New research suggests that not having diabetes is no excuse to consume an unhealthy diet and those without the disease should eat the same way diabetics do, according to a press release. The study, published in the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) journal Diabetologia, analyzed lifestyle factors and mortality rates of people with and without diabetes. As expected, the mortality rate for people with diabetes was 62 percent higher than those without. The researchers analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Within that group, the researchers formed a division of 6,384 people with diabetes and 258,911 without.

Among both types of participants - diabetic or not - the scientists studied the relationship of mortality rate and a number of factors including body-mass index, waist/height ratio, 26 food groups, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity and smoking. Also as expected, mortality rates were higher with intake of food products like butter or margarine. With fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pasta, poultry and vegetable oil, mortality rates were lower.

"It appears that the intake of some food groups is more beneficial (fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, pasta, poultry, vegetable oil) or more detrimental (soft drinks, butter, margarine, cake, cookies) with respect to mortality risk in people with diabetes," the authors wrote. "This may indicate that individuals with diabetes may benefit more from a healthy diet than people without diabetes. However, since the directions of association were generally the same, recommendations for a healthy diet should be similar for people with or without diabetes." Regardless of diabetes, mortality rates were lower with a healthier diet and vice versa. Lastly, the researchers found no difference in those with lifestyle choices like adiposity, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and smoking.

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