Scientists have found 3 minor adjustments that reduce the risk of diabetes by 31 %

• Those who adhered to the Mediterranean diet, reduced the calorie sockets, who participated in a moderate practice, and received professional support for weight loss, had a 31 % lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who adhered to the Mediterranean diet alone.
• The results come from the plus, which is the largest clinical and lifestyle that took place in Europe.

A diet in the Mediterranean style may reduce, in conjunction with low calories, moderate physical activity, and professional support for weight loss, the risk of developing type 2 (T2D) diabetes by 31 %, according to a new study in which researchers at Harvard Chan College of Public Health participated.

The study was published on August 25, 2025, in Annals of internal medicine.

The co -author Frank Hu said, Frederick J. “With the highest evidence at a level, our study shows that modest and sustainable changes in diet and lifestyle can prevent millions of cases of this disease around the world.”

Previous research has linked the Mediterranean diet – which emphasizes a significant rise in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, and eating moderate dairy and lean proteins, and a little eating red meat – to improve health results, including the risk of a decrease in T2D through improved insulin sensitivity and lower inflammation.

A team of collaborators from the offered clinical experience, the largest random experience of nutrition and lifestyle in Europe, sought to understand how the benefits of the diet can be enhanced with additional healthy lifestyle changes.

The researchers, among 23 universities in Spain and Harvard Chan, divided 4,746 participants in an intervention group and a monitoring group and followed their health results for six years. The intervention group adhered to the Mediterranean diet; Calories reduced calories by about 600 calories a day; Participates in moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, strength and balance. And it receives professional support to combat weight loss. The control group adhered to the Mediterranean diet without restricting calories, exercise instructions, or professional support. Participants ranged between 55 to 75, who were overweight or obese, and they were metabolic syndrome, but they were basically free of T2D.

The study found that those in the intervention group had a 31 % lower risk than the T2D development compared to those in the control group. In addition, the average intervention group lost 3.3 kilograms and reduced the waist circumference by 3.6 cm, compared to 0.6 kg and 0.3 cm in the control group.

“From a practical point of view, adding calories and physical activity to the Mediterranean diet prevented about three out of every 100 people from diabetes-a clear and measurable advantage for public health,” said Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez at Harvard Chan University.

The study was funded by the European Research Council, the Spanish National Institute of Health, the Center for Biomedical Research Networks (CIBER), and the American National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1R01DK127601).