Certain Foods May Increase Risk for Developing Type 1 Diabetes in At-Risk Children

TUESDAY, Sept. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Higher consumption of oats, gluten-containing cereals, and fruits by young children is associated with an increased risk for several type 1 diabetes measures, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, held Sept. 9 to 13 in Madrid.

Suvi M. Virtanen, from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, and colleagues examined the associations of food groups and their combinations with islet autoimmunity (IA) and type 1 diabetes risk. The analysis included 5,674 children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes born from 1996 to 2004, with follow-up to 6 years of age.

The researchers found an increased risk for islet cell antibodies plus biochemical IA with consumption of oats (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09) and banana (HR, 1.07), while cruciferous vegetables (HR, 0.83) were associated with a decreased risk. Additionally, the model for multiple biochemical IA revealed direct associations of fermented dairy (HR, 1.42) and wheat (HR, 1.10). For type 1 diabetes, rye (HR, 1.27), oats (HR, 1.15), and fruits (HR, 1.05) were associated with an increased risk and berries (HR, 0.67) were associated with a decreased risk.

“The rapid increase in type 1 diabetes in children suggests that environmental factors play an important role in the development of the disease,” Virtanen said in a statement. “Identifying these factors will offer an opportunity to develop strategies to prevent it and its complications.”

Abstract

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