Eat More Greens to Cut Diabetes Risk

August 23, 2010
Written by: Julie Bosche, Filed in: Corporate Wellness Programs

It seems that Popeye had a good point about spinach.

New research shows that eating more green, leafy vegetables may significantly decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

With the prevalence of obesity in the United States, type 2 diabetes is also on the rise.

While additional research is needed to expand upon the findings, what researchers have found so far is promising.

When they examined studies comparing the link between diet and diabetes, they found that people who ate the most green, leafy vegetables had a 14% lower chance of developing the disease than those who ate the least of these veggies.

If obesity is an issue in your workplace, type 2 diabetes may follow suit, bringing with it a variety of potential medical problems and costing you in health care and lost workdays.

Share this information with your staff members and advise them to increase their intake of spinach and its culinary brethren in order to decrease their risk for type 2 diabetes.

And while the study did not show a connection between decreased diabetes risk and a higher intake of other types of fruits and vegetables, it may be too early to assume the benefit applies only to leafy greens.

You might include the caveat that more research needs to be done, but because only good things tend to come from enjoying more of nature’s bounty, it won’t hurt to leave that part out.

How green are your employees’ diets?

Offer some tips on getting the most out of these nutritional powerhouses:

Try jazzing up your usual iceberg or romaine dinner salad with a blend of greens, including kale, spinach, and a variety of lettuces.

Make a green smoothie. It may sound strange, but many raw food fans and nutrition experts swear by them.

For convenience, make use of the bags of frozen prepared greens at your supermarket.

Include turnip greens, spinach, and mustard greens as a side in any meal for a boost of nutrition.