This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Healthy diet associated with meeting metabolic targets
Brazilian patients with type 2 diabetes who reported consuming a diet high in whole carbohydrates, dairy, white meat and fish were more likely to meet therapeutic targets for fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and LDL cholesterol vs. those who consumed more refined carbohydrates and processed foods, study data show.
In a cross-sectional study, Roberta Aguiar Sarmento, MD, of Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and colleagues analyzed data from 197 outpatients with type 2 diabetes not using insulin (63.5% women; 70.6% white; mean age, 63 years; mean diabetes duration, 10 years; mean BMI, 30.9 kg/m²). Participants completed a 98-item food frequency questionnaire assessing food intake for 12 months; data were converted into daily consumption amounts to estimate nutritional composition. Researchers performed cluster analyses based on food groups to derive two non-overlapping groups: patients with a “healthy” eating pattern characterized by whole carbohydrates, dairy, white meat, fish, fruits and vegetables (n = 97) and patients with an “unhealthy” pattern characterized by higher consumption of refined carbohydrates, processed foods and sweets (n = 100). Researchers used Poisson regression analysis to assess the associations between eating patterns and achieving therapeutic targets.
Patients who reported consuming a healthy diet were more likely to achieve a FPG level of 130 mg/dL or less (47.4% vs. 31.3%) and HbA1c 7% or less (33% vs. 17%) and LDL cholesterol 100 mg/dL or less (63.2% vs. 46.6%). There were no between-group differences for blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, HDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
In Poisson regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle factors, diabetes duration and energy intake, researchers found that HbA1c was associated with a healthy eating pattern (prevalence ratio = 2.09; 95% CI, 1.17-3.74) as was LDL cholesterol (prevalence ratio = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.01-1.86).
“Although our study has a cross-sectional design that allowed us to describe only possible associations, it is worthwhile observing that the healthy eating pattern identified in the current study presents similarities with the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which is an a priori eating pattern characterized by high consumption of vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, poultry, fish, and is low in sweets and desserts,” the researchers wrote. “In fact, the beneficial effect of this dietary pattern has already been demonstrated in short-term trials in patients with diabetes.”
The researchers noted that the recommendation of a healthy eating pattern, instead of prescribing “allowed or forbidden foods,” should be tested as a useful dietary strategy for patients with diabetes. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.