Eating more yogurt, low-fat dairy may reduce risk for type 2 diabetes
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Eating moderate amounts of dairy products could reduce one’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to a speaker at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting.
“Not all animal protein sources are related to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes,” Annalisa Giosuè, MD, a PhD student in the department of clinical medicine and surgery at the University of Naples, Italy, told Healio. “Besides vegetable sources of proteins like legumes and whole grains, moderate amounts of dairy products, fish and eggs should replace red and processed meat — which show a harmful relationship with type 2 diabetes risk — in most eating occasions. Also, a daily serving of yogurt or milk can contribute toward preventing type 2 diabetes.”
Giosuè and colleagues conducted an umbrella review of dose-response meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies. Meta-analyses were obtained from the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase databases. The RRs for type 2 diabetes reported in the primary studies included in the available meta-analyses were evaluated. Researchers graded the quality of evidence with a modified version of NutriGrade.
The review included 13 meta-analyses. The meta-analyses included summary RRs of total meat, red meat, white meat, processed meat, fish, total dairy, full-fat dairy, low-fat dairy, milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs and their associations with type 2 diabetes incidence.
People who eat 100 g total meat (RR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.13-1.27) or red meat (RR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.3) per day, or 50 g processed meat (RR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.22-1.39) or white meat (RR = 1.04; 95% CI, 1-1.8) daily had an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Conversely, consuming 200 g total dairy (RR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.98), low-fat dairy (RR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.93-1) or milk (RR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98), or 100 g yogurt (RR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.9-0.98) per day was associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes.
Consuming 200 g full-fat dairy, 30 g cheese, 100 g fish or one egg per day did not alter the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The quality of evidence for the full-fat diary and cheese associations with type 2 diabetes was scored between moderate and low, and the quality of evidence of the association between fish and eggs and type 2 diabetes was low.
“We did not find a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes associated with fish consumption, and this was quite surprising considering the beneficial role for chronic disease prevention generally ascribed to habitual fish intake,” Giosuè said.
Giosuè said the findings revealed a need for higher-quality observational prospective studies to improve upon some of the low-quality evidence found in the meta-analyses.
“It would be also extremely relevant to better explore the dose-response gradient of the relationship between animal foods like eggs, fish, cheese and full-fat dairy and the risk of type 2 diabetes in order to support precise and solid recommendations on their optimal intake,” Giosuè said. “Further studies should also shed light on open questions such as the role of different types of fish for diabetes prevention.”
Perspective
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Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FADCES
It’s vital to collaborate with people at risk for developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes to prevent disease development and improve health outcomes. Eating patterns and food choices — personal preferences, cultural influences — as well as food affordability and access often play a pivotal role in which foods a person is able to purchase and eat.
The information presented regarding the potential of consuming moderate amounts of dairy products to reduce risk for developing type 2 diabetes is based on dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The evidence was further reviewed with Nutrigrade, which is a scoring system to assess and judge the meta-evidence of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies in nutrition research.
Potentially, the outcome of this research may apply to certain people who are able and willing to swap in moderate amounts of dairy products as well as fish and eggs for processed meats to reduce type 2 diabetes risk. Many people do not tolerate dairy foods due to lactose intolerance, and therefore the suggestion of their inclusion may not be an option. The nutritional composition of processed meats is less than optimal, and therefore eating an alternative source of protein was found to be of benefit.
There needs to be more targeted research on dairy, fish (including the type of fish recommended) and egg consumption as it relates to more specific recommendations on the amounts of these foods to be consumed. Further research is needed focused on type 2 diabetes risk reduction as it relates to these dietary suggestions.
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Giosuè A, et al. OP 01. Presented at: European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting; Sept. 19-23, 2022; Stockholm (hybrid meeting).
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