Previous studies have already shown the negative effects of fast food and meals in restaurants on health.
But a new study has revealed a link between eating out the increased risk of diabetes.
In a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, they discovered that cooking meals at home is healthier than dining at fast food chains or restaurants, Time reported.
According to the researchers, those who cooked and ate at least two meals a day at home had a 13 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those frequently dined out.
This is based on the data provided by the Nurses Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study that monitored the eating habits of 99,000 participants for over 30 years.
Lead researcher Geng Zong explained that the quality of food prepared at home generally is higher than those in restaurants. Unlike restaurant food, home-cooked meals are less exposed to preservatives and other ingredients that can affect one's health in the long run.
Also, when dining out, people are more tempted to order and consume sugary beverages, which of course, can increase their daily sugar intake. This could then lead to a weaker insulin resistance and the development of diabetes.
"We tried to analyze differences in the diet of these people and found, among other differences, that there was a slightly lower intake of suger-sweetened beverages when people had more homemade meals, which is another bridge linking homemade meals and diabetes in this study," Zong said in a press release according to Health Day.
For Zong and his team, their findings especially since the popularity of eating out or taking out food from restaurants and other establishments has grown within the last decades. The researchers also pointed out that as the number of people eating in restaurants increased, so did the number of Type 2 diabetes cases in the country, Eureka Alert has learned.
But, despite the findings of the study, Zong noted that follow-up studies must be conducted in order to identify how exactly homemade meals can further prevent the development of obesity and diabetes. He also mentioned that aside from home-cooked food, proper diet and exercise are still important factors in maintaining good health.
"Most important of all, even if meals prepared at home may have better diet quality, it does not mean people can eat without limits in amounts," he said. "Keeping a balance between food intake and physical activity remains essential for maintaining body weight and health."
