the effect of different types of carbohydrate sources (such as differentiating between whole grains, refined grains, or sugars).
PLOS Medicine. 2016 Jul 19;13(7):e1002087. (Imamura F et al.)

Healthy lifestyles and diets encompass not only the types and amounts of foods eaten, but also the way they are eaten, emphasizing mindfulness, community, culture, and the pleasures of the table. In this review, researchers analyze the existing studies evaluating mindful eating. Although mindful eating practices are typically used to help patients with disordered eating, the authors note that mindful eating could also be a strategy to help consumers move toward a more sustainable diet, by cultivating an awareness of the environmental impact of food choices. The researchers also note that a more standardized definition and assessment tool for mindful eating could help move the research forward.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016 Jul;116(7):1081-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.03.013. (Fung TT et al.)

Home-cooked meals are a hallmark of the old ways of eating, linked with countless social and economic benefits. To see if eating more home cooked meals is associated with lower rates of disease, researchers analyzed eating patterns and health data from nearly 100,000 adults in the Nurses Health Study for up to 36 years. They found that those eating 11-14 homemade lunches or dinners each week (so eating both a homemade lunch and a homemade dinner nearly every day) had a 13% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate less than six homemade lunches or dinners each week.
PLoS Medicine. 2016 Jul 5;13(7):e1002052. (Zong G et al.)

In the one of the most powerful studies to date regarding dietary fats and health, Harvard researchers analyzed the eating patterns of 126,00 adults for up to 32 years. They found that eating more unsaturated fat (the type of fat in olive oil, nuts, and seeds) was linked with lower mortality, but that eating more saturated and trans fats (the types of fats in butter, red meat, and highly processed snack foods) was linked with higher mortality. In fact, replacing just 5% of calories from saturated fat with the same amount of polyunsaturated fat (like salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts) or monounsaturated fat (like olive oil and avocados) was associated with a 27% and 13% lower risk of death from all causes, respectively.
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2016 Jul 5. (Wang DD et al.) [Epub ahead of print.]

In a meta analysis, Harvard scientists analyzed the whole grain intake and rates of death for 786,076 adults across 14 studies. Compared to people who ate the least whole grains, people who ate the most whole grains had a 16% lower risk of death from all causes, an 18% lower risk of death from heart disease, and a 12% lower risk of death from cancer. However, the significantly lower risk of cancer death was only seen in people who ate at least 30g whole grains per day (the amount in about ½ cup cooked brown rice, or 2 slices of 100% whole grain bread). The researchers also observed a dose response relationship, meaning the more whole grains someone ate, the less likely they were to die during the study period. According to the scientists, these results “strongly supported the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” which encourage at least 3 servings of whole grains per day (totaling at least 48g whole grains).
Circulation. 2016 Jun 14;133(24):2370-80. (Zong G et al.)

Plant-based diets show promise for a number of . Using more than 20 years of health and nutrition data, researchers scored the diets of more than 200,000 U.S. adults to see how closely they aligned with a plant based diet (mostly plant foods, minimal animal foods), a healthy plant based diet (emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes), or an unhealthy plant based diet (emphasizing refined grains, juice, and sweets). Plant-based diets were associated with a 20% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while healthy plant based diets indicated an even greater risk reduction (34%). On the other hand, unhealthy plant based diets were linked with a 16% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers note that “plant-based diets need not completely exclude animal foods,” as those with the highest healthy plant based diet scores averaged 4 servings of animal foods per day, compared to 5-6 servings per day in those with the lowest scores. 
PLoS Medicine. 2016 Jun 14;13(6):e1002039. (Satija A et al.)

Plant-based diets are linked with numerous health benefits, but you must take care to choose healthier plant foods close to nature, that haven’t been refined or include lots of added sugars. To investigate the importance of this point, Harvard researchers analyzed the eating habits of 195,727  adults across three large cohorts, and tracked their health records for decades. Eating a healthy plant based diet (with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, tea, and coffee) was linked with a 34% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while eating a less healthy plant based diet (with fruit juice, sugary drinks, refined grains, potatoes, and desserts) was linked with a 16% higher risk of diabetes.
PLoS Medicine. 2016 Jun 14;13(6):e1002039. (Satija A et al.)

