A study published in the journal Diabetes Care highlighted that vegetable intake other than potato could help lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes by helping lower body mass index (BMI). BMI is a value derived from the mass (weight) and height of a person. BMI is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height, and is expressed in units of kg/m2, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in meters.
54,793 people participated in the study and 7,695 cases of Type 2 Diabetes were recorded during a median follow-up of 16.3 years. Those whose diet included an average vegetable intake (other than potato) of 319 g per day had lower BMI and a 21 per cent lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes. People who diet included an average potato intake 256 g per day had a 9 per cent greater risk of onset of Type 2 Diabetes. The study determined that higher intake of green leafy and cruciferous vegetables was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
