Vegetarians are less likely to develop diabetes than non-vegetarians.

This study was carried out to determine the association between vegetarian dietary patterns and the incidence of diabetes. Using validated food frequency questionnaires, researchers collated and analyzed nutrition data obtained from 41,187 Black and non-Black subjects drawn from the Adventist Health Study-2 Cohort. The diabetes odds ratio of each participant in this study was also determined.

Researchers observed that vegetarians had lower odds of developing diabetes than non-vegetarians. Though a higher diabetes risk was found among Black subjects, the diabetic-protective effect of lacto-ovo, vegan, and semi-vegetarian diets was still strong enough to diminish diabetes risk significantly in both Blacks and non-Blacks in this study. The findings of this study support the growing body of evidence that vegetarian diets may contribute positively to the prevention of diabetes.