AI Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to investigate the relationship between legume consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, given their recommended benefits in diabetic diets despite limited evidence for protection against the disease.
- During a follow-up of 4.3 years involving 3349 participants, it was found that higher intake of total legumes and specifically lentils was associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Substituting legumes for other protein or carbohydrate foods also correlated with lower diabetes incidence, suggesting that incorporating legumes into the diet could be beneficial for preventing the disease, particularly in older adults at high cardiovascular risk.
Article Abstract
Background & Aims: Legumes, a low-energy, nutrient-dense and low glycemic index food, have shown beneficial effects on glycemic control and adiposity. As such, legumes are widely recommended in diabetic diets, even though there is little evidence that their consumption protects against type 2 diabetes. Therefore the aim of the present study was to examine the associations between consumption of total legumes and specific subtypes, and type 2 diabetes risk. We also investigated the effect of theoretically substituting legumes for other protein- or carbohydrate-rich foods.
Methods: Prospective assessment of 3349 participants in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study without type 2 diabetes at baseline. Dietary information was assessed at baseline and yearly during follow-up. We used Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for type-2 diabetes incidence according to quartiles of cumulative average consumption of total legumes, lentils, chickpeas, dry beans and fresh peas.
Results: During a median follow-up of 4.3 years, 266 new cases of type 2 diabetes occurred. Individuals in the highest quartile of total legume and lentil consumption had a lower risk of diabetes than those in the lowest quartile (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.96; P-trend = 0.04; and HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.46-0.98; P-trend = 0.05, respectively). A borderline significant association was also observed for chickpeas consumption (HR 0.68; 95% CI: 0.46, 1.00; P-trend = 0.06). Substitutions of half a serving/day of legumes for similar servings of eggs, bread, rice or baked potato was associated with lower risk of diabetes incidence.
Conclusions: A frequent consumption of legumes, particularly lentils, in the context of a Mediterranean diet, may provide benefits on type 2 diabetes prevention in older adults at high cardiovascular risk.
Trial Registration: The trial is registered at http://www.controlled-trials.com (ISRCTN35739639). Registration date: 5th October 2005.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2017.03.015 | DOI Listing |
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