The Chalmers University of Technology has developed a pioneering method, which has proved its potential during a large study. It showed that the metabolic fingerprints from blood samples could offer some very useful new knowledge. This revolves around the link between health and food.
This study shows that one’s daily diet is the #1 predictor of the risk for type II diabetes in older females.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy, as well as those from the Chalmers University of Technology, have discovered something interesting about several nutrients and diet biomarkers.
These nutrient and diet biomarkers are molecules that researchers can measure in one’s blood and connect them accordingly to diet. They connect to the risk of developing chronic conditions in the future.
The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a leading journal when it comes to nutrition research, published this large study. It involved 600 women the age of 64, from Gothenburg. Their diabetes diagnoses had been made at the start of this study.
And they carried out the same one 5 and a half years later. The results reported that diet is a very important factor indeed, concerning the risk of that chronic condition. For example, whole grains, fish, vegetable oils, and good status of vitamin E are all vital for protecting against the disease.
On the other hand, saturated fats, as well as red meat, have proven the opposite effect. Namely, they increased one’s risk of developing this disease.
Chalmers University of Technology’s lead doctor Otto Savolainen said that what counts is that they had been able to reach such conclusions, all without having any additional diet information from the subjects.
The Chalmers University of Technology was where they analyzed the blood samples. There, a unique metabolic fingerprint could be traced back to each of the patients. This was at the time when researchers had taken the sample, and it included many varied diet biomarkers.
By using such a method, for the very first time, it was possible to determine (objectively) the impact that these key dietary components have on one’s future risk of developing type II diabetes.
And not just this, but also to locate differences in the dietary patterns of women, either with or without the disease. Dr. Savolainen added that collecting information on one’s daily diet can be both time-consuming and complicated.
Furthermore, it is rather biased. After all, it depends on what participants remember or are willing to report. The great thing about dietary biomarkers is that they do not have this problem.
The Results Are Loud and Clear
Senior researcher, Professor Alastair Ross, strongly advises cutting back (or best of all, completely giving up on) saturated fat and red meat. Instead, one needs to turn towards whole grains and plant-based oils if one wishes to reduce their chances of developing this chronic illness.
He believes that they have done something like this for the first time. He was referring to the measurement of several biomarkers of nutrition and diet status, in a large group and at the same time.
Still, many have long known that one’s diet plan is closely connected to preventing or developing type 2 diabetes. Yet this recent research holds strong proof of the need for dietary guidelines. It further serves to underline the importance of having a balanced diet to improve one’s health.
Prof. Ross went on to conclude that such new methods like theirs will help them improve the way they measure diet. As well as understand in more detail how certain dietary patterns share a connection with disease.
Source:
URMC |
My News Desk