Researchers in Europe and the US analyzed 45 studies (ranging from 245,012 to 705,253 participants each) in a meta analysis to understand the relationship between whole grains and health. Compared to people who ate the least whole grains, people who ate the most whole grains had a 16-21% lower risk of heart disease, an 11% lower risk of cancer, and an 18% lower risk of death from all causes, as well as a 19% lower risk of death from respiratory disease, a 36% lower risk of death from diabetes, a 20% lower risk of death from infectious disease, and a 21% lower risk of death from all non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes. The researchers also found that a 90g increase in whole grain foods per day (about 3 servings) was linked with a 19-22% lower risk of heart disease, a 15% lower risk of cancer, and a 17% lower risk of death from all causes, and that “even moderate increases in whole grain intake could reduce the risk of premature mortality.” Whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, total grains, total cereals, total bread, pasta, and bran, were also singled out for their relationship with lower rates of various diseases and/or early death. The researchers conclude that their findings “strongly support existing dietary recommendations to increase whole grain consumption in the general population.”
British Medical Journal. 2016 June 14;353. (Aune D et al.)

In a study of 307 Italian women with early breast cancer, who had undergone treatment and were in complete remission, researchers assigned 199 of the women to their normal diet, but with healthy advice from a dietitian, while the other 108 women were assigned to a Mediterranean diet (with lots of fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, and up to one glass of wine per day). After 3 years, breast cancer returned to 11 patients from the standard diet group, but none in the Mediterranean diet group relapsed. This indicates a statistically significant reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence for those following a Mediterranean diet.  
Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting. 2016 June 3-7;34(15):Suppl:e13039. (Biasini C et al).

Researchers analyzed 10 years of extensive health and nutrition data in a study of more than 1,600 Australian adults, to see how carbohydrate nutrition (Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, total carbs, sugars, and fiber) relates to successful aging. The researchers defined successful aging as absence of disability, depression, cognitive problems, respiratory problems, or chronic disease (like heart disease or cancer). Adults eating the most total fiber were significantly more likely to age successfully. Additionally, those eating the most cereal fiber (the type of fiber in whole grains) were 78% more likely to age successfully than those eating the least, and those eating the most fruit fiber were 64-81% more likely to age successfully. Those eating a higher Glycemic Index at the beginning of the study were more likely to die throughout the study, but neither Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, total carbohydrate, nor sugar intake were significantly associated with successful aging. 
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2016 Jun 1. pii: glw091. [Epub ahead of print] (Gopinath B et al.)

To see how lifestyle changes might affect cancer risk, Harvard researchers compared the incidence of cancer between those with a healthy lifestyle and those without, in a group of more than 135,000 adults. A healthy lifestyle was defined as not smoking or having quit at least 5 years prior, no or moderate alcohol (up to 1 drink per day for women, up to 2 drinks per day for men), having a BMI of 18.5-27.5, and getting at least 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, or 150 minutes of moderate activity. Only participants meeting all of these criteria were classified as the healthy lifestyle group. The researchers found that 20-40% of cancer cases and about half of all cancer deaths can be potentially prevented through lifestyle changes (not smoking, keeping a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, and not drinking too heavily).
JAMA Oncology. 2016 May 19. [Epub ahead of print] (Song M et al.)

The famous ‘French Paradox’ (a phenomenon in which the French remain relatively healthy, despite their affinity for seemingly indulgent foods, like cheese and bread) has been a somewhat elusive research topic, but scientists are eager to dig deeper. To learn more about how the French eat, researchers used national survey data from more than 2,600 adults to categorize French diets into the most common eating patterns. The most prevalent diet (representing nearly one quarter of the population) was the “small eater diet,” filled with a variety of different foods, but in small portions. Other commonalities among the French diets include an affinity for seafood (70% reported eating it in the past week), bread (94% for all breads, 35% for whole grain), vegetables (99%), fruit (85%), full fat traditional cheeses (89%), and alcohol (68%, typically wine). The French also reported eating fried food and sodas relatively infrequently, at only 29% and 32%, respectively.
British Journal of Nutrition. 2016 May 18;116(2):300-315 (Gazan R et al.)