Regulation of Specific Dietary Patterns on Inflammatory and Oxidative Pathways in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

In the past few decades, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has developed into a health burden to the global population. Current evidence shows that hyperglycemia alone is insufficient to explain the development of diabetic complications. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress also play an important role in exacerbating insulin resistance and damaging target-organs. This review discusses the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in T2DM pathogenesis and the impacts of dietary patterns and components on those pathways, including the use of biomarkers in clinical dietary intervention studies. The pathogenic network of dysregulation of immunity in adipose tissue, intercellular communication mediated by small extracellular vesicles, the imbalance of the adipokine network, and impaired insulin signaling constitutes the pathogenic network driving the disease progression. Dietary intervention strategies, such as the Mediterranean diet, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibers, short-chain acids, oat β-glucan, L-arabinose, and polyphenols, work together in unique but complementary ways to regulate the network. At the same time, numerous clinical studies support the advantages of this network in managing glycemic levels, weight, and cardiovascular risks. Collectively, these findings provide the foundation for targeted dietary intervention and provide practical advice for individualized strategies tailoring specific inflammatory and oxidative profiles of T2DM patients.