Resumen de Dietary factors associated with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes risk
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are important global health issues due to its high prevalence and its associated morbi-mortality.
Among the modifiable risk factors that have been associated with the risk of MetS and T2D, diet plays an important role in the prevention and management of both conditions. It has been shown that dietary patterns are differently associated with the risk of MetS and T2D. Whereas the Western diet seems to increase the risk of these chronic diseases, plant-based diets, such as the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet), seem to decrease the risk. In order to better understand the different effects on disease risk among dietary patterns, it is important to analyze the role that specific food groups play on the risk of developing MetS and T2D.
This doctoral thesis has been conducted in the frame of the PREDIMED study, a parallel, multicenter, randomized clinical trial conducted in Spain between 2003 and 2011 with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of the MedDiet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The main aim of the present dissertation was to evaluate the association between the consumption of meat and dairy products with the risk of MetS or the incidence of some of its individual components, as well as to assess the association between legumes consumption and T2D development risk.
The results showed a non-significant inverse association between total dairy consumption and the risk of MetS incidence. The consumption of low-fat dairy products, low-fat milk and yogurt (total, low-fat and whole-fat yogurt) was associated with a lower risk of MetS and some of its individual components. Contrary, the consumption of cheese was positively associated with the MetS risk. Likewise, total meat intake was also associated with the risk of MetS and the development of some of its components. The risk differed according to the type of meat consumed. Whereas red meat and processed red meat were associated with a higher risk of MetS, poultry was associated with a lower risk. When red meat and processed red meat were replaced with eggs, fish, poultry and legumes, a decreased risk of MetS was observed. Finally, total legume consumption, particularly lentils, was associated with a lower risk of T2D incidence. The substitution of legumes for eggs, bread, rice, and baked potato was also associated with a lower risk of T2D.
In conclusion, high consumption of low-fat dairy products and yogurt (regardless the fat content), together with the preference for poultry rather than red meat or processed red meat, and high frequency consumption of legumes, would be beneficial for the prevention of MetS and T2D among Mediterranean individuals at high CVD risk.
