By David Liu, Ph.D.

Aug 27, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study by Imperial College London researchers suggests that following a Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The study published in the July 25, 2011 issue of Diabetes Care found high adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with 12 percent reduced risk of diabetes Mellitus, compared with those who least adhered to the diet.

The association was based on data from a study population of 340,000 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Of the participants, 11,994 incidence type 2 diabetes mellitus were identified.

The study also found medium adherence to the Mediterranean diet was correlated with a 7 percent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with the low adherence.

However, the association was not significant among those aged younger than 50 years of age and obese participants.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition in which a person can produce insulin but can't efficiently use it to deal with blood sugar.  The condition can lead to severe complications if not adequately controlled.  

An estimated 20 million Americans live with type 2 diabetes mellitus.   There is no cure for the disease, but it can be controlled using diabetes drugs.

Many lifestyle parameters are known to affect the risk of the condition.