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Flavonoid intake from fruit and vegetables during adolescence is prospectively associated with a favourable risk factor profile for type 2 diabetes in early adulthood

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Abstract

Purpose

Flavonoid consumption during adolescence could contribute to preventing adult onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated the prospective association between habitual intake of flavonoids from fruit and vegetables (FlavFV) during adolescence and risk markers of type 2 diabetes in early adulthood.

Methods

This analysis included participants of the DONALD Study, who had provided a fasting blood sample in adulthood (18–39 years), data on FlavFV-intake during adolescence (females: 9–15 years, males: 10–16 years) and relevant covariates. Habitual FlavFV-intake was either estimated using repeated 3-day weighed dietary records (n = 268), or the validated biomarker hippuric acid (uHA)-excretion in repeated 24-h urine samples (n = 241). Multivariable linear regressions were performed to analyse the prospective associations of FlavFV or uHA with homeostasis model assessment insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-%S), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), fatty liver index (FLI) and a pro-inflammatory score.

Results

Higher FlavFV-intake was independently related to higher HOMA2-%S among females (Ptrend = 0.03), but not among males. Both FlavFV-intake and uHA-excretion were inversely associated with HSI (Ptrend < 0.0001 and Ptrend = 0.02, respectively) and the pro-inflammatory score (Ptrend = 0.02 and Ptrend = 0.008, respectively), but not with FLI.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that flavonoid consumption from fruit and vegetables during adolescence is associated with a favourable risk factor profile for type 2 diabetes in early adulthood.

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Acknowledgements

The DONALD Study is supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This analysis used data which were obtained within projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection through the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (2810HS035), and the World Cancer Research Fund Netherlands (WCRF NL, 2013/975 and 2010/248). With respect to the co-authorships of C.H. and M.R. the following applies: The German Diabetes Center is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology of the State North Rhine-Westphalia. Their participation in this project was supported in part by a grant from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.).The authors thank the staff of the DONALD study for the data collection and editing as well as the laboratory measurement of urine samples. Also, they thank the staff of the laboratories of the German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf, and the Laboratory for Translational Hormone Analytics in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Giessen, for the conduct of blood analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DONALD Study Dortmund, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (IEL), Nutritional Epidemiology, University of Bonn, Heinstück 11, 44225, Dortmund, Germany

    Katharina J. Penczynski, Danika Krupp, Thomas Remer & Anette E. Buyken

  2. Institute of Nutrition, Consumption and Health, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Paderborn, Warburger Straße 100, 33098, Paderborn, Germany

    Katharina J. Penczynski & Anette E. Buyken

  3. Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Auf’m Hennekamp 65, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Christian Herder & Michael Roden

  4. German Center for Diabetes Research, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, München-Neuherberg, Germany

    Christian Herder & Michael Roden

  5. Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (IEL), Nutritional Epidemiology, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 11-13, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Johanna Rienks

  6. Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (IEL), Nutritional Physiology, University of Bonn, Nußallee 9, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Sarah Egert

  7. Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Laboratory for Translational Hormone Analytics, Peptide Hormone Research Unit, Center of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Feulgenstrasse 12, 35392, Gießen, Germany

    Stefan A. Wudy

  8. Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Michael Roden

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  1. Katharina J. Penczynski
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Correspondence to Anette E. Buyken.

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The DONALD Study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Bonn, Germany.

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All assessments in the DONALD Study were performed with parental written informed consent.

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Penczynski, K.J., Herder, C., Krupp, D. et al. Flavonoid intake from fruit and vegetables during adolescence is prospectively associated with a favourable risk factor profile for type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. Eur J Nutr 58, 1159–1172 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1631-3

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