Study links bananas, oats and yogurt to greater risk of diabetes in susceptible children
Children who are prone to type 1 diabetes and eat bananas, oats and yogurt have a higher chance of getting the disease. Research has shown that eating strawberries and blueberries reduces the risk.
The study also identified wheat as a risk factor for the autoimmune form of diabetes, while vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage had a protective effect.
According to the professor who conducted the findings, the fact that some fruits contain traces of pesticides could explain why some fruits increase the risk of type 1 diabetes, while others reduce it.
Suvi Virtanen and colleagues from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare analyzed the diets of 5,674 Finnish children who were genetically susceptible to the disease, and followed them from birth to age six. Ninety-four of the children had developed type 1 diabetes by that age, and another 206 had developed islet autoimmunity, meaning they were at much higher risk of developing it.
The researchers analyzed 34 different food groups and found that the more fruits, such as bananas, oats or rye, children ate, the more likely they were to develop the disease.
That finding may surprise parents because, Virtanen added, “many of the foods that we found were associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and the disease process are considered part of a healthy diet.”
In contrast, eating strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and other berries seemed to protect children from the condition. The more they ate, the lower their risk.
“Berries are particularly rich in polyphenols, plant compounds that can reduce the inflammation associated with the development of type 1 diabetes.
“On the other hand, fruits can contain harmful substances that are not found in berries. For example, berries can be free of pesticides that are found in other fruits,” Virtanen says. She will present her findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Madrid.
She added: “It is important to find out what factors in these foods are responsible for these associations. For example, if it is found that berries contain a certain protective factor, then that substance or the berries themselves could be used to prevent T1D.”
But she believes it is premature to make dietary recommendations based on the findings about what babies and infants should eat.
The findings are inconsistent with Explanation from Diabetes UK for the causes of T1D. These remain unknown, it stressed. But it added that it “is not thought to be caused by what you eat or drink”.
“It is thought that type 1 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetics and other factors that are not yet fully understood. But we know no more than that. There is no evidence to suggest that lifestyle plays a role,” the charity said.
A separate study presented at the same conference found that night owls are nearly 50 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who go to bed earlier.
The findings from the Netherlands support evidence that people who stay up late tend to have poorer health and are at greater risk of developing diseases such as cancer, obesity and heart disease than those who do not.
However, it is unclear whether this is because many “night owls” drink more, smoke more often and have poorer diets than people who go to bed at a more usual time, or whether it is directly related to the disruption of their circadian rhythms and the fact that they do not sleep as much as doctors think is wise.