Sofrito and Fruit Consumption Associated with Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in an Urban Latin American Cohort

To evaluate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in an urban Ecuadorian population, with emphasis on the protective role of specific dietary components and body composition.

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 1373 adults aged 18-75 years. Adherence to the MedDiet was assessed using the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS-14), while T2D risk was estimated using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Scale (FINDRISC). Anthropometric and body composition parameters were measured using standardized procedures. Adjusted associations between exposure variables and T2D risk were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance, and prevalence ratios were calculated after controlling for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Most participants showed low adherence to the MedDiet (85.2%), which was significantly associated with higher T2D risk. Multivariate analysis of individual dietary components showed relevant associations. Regular consumption of sofrito was associated with lower T2D risk (PR = 0.817; 95% CI: 0.682-0.979; p = 0.028). Similarly, low fruit consumption was associated with a substantially higher T2D risk (PR = 1.350; 95% CI: 1.146-1.589; p = 0.001). In addition, higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were consistently related to greater T2D risk.

Greater adherence to the MedDiet, particularly consumption of key components such as sofrito and fruits, was associated with lower T2D risk. These findings highlight the importance of preventive lifestyle interventions adapted to the Latin American context.