When it comes to reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes, a diet with healthy carbohydrates should be a key part of your nutrition playbook. In this review, researchers analyzed 67 studies related to food groups and risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mortality. A high intake of whole grains was linked with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, with similar (though no quite as strong) tendencies for fruit and vegetable intake. A high intake of red meat, processed meat, and/or sugar sweetened beverages were all linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. For other food groups, the risk of type 2 diabetes wasn’t statistically significant in either direction.
J Nutr. 2025 Mar 21:S0022-3166(25)00173-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.03.021. (Banjarnahor RL et al.)

It’s never too late to begin your journey to health. In a study of more than 1,000 adults in Europe, those closely or moderately following a Mediterranean diet at ages 40, 50, and 60 had a 26-28% lower risk of carotid plaque (fat in the arteries, which can eventually cause heart disease) at age 60.
Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2025 Mar 18:zwaf155. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf155. (Almevall AD et al.)

Diet and lifestyle can play a role in cancer prevention. In a study of 450,111 European adults in both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations, those most closely following a Mediterranean diet were 6% less likely to develop obesity related cancers (such as colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and 11 other cancers) 15 years later.
JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Feb 3;8(2):e2461031. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.61031. (Aguilera-Buenosvinos I et al.)

Is the Mediterranean Diet healthy in spite of the wine, or partly because of the wine? New research suggests the latter. In this study, 1,232 Spanish adults at risk of developing heart disease were followed to see how wine consumption relates to heart disease risk using urinary tartaric acid as a biomarker of wine intake. Compared with those who didn’t drink wine (as measured by <1 µg/mL of tartaric acid), those who lightly drank wine (as measured by 3–12 µg/mL of tartaric acid) or who drank up to 1 glass of wine per day (as measured by 12–35 µg/mL of tartaric acid) had a 38% and 50% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, respectively.
Eur Heart J. 2024 Dec 18:ehae804. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae804. Online ahead of print. (Inés Domínguez-López et al.)

Periodontitis, or gum disease, can put people at risk for heart and lung diseases down the road. Researchers analyzed the whole grain and refined grain intake of 7,753 adults in the US and measured which of those adults had gum disease. Those eating the most whole grains and those who had the greatest ratio of whole grains to refined grains had a lower risk of gum disease. Specifically, every one-ounce serving of whole grains was linked with an 11 percent lower risk of gum disease.
Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2024 Nov 4:1-11. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2024.2420265. Online ahead of print. (Guo S et al.)

Nutrition isn’t just about disease management – it may also help with disease prevention. In a study of 12,575 adults in China, those most closely following a Mediterranean diet were significantly less likely to develop diabetes over the nine-year study period. Specifically, each one-point increase on the nine-point Mediterranean diet score was linked with a 17 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. When looking at individual food groups, fruit, fish, and nuts were also significantly associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes.
Nutr J. 2024 Oct 23;23(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12937-024-01036-x. (Ying Z et al.)

Just because someone says they don’t like whole grains, doesn’t mean we should write off their interest immediately. In fact, changing the food environment by simply exposing these people to whole grains is enough to change their attitudes, a new study shows. In this study, researchers provided 45 healthy adults with either refined grain or whole grain products to take home for six weeks. Researchers measured how much of the provided grain foods were eaten, and they measured if people associated different types of grains with either an unpleasant or pleasant taste before and after the study using an implicit association computer test with measured response times. The whole grain group consumed just as much of their provided grains as the refined grains group, and individuals who considered whole grains as unpleasant tasting before the study were significantly more likely to change their tune and consider whole grains to be pleasant tasting after being provided with the whole grain foods.
Front Nutr. 2024 Sep 30:11:1408256. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1408256. eCollection 2024. (De Leon A et al.)

Poor diet can be a risk factor for certain types of liver diseases, so researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies to see how whole grain intake might relate to liver disease risk. Those eating the most whole grains had a 10% lower risk of developing any chronic liver disease than those eating the least. The results were especially pronounced for a certain subgroup of serious liver diseases. Eating whole grains was linked with a 35% lower risk of developing cirrhosis (a potentially fatal form of liver damage) and a 63% lower risk of chronic liver disease mortality.
Food Funct. 2024 Sep 30;15(19):9707-9717. doi: 10.1039/d4fo03077j. (Zhang Y et al.)

Because respiratory diseases like COVID-19 can be characterized by inflammation, researchers wonder if a naturally anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet might be related to COVID-19 risk. In a systematic review of 6 studies covering 55,489 people total, researchers found that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet is linked with a lower risk of COVID-19. However, more research is needed on the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and COVID-19 symptoms and severity.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 21;19(8):e0301564. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301564. eCollection 2024. (Halim C et al.)

Gestational diabetes, the type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, can lead to health complications for both the mother and her baby. In a review of 10 studies, researchers found that consuming a Mediterranean diet before or in early pregnancy is linked with a 36% lower risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Nutr Diabetes. 2024 Jul 23;14(1):55. doi: 10.1038/s41387-024-00313-2. (Nasab SJ et al.)

Self-reported nutrition questionnaires are the most commonly used tool in nutrition research, but blood biomarkers indicating consumption of certain foods are emerging as an intriguing way to measure people’s diets. In this study, 418 older adults in Bordeaux and 422 older adults in Dijon, none of whom had dementia, were followed for 12 years. Their diet was monitored using blood biomarkers indicating intake of common Mediterranean diet foods (for example, using oleic acid levels as a marker of olive oil intake). In the Dijon group, those most closely following a Mediterranean diet were 10 percent less likely to experience cognitive decline than those not following a Mediterranean diet. In the Dijon group, the results were comparable but not quite statistically significant.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2024 Jul;68(13):e2300271. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202300271. Epub 2023 Oct 24. (Tor-Roca A et al.)

Early-onset (diagnosed before age 50) colorectal cancer risk is thought to be influenced by diet and lifestyle factors, so researchers wanted to find out which foods might be involved with colorectal cancer risk. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, scientists found that a diet low in whole grains is one of the leading dietary risk factors for early onset colorectal cancer, ahead of diets high in red and processed meat and even diets low in fiber.
Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024 May 31:11:1384352. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1384352. eCollection 2024. (Su J et al.)