A study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Madrid revealed associations between childhood diet and type 1 diabetes risk.
Researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare followed 5,674 children (3,010 boys and 2,664 girls) with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D) from birth to age 6. Parents completed food records from when the children were 3 months old until they reached 6 years.
The study analyzed 34 food groups covering the entire diet simultaneously. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a child's entire diet has been considered at the same time," said Professor Suvi Virtanen, who led the research
By age 6, 94 children developed T1D, and 206 developed islet autoimmunity. Increased fruit, oat, and rye consumption correlated with higher T1D risk. Berry consumption (strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries, blackcurrants) was associated with a lower T1D risk. Oats, bananas, fermented dairy products, and wheat were linked to increased islet autoimmunity risk. Cruciferous vegetables were associated with decreased islet autoimmunity risk.
T1D incidence is increasing globally. Projections suggested a doubling of cases from 8.4 million in 2021 to 17.4 million by 2040. "Finland has the highest incidence of T1D globally, with 52.2 cases per 100,000 children under the age of 15 – more than five times higher than in the 1950s," noted researchers.
They hypothesized that berries' protective effects may be due to high polyphenol content, which could dampen inflammation associated with T1D development. Conversely, fruits may contain substances not found in berries, such as pesticides.
The study provided specific statistical details. For example, in the final multi-food model for T1D rye (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.07-1.50), oats (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.26), and fruits (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09) were associated with increased risk, while berries (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.93) were associated with decreased risk.
Professor Virtanen emphasized the need for further research, stating, "It is important to find out which factors in these foods are responsible for these associations. Are the same causative factors or protective factors found in several foods?"
"It is, however, too early to make any dietary recommendations," Professor Virtanen said. "Many foods of the foods that we found to be associated with increased risk of type 1 diabetes and the disease process are considered part of a healthy diet and it is important that our results are replicated in other studies before anyone considers making changes to their child's diet."
The authors declared having no competing interests.
