Exercise as good as diet for preventing diabetes

Eating a healthy diet is usually seen as the best way to prevent type 2 diabetes, but researchers have discovered that exercise is just as effective at altering the body’s metabolism.

People who are physically active twice a week have a 30 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who never exercise, say researchers from the University of Eastern Finland.

Researchers tracked the health of more than 7,000 men for eight years. In all, the researchers measured 1,260 metabolites, of which 192 had a direct impact on the development of diabetes.

They were surprised to see that exercise improved metabolism in a way that is more commonly seen when people eat a healthy diet.

Metabolites, 2022; 1: 69