Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load and Their Association with C-Reactive Protein and Incident Type 2 Diabetes

Objective. To investigate whether the Glycemic Index (GI) or Glycemic Load (GL) of a diet is associated with C-reactive Protein (CRP) and risk of type 2 diabetes in a prospective study. Materials and Methods. Our analysis included 4,366 participants who did not have diabetes at baseline. During follow-up 456 diabetes cases were confirmed. Dietary GI and GL were derived from a food-frequency questionnaire and its association with CRP was examined cross-sectionally using linear regression models. The association of GI and GL with diabetes incidence was examined using Cox proportional hazard models. Results. GL, but not GI, was associated with lnCRP at baseline (bGL = 0.11 per 50 units; P = .01). When comparing the highest to the lowest tertile of GI with respect to diabetes incidence, a Relative Risk (RR) of 0.95 [95%CI 0.75, 1.21] was found after adjustment for lifestyle and nutritional factors. For GL the RR for diabetes incidence was 1.00 [95%CI 0.74, 1.36]. Additional adjustment for CRP did not change RRs. Conclusion. Since GI was not associated with CRP and risk of type 2 diabetes, it is unlikely that a high GI diet induces the previously shown positive association between CRP and risk of type 2 diabetes by increasing CRP concentrations

Development and short evaluation of the Dutch healthy diet index for pregnant women; DHD-P

IntroductionDiet quality indices provide a quick indicator of overall diet and are commonly used in research and surveillance. We developed a Dutch Healthy Diet for pregnant women (DHD-P) index, comprising 22 components aligned with the 2021 Dutch food-based dietary guidelines for pregnant women. Our evaluation focused on assessing its performance and sensitivity to change.MethodsThe DHD-P index was quantified by using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and two 24-h recalls at 12 and 24 weeks gestation completed by 24-to-41 year old pregnant women participating in the GLIMP-II study. Strength and direction of associations were evaluated based on de-attenuated correlation coefficients between FFQ and 24-h recall data at 24 weeks gestation (n = 47). Sensitivity to change was evaluated by comparing DHD-P index data assessed by both FFQ and recalls at 12 and 24 weeks gestation using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (n = 27).ResultsDe-attenuated correlation coefficients between FFQ and 24-recall data showed a good correlation for the total DHD-P score (rho = 0.57) and moderate to good correlations for component scores. FFQ as well as recall data showed comparable dietary intake at 12 and 24 weeks, suggesting minimal changes during pregnancy. Correlations over time were moderate-to-good for scores based on FFQ and low to moderate for scores based on 24hRs, indicating better reproducibility of scores based on FFQ data.ConclusionConsidering the moderate to good correlations, the DHD-P index appears to be an appropriate index to assess diet quality among pregnant women, and could serve as a foundation to provide dietary feedback toward healthier food choices. Studies including dietary data for all relevant food groups and nutrients are needed to substantiate our findings and further explore the DHD-P sensitivity to change

Women\u27s health: Optimal nutrition throughout the lifecycle

Sex differences are an important consideration when researching and establishing policies for nutrition and optimal health. For women\u27s health, there are important physiologic, neurologic, and hormonal distinctions throughout the lifecycle that impact nutritional needs. Distinct from those for men, these nutritional needs must be translated into appropriate nutrition policy that aims to not only avoid overt nutritional deficiency, but also to promote health and minimize risk for chronic disease. Through a series of webinars, scientific experts discussed the advances in the understanding of the unique nutritional needs, challenges and opportunities of the various life stages for women across the life course and identified emerging nutritional interventions that may be beneficial for women. Nevertheless, there is concern that existing nutrition policy intended for women\u27s health is falling short with examples of programs that are focused more on delivering calories than achieving optimal nutrition. To be locally effective, targeted nutrition needs to offer different proposals for different cultural, socio-economic, and geographic communities, and needs to be applicable at all stages of growth and development. There must be adequate access to nutritious foods, and the information to understand and implement proven nutritional opportunities. Experts provided recommendations for improvement of current entitlement programs that will address accessibility and other social and environmental issues to support women properly throughout the lifecycle

