Sun Newspaper
18 February 2017
Two slices of buttered toast a day can double the risk of diabetes, scientists warned yesterday.
The 12g of butter - less than half an ounce - is enough to make the risk soar, a huge new study found.
Unhealthy saturated fat was blamed by researchers who monitored 3,349 people.
Those who volunteered were all diagnosed as being at high risk of heart disease or a stroke but none had diabetes at the start of the study.
Within 4.5 years 266 of them had succumbed to the type 2 form of the disease.
But cases were far rarer among people on a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruit and veg, whole grain cereals and olive oil.
Twice as many got it among those who ate food high in animal fat, including butter.
The research in Spain, which involved experts from Hardvard University in the US, backed up previous studies showing it is also far healthier to spurn read meat.
Dr Marta Guasch-Ferre, one of the leaders of the study, said: “These findings emphasise the healthy benefits of a Mediterranean diet for preventing chronic diseases.”
She listed red and processed meat among the biggest danger foods.
Her advice to people was to consume fats from “vegetable sources such as olive oil and nuts”.
A traditional Mediterranean diet includes oily fish and poultry.
Pasta, fresh bread and legumes also feature highly.
Tomatoes and vegetables such as peppers, aubergines, olives, onions and lettuce benefit blood glucose levels.
Experts at Diabetes UK said previous large-scale studies had already shown that such diets can help protect against the type 2 form of the disease, which is the most common.
More than 400 people are diagnosed with it in the UK every day.
