ELSA-Brasil Study Links Polyphenols to 27% Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Updated
Updated · mindbodygreen · Jul 6
ELSA-Brasil Study Links Polyphenols to 27% Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
1 articles · Updated · mindbodygreen · Jul 6
Summary
8,781 diabetes-free adults followed for a median 7.6 years showed lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes with higher polyphenol intake, with risk reductions ranging from 13% to 27% across several polyphenol classes.
1,453 participants developed diabetes, and those consuming the most total polyphenols were 19% less likely to do so than those consuming the least; higher intake was also tied to smaller increases in insulin resistance over time.
Coffee supplied nearly 40% of total polyphenol intake in the Brazilian cohort, followed by red wine, yerba mate, orange juice and oranges, suggesting common foods—not supplements—drove the association.
The study found no significant link with fasting glucose or HbA1c, and because it was observational, it supports an association rather than proving polyphenols directly prevent diabetes.