New Harvard study shows peanuts and peanut butter reduce Type 2 diabetes risk

A major new Harvard School of Public Health study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that consuming plant protein, including peanuts and peanut butter, can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

It is the first long-term study to investigate the impact of animal versus plant protein intake on Type 2 diabetes risk. Results from 20 years of data in over 200,000 people showed:

• Participants who ate the highest levels of plant protein reduced their diabetes risk by 9%

• Alternatively, participants with the highest animal protein diets increased their risk of Type 2 diabetes by 13%

Peanuts, peanut butter and whole grains were the top 3 plant protein sources consumed by study participants and showed the same diabetes-reducing effects as all plant protein:

• Peanuts and peanut butter substituted in for animal protein, refined grains or potatoes resulted in 7-21% reduced diabetes risk.

• Substituting in peanut protein for processed meat resulted in the highest diabetes risk reduction.