Study: Gluten May Reduce the Risk of Diabetes

Gluten, specifically sources of carbohydrates such as cereal and grains, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study.

The study, which was presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometablic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions, examined the long-term health effects of gluten intake.
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The researchers conducted a 30-year observational study that included 69,276 participants involved in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), 88,610 involved in the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII), and 41,908 involved in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS).

Gluten intake was estimated using a validated food-frequency questionnaire collected every 2 to 4 years, and incident type 2 diabetes was defined by physician diagnosis and confirmed with supplementary information.

Over the course of the study, 15,947 cases of type 2 diabetes were confirmed.

The average gluten intake was 5.83±2.23 g/d in the NHS cohort, 6.77±2.50 g/d in the NHSII cohort, and 7.06±2.76 g/d in the HPFS cohort. These were strongly correlated with intakes of grains, starch, and cereal fiber.

After adjusting for multivariables, the researchers found an inverse association between gluten intake and the risk for developing type 2 diabetes in all 3 cohorts. Participants who consumed the most gluten had a 13% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with participants who consumed the least amount of gluten. In addition, these associations were slightly reduced after adjusting for cereal fiber but not other carbohydrate sources.

Changes in gluten intake were not significantly associated with weight gain in participants who did not have major chronic diseases and who were older than age 65 years.

“Our findings suggest that gluten intake may not exert significant adverse effects on the incidence of [type 2 diabetes] or excess weight gain,” the researchers concluded. “Limiting gluten from diet is thus unlikely to facilitate [type 2 diabetes] prevention and may lead to reduced consumption of cereal fiber or whole grains that help reduce diabetes risk.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Zong G, Lebwohl B, Hu F, et al. Associations of gluten intake with type 2 diabetes risk and weight gain in three large prospective cohort studies of US men and women. Presented at: American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometablic Health 2017; March 7-10, 2017; Portland, OR. http://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/4299/presentation/3048.