Among 158,259 women and 36,525 men free of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline, the risk of type 2 diabetes was assessed in correlation with consumption of total and individual whole grain foods, using three prospective cohort studies. A 4,618,796 person years of follow-up revealed 18,629 participants with type 2 diabetes. In this study, higher intake of total whole grains and various commonly eaten whole grain foods, including whole grain breakfast cereal, oatmeal, dark bread, brown rice, added bran, and wheat germ, was shown to be significantly correlated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. In people who were lean, vs overweight or obese, a stronger link between higher total whole grain consumption and lower risk of type 2 diabetes was noted. Based on these data, current suggestions of increasing whole grain intake as component of a healthy diet for the prevention of type 2 diabetes was further supported.