The Glycaemic Index-Food-Frequency Questionnaire: Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire designed to estimate the dietary intake of glycaemic index and glycaemic load:An effort by the PREVIEW Consortium

Dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) are indices used to quantify the effect of carbohydrate quality and quantity on postprandial glycaemia. GI/GL-health associations are widely studied but data on the validity of integrated GI/GL measurements are scarce. We evaluated the performance of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) specifically developed to assess GI/GL. In total, 263 Dutch men and 212 women (aged 55 ± 11 years) completed a 58-item GI-FFQ, an 183-item general-FFQ and a 2-day 24 h-recall and donated blood for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) determination. The level of agreement between these methods was evaluated by (1) cross-classification, (2) correlations and (3) Bland and Altman plots. The three dietary assessment methods provided comparable mean intake estimates for total carbohydrates (range: 214–237 g/day), mono/disaccharides (100–107 g/day), polysaccharides (114–132 g/day), as well as bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit, dairy, cakes/cookies and sweets. Mean (±SD) GI estimates were also comparable between the GI-FFQ (54 ± 3), general-FFQ (53 ± 4) and 24 h-recalls (53 ± 5). Mean (±SD) GI-FFQ GL (117 ± 37) was slightly lower than the general-FFQ GL (126 ± 38) and 24 h-recalls GL (127 ± 37). Classification of GI in quartiles was identical for the GI-FFQ and general-FFQ for 43% of the population (r = 0.58) and with 24 h-recalls for 35% of the population (de-attenuated r = 0.64). For GL, this was 48% (r = 0.65) and 44% (de-attenuated r = 0.74). Correlations between GI and HbA1c were low (r = −0.09 for GI-FFQ, r = −0.04 for general-FFQ and r = 0.07 for 24 h-recalls). In conclusion, compared to a general-FFQ and 24 h-recalls, the GI-FFQ showed a moderate to good relative validity for carbohydrates, carbohydrate-rich foods and GI/GL. No metric predicted HbA1c

Validity of absolute intake and nutrient density of protein, potassium, and sodium assessed by various dietary assessment methods:An exploratory study

It is suggested that nutrient densities are less affected by measurement errors than absolute intake estimates of dietary exposure. We compared the validity of absolute intakes and densities of protein (kJ from protein/total energy (kJ)), potassium, and sodium (potassium or sodium (in mg)/total energy (kJ)) assessed by different dietary assessment methods. For 69 Dutch subjects, two duplicate portions (DPs), five to fifteen 24-h dietary recalls (24 hRs, telephone-based and web-based) and two food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) were collected and compared to duplicate urinary biomarkers and one or two doubly labelled water measurements. Multivariate measurement error models were used to estimate validity coefficients (VCs) and attenuation factors (AFs). This research showed that group bias diminished for protein and sodium densities assessed by all methods as compared to the respective absolute intakes, but not for those of potassium. However, the VCs and AFs for the nutrient densities did not improve compared to absolute intakes for all four methods; except for the AF of sodium density (0.71) or the FFQ which was better than that of the absolute sodium intake (0.51). Thus, using nutrient densities rather than absolute intakes does not necessarily improve the performance of the DP, FFQ, or 24 hR.</p

Plasma Protein Profiling Reveals Protein Clusters Related to BMI and Insulin Levels in Middle-Aged Overweight Subjects

Biomarkers that allow detection of the onset of disease are of high interest since early detection would allow intervening with lifestyle and nutritional changes before the disease is manifested and pharmacological therapy is required. Our study aimed to improve the phenotypic characterization of overweight but apparently healthy subjects and to identify new candidate profiles for early biomarkers of obesity-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes

A Protein Diet Score, Including Plant and Animal Protein, Investigating the Association with HbA1c and eGFR-The PREVIEW Project

