A new study conducted by researchers from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health indicates that the risk for type 2 diabetes can be significantly lowered by eating homemade meals (as opposed to eating out). One reason is that restaurant food is more likely to contain highly processed ingredients and unhealthy fats. Both of these factors are linked with obesity, which contributes to serious health issues such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. According to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Geng Dong, the trend of eating commercially prepared meals from take-out establishments and restaurants has significantly risen during the past 50 years.
The researchers determined that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 13% lower for those who ate at least 11 homemade lunches or dinners each week in comparison to those who only ate six homemade meals. The 11 meals correspond to an average of two homemade meals each day. The data was obtained from a study sample size of 99,000 people (58,000 women and 41,000 men) who were monitored over a 36 year span.
Image Source: Cultura RM Exclusive/BRETT STEVENS
Previous research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that people who eat home-cooked meals consume fewer calories, less fat, and less sugar than those who dined out. Home-cooked meals offer the security of knowing exactly what ingredients were used, the choice of using higher quality ingredients, and the flexibility of limiting unhealthy additives. Meanwhile, commercially prepared food and food from fast-food establishments is often highly processed and subsequently contains other unhealthy ingredients. Despite attempts to increase the transparency of nutritional information of food in restaurants and to have people consume fast food more conscientiously, commercially prepared food remains a less healthy option.
However, factors such as time and financial constraints can act as barriers to cooking more meals at home. Having 11 or more homemade meals during any given week may be difficult, but the data from the Johns Hopkins study also indicates that cooking at home for even just a couple of days each week can lead to an improved diet quality. The combination of eating more homemade meals and reducing the consumption of commercially prepared food can ultimately result in long-term health benefits.
Feature Image Source: Life-of-Pix
