Dietary intake of 10- to 16-year-old children and adolescents in central and northern Europe and association with the incidence of type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
The highest incidence of type 1 diabetes is among 10- to 15-year-old adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible relationship between the dietary intake of this group and the incidence of type 1 diabetes.


METHODS
Dietary intake data of 10- to 16-year-old adolescents (n = 4,701) from 11 European countries and the incidence rates of type 1 diabetes were used to examine the relation between food and the disease.


RESULTS
The incidence of type 1 diabetes correlated with the consumption of total fat (r = 0.674; p = 0.023), saturated fatty acids (r = 0.714; p = 0.047) and the intake of fruits and vegetables (r = 0.786; p = 0.036). Fruit intake or vegetable intake alone did not correlate with the incidence. Cow's milk and animal product consumption correlated with the incidence when Icelandic data were excluded (r = 0.829; p = 0.042 and r = 0.999; p = 0.001). A negative correlation of borderline significance was found between sugar intake and the incidence of type 1 diabetes (r = -0.721; p = 0.068).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate for the first time that an adolescent's diet high in fat and fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. Fruit or vegetable intake separately was not associated with type 1 diabetes. It is important to characterize and minimize diabetogenic factors in fruits and vegetables as the general health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are well known and such a diet is therefore recommended. This study supports previous research about the importance of cow's milk and animal products in the aetiology of type 1 diabetes.
Thorsdottir
I
I
Unit for Nutrition Research, Department of Food Science, Landspitali-University Hospital, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland. ingathor@landspitali.is
Ramel
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D014675:Vegetables
D004041:Dietary Fats