OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of dietary patterns in prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review of databases which were published in ISI, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, PubMed, Iran Medex, and MagIran was performed. "Diabetes" and "dietary pattern" were used as the keywords.

RESULTS

A total of 58 studies which aimed to focus on diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, dietary pattern, and other related key words were reviewed. More than 47,447 articles were found and 46,709 entries of the extracted studies were excluded on the basis of the title and abstracts. The major dietary patterns were: "Healthy", "Western", "Traditional", "Prudent", "Unhealthy", "Mediterranean", "Modern", and "Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension" (DASH) diets. Comparison of the effects of different diets revealed that dietary patterns containing fiber-rich foods have a protective role in managing diabetes mellitus. "Healthy", "Mediterranean", "Prudent", and "DASH" dietary patterns were associated with lower risk of hyperglycemia.

CONCLUSIONS

The adherence to the Mediterranean, Prudent, or DASH diets could control hyperglycemia. The higher intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and lower intake of red meat could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.