High salad consumption in association with a reduction in the risk of diabetes mellitus

ABSTRACT

Few studies have investigated the role of fruit and vegetable consumption in the aetiology of NIDDM. This study was underaken to investigate the association between salad and fruit consumption and glucose intolerance. 1122 subjects aged 40-60 years in a population-based cross-sectional study underwent an oral glucose tolerance test between 1990 amd 1992. Diet was assesses using the "Health and Lifestyle Survey" food frequency questionnaire. The crude prevalence of underdiagnosed diabetes mellitus was 4.5 percent and IGT 16.8 percent. Abnormal glucose tolerance was positively associated with age, obesity, family history of diabetes, and socioeconomic groups. High consumption of salads in winter (OR = 0.29, 95 percent CI=0.09-0.95) and summer (OR=0.40, 95 percent CI=0.22-0.74) was inversely associated with the risk of having NIDDM. This association was maintained after adjustment for age, sex and family history. A non-significant inverse association between high comsumption of fruit and NIDDM (summer OR=0.55, 95 percent CI=0.29-1.06); winter OR=0.56 95 percent CI=0.31-1.01) was observed. Whether the association between high frequency of consumption of salads ad NIDDM represents a causal relationship or if salad comsumption is a marker of a "health lifestyle" remains to be elucidated. (AU)