Higher-protein diets have been advocated for body-weight regulation for the past few decades. However, the potential health risks of these diets are still uncertain. We aimed to develop a protein score based on the quantity and source of protein, and to examine the association of the score with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Analyses were based on three population studies included in the PREVIEW project (PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle Intervention and population studies in Europe and around the World): NQplus, Lifelines, and the Young Finns Study. Cross-sectional data from food-frequency questionnaires (n = 76,777 subjects) were used to develop a protein score consisting of two components: 1) percentage of energy from total protein, and 2) plant to animal protein ratio. An inverse association between protein score and HbA1c (slope -0.02 +/- 0.01 mmol/mol, p <0.001) was seen in Lifelines. We found a positive association between the protein score and eGFR in Lifelines (slope 0.17 +/- 0.02 mL/min/1.73 m(2), p <0.0001). Protein scoring might be a useful tool to assess both the effect of quantity and source of protein on health parameters. Further studies are needed to validate this newly developed protein score.Peer reviewe

Maternal diet and human milk composition: an updated systematic review

CONTEXT: Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months after birth provides infants with the best start for life. A review by Bravi et al. summarized the importance of maternal diet as a determinant of human milk composition based on data up to 2015, but evidence on nutrient intake level was limited. OBJECTIVE: We updated the review by Bravi et al., critically assessed differences in study designs and sampling methods, and graphically visualized trends and associations. DATA SOURCES: PubMed was systematically searched for articles published between January 2015 and March 2021. DATA EXTRACTION: Article screening, selection, and data extraction was done by two independent researchers, including a risk of bias assessment based on 11 criteria. Articles were eligible when including: quantitative information, commonly used effect estimates, healthy mother-infant dyads. RESULTS: Twenty seven observational and five intervention studies were identified ( n  = 7,138) and combined with results of Bravi et al. Fatty acids were still the most studied human milk components in relation to maternal diet ( n  = 17 studies) with maternal fish intake being predominantly positively associated with milk ALA ( r  = 0.28-0.42), DHA ( r  = 0.24-0.46), and EPA ( r  = 0.25-0.28) content. PUFAs from diet were generally positively correlated with their concentrations in milk, while SFA intake was negatively associated with several fatty acids in milk. Studies on associations with maternal diet and milk carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals were limited in number and varied in methods and results. CONCLUSION: This updated review shows that evidence on the association between maternal diet and human milk fatty acids is rapidly increasing, but still diversified in methodology and results. Further studies, preferably intervention studies, assessing diet and milk carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals are needed to be able draw conclusions on the importance of maternal diet for human milk composition as a whole

Activating transcription factor 6 polymorphisms and haplotypes are associated with impaired glucose homeostasis and type 2 diabetes in dutch Caucasians

Context: Activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) is critical for initiation and full activation of the unfolded protein response. An association between genetic variation in ATF6 and type 2 diabetes (DM2) was recently reported in Pima Indians. Objectives: To investigate the broader significance of this association for DM2, replication studies in distinct ethic populations are required. We investigated ATF6 for its association with DM2 in Dutch Caucasians. Design/Setting: A genetic association study was conducted at an academic research laboratory. Study Participants: Two independent Dutch cohorts were studied. Cohort 1 (n = 154) was used to evaluate genetic variation in the ATF6 gene in relation to glucose homeostasis in the general population. Cohort 2 (n = 798) consisted of patients with DM2, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, and normoglycemic control subjects, and was used to investigate ATF6 polymorphisms for their contribution to disturbed glucose homeostasis and DM2. Main Outcome Measures: There were 16 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped in all subjects of both cohorts. Those single nucleotide polymorphisms included three nonsynonymous coding variants and captured all common allelic variation of ATF6. Results: Our data show that common ATF6 variants are associated with elevated glucose levels in the general population (cohort 1, P = 0.005-0.05). Furthermore, the majority of these variants, and haplotypes thereof, were significantly associated with impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and DM2 ( cohort 2, P = 0.006-0.05). Associated variants differ from those identified in Pima Indians. Conclusions: Our results strengthen the evidence that one or more variants in ATF6 are associated with disturbed glucose homeostasis and DM2