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Carbohydrates, glycemic index, and diabetes mellitus

The Mediterranean diet and risk of type 2 diabetes in Iranian population

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 73, pages 72–78 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is fast increasing in recent decades. Limited prospective studies are available on Mediterranean diet protective effect against T2D development. We assessed longitudinal association of the Mediterranean diet with T2D risk in Iranian men and women.

Subjects/methods

Diet was measured using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire in 2139 adults (free of T2D), aged 20−70 years. All individuals, based on the traditional Mediterranean diet score (MDS), received scores between 0 and 8 points. Multivariate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported for the association of T2D and the MDS, with adjustment of diabetes risk score (DRS) and dietary energy intakes.

Results

During follow-up, a total of 143 events occurred. Individuals who had higher intakes of fish/sea foods, legumes, nuts, and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) to saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ratio had a decreased risk of T2D. After adjustment for confounders, an inverse association was found between adherence to the MDS and T2D (HR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.27−0.83).

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated an inverse association between the Mediterranean diet score and incidence of T2D.

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate all the field investigators of the TLGS and participants of the cohort study for their valuable cooperation. We would like to thank Ms. Niloofar Shiva.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition and Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Sajjad Khalili-Moghadam & Zahra Bahadoran

  2. Department of Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Parvin Mirmiran

  3. Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Fereidoun Azizi

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  1. Sajjad Khalili-Moghadam
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Correspondence to Parvin Mirmiran.

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Khalili-Moghadam, S., Mirmiran, P., Bahadoran, Z. et al. The Mediterranean diet and risk of type 2 diabetes in Iranian population. Eur J Clin Nutr 73, 72–78 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0336-2

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