Dietary biomarkers could provide link between diet and Type 2 Diabetes
Research teams from Chalmers University of Technology (Göteborg, Sweden) and Sahlgrenska Academy (Göteborg, Sweden), have demonstrated a strong association between dietary biomarkers, glucose tolerance status and the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).
Results, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, highlight the importance of diet as a risk factor for the development of T2D. Fish, whole grains, vegetable oils and good vitamin E levels were demonstrated to be protective against T2D, whilst red meat and saturated fat increased the risk of development.
Ten dietary biomarkers were measured from the plasma of 600 64 year-old Swedish women with different glucose tolerance statuses. Researchers then followed up these readings 5 years later to look for associations between dietary markers, glucose tolerance and the development of T2D at follow-up.
β-alanine (beef); alkylresorcinols C17 and C19 (whole grain wheat and rye); eicosapentaenoic acid (fish); 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (fish); linoleic acid, oleic acid and α-tocopherol (margarine and vegetable oil) were associated with glucose tolerance status. 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid and α-tocopherol were also inversely associated with T2D development.
“Collecting information about diet can be complicated and time consuming, and is always biased by what people remember and think they should report. Dietary biomarkers don’t have this problem, and highlight that dietary recommendations to avoid red meat and saturated fat and increase intake of plant-based oils and whole grains do seem to hold true, at least in this group of women,” explained Alastair Ross (Chalmers University of Technology).
Ross continued: “The new method has allowed us to measure several markers of diet and nutrient status at the same time in a large number of people, which we believe is the first time this has been done. New methods such as ours will help to improve how we measure diet and understand in more detail how dietary patterns relate to disease.”
These results provide strong support for current dietary guidelines and the team are confident that their research will be utilized to advise future preventative strategies, potentially with personalized plans and diets.
Sources: Savolainen O, Lind MV, Bergström G, Fagerburg B, Sandberg A-S, Ross A. Biomarkers of food intake and nutrient status are associated with glucose tolerance status and development of type 2 diabetes in older Swedish women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. doi:10.3945/ajcn.117.152850 (Epub ahead of print) (2017); www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170914152434.htm
