2015年美國心髒學會(AHA)科學年會公布的一項研究表明，在家就餐次數較多可能減少罹患2型糖尿病風險。與在家就餐少於6次/周的人群相比，在家就餐兩次(午餐和晚餐)/天或11-14次/周的人群2型糖尿病風險降低13%。

研究者們分析了隨訪達36年的近58000名女性和超過41000名男性數據，這些受試者在入組時均無糖尿病、心血管疾病或癌症疾病。結果顯示，在外就餐，尤其是在快餐連鎖店就餐與兒童和青年人群的飲食質量較低以及體質指數較高有關。而在家就餐則與體重增加較少有關。研究者並未提出每周在家就餐應該達到幾次，但越多越好。

Eating more homemade meals may reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes

By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS

If you eat more meals prepared at home, you may reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015.

People who ate about two homemade lunches or dinners each day — or about 11 to 14 meals a week — had a 13 percent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to people who ate less than six homemade lunches or dinners a week. Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Researchers didn’t have enough information to include breakfast patterns. They analyzed data from nearly 58,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and more than 41,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and followed for up to 36 years (1986-2012).

None of the participants had diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer at the beginning of the study.

“The trend for eating commercially prepared meals in restaurants or as take-out in the United States has increased significantly over the last 50 years,” said Geng Zong, Ph.D., a research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. “At the same time, Type 2 diabetes rates have also increased.”

Accumulating studies have suggested that eating out, especially in fast food chain restaurants, is associated with lower diet quality and higher body weight in children and young adults. In the current study, the researchers demonstrated that eating homemade meals was associated with less weight gain over eight years in these middle-aged and older health professionals. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

While researchers don’t provide a specific number of homemade meals people should eat each week, Zong said “more could be better.”