The association of specific types of vegetables consumption with 10‐year type II diabetes risk: Findings from the ATTICA cohort study.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the association between vegetable consumption, in total as well as per type/category, and 10‐year type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) incidence. Methods: The ATTICA study was conducted during 2001–2012 in 3042 apparently healthy adults living in Athens area, Greece. A detailed biochemical, clinical, and lifestyle evaluation was performed; vegetable consumption (total, per type) was evaluated through a validated semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. After excluding those with no complete information of diabetes status or those lost at the 10‐year follow‐up, data from 1485 participants were used for the current analysis. Results: After adjusting for several participants' characteristics, including overall dietary habits, it was observed that participants consuming at least 4 servings/day of vegetables had a 0.42‐times lower risk of developing T2DM (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29–0.61); the benefits of consumption were greater in women (HR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.16–0.53) compared to men (HR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.34–0.92). Only 33% of the sample consumed vegetables 4 servings/day. The most significant associations were observed for allium vegetables in women and for red/orange/yellow vegetables, as well as for legumes in men. Conclusions: The intake of at least 4 servings/day of vegetables was associated with a considerably reduced risk of T2DM, independently of other dietary habits; underlying the need for further elaboration of current dietary recommendations at the population level. Highlights: Intake of ≥ 400 g day–1 of vegetables was associated with a reduced risk of T2DM In women, the most significant associations were observed for allium vegetables In men, the most significant associations were for red/orange/yellow vegetables Increment by 100 g day–1 was associated with a 14% lower risk in women Increment by 100 g day–1 was associated with a 5% lower risk in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]