title: Taiwanese vegetarians and omnivores: dietary composition, prevalence of diabetes and IFG.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vegetarian diets have been shown to improve glucose metabolism and reduce risk for diabetes in Westerners but whether Chinese vegetarian diets have the same benefits is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the association between diet and diabetes/impaired fasting glucose (IFG) among 4384 Taiwanese Buddhist volunteers and identified diabetes/IFG cases from a comprehensive review of medical history and fasting plasma glucose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vegetarians had higher intakes of carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, magnesium, total and non-heme iron, folate, vitamin A, and lower intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, and vitamin B12. Besides avoiding meat and fish, vegetarians had higher intakes of soy products, vegetables, whole grains, but similar intakes of dairy and fruits, compared with omnivores. The crude prevalence of diabetes in vegetarians versus omnivores is 0.6% versus 2.3% in pre-menopausal women, 2.8% versus 10% in menopausal women, and 4.3% versus 8.1% in men. Polytomous logistic regression adjusting for age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, education, leisure time physical activity, smoking and alcohol, showed that this vegetarian diet was negatively associated with diabetes and IFG in men (OR for diabetes: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.89; OR for IFG: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46-0.95); in pre-menopausal women (OR for diabetes: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.06-1.21; OR for IFG: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.35-1.04); and in menopausal women (OR for diabetes: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.15-0.42; OR for IFG: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a strong protective association between Taiwanese vegetarian diet and diabetes/IFG, after controlling for various potential confounders and risk factors.
authors: Medical Mission, Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Tina H T
authors: TH
authors: Chiu
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Dalin, Chiayi County, Taiwan.
authors: Hui-Ya
authors: HY
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: Yen-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Chiu
authors: Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan ; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Wen-Harn
authors: WH
authors: Pan
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: Hui-Yi
authors: HY
authors: Kao
authors: Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: Jason P C
authors: JP
authors: Chiu
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Dalin, Chiayi County, Taiwan ; Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors: Ming-Nan
authors: MN
authors: Lin
authors: Medical Mission, Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan ; Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan ; Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors: Chin-Lon
authors: CL
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002016:Buddhism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose