Title:

Association between Cruciferous Vegetable Intake and Glysosylated Hemoglobin Levels among United States Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Data from NHANES 2017 – Prepandemic 2020

Objectives: This study investigated the association between cruciferous vegetable (CV) intake and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels among U.S. adults ≥ 45 years old with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), examining whether higher CV consumption is associated with improved glycemic control. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Participants included adults ≥ 45 years old with T2DM (self-reported physician diagnosis and/or HbA1c ≥ 6.5%). CV intake was measured through two 24-hour dietary recalls (cup equivalents/day). HbA1c was measured via laboratory analysis using a Tosoh Glycohemoglobin Analyzer. Multiple linear regression models examined relationships between CV intake and HbA1c, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, hypertension (HTN) status, alcohol consumption, family history of diabetes mellitus (DM), antihyperglycemic medication use, and consumption of other vegetables. Results: The final analytic sample included 998 participants. The fully adjusted linear regression model was statistically significant (F (8, 989) = 9.689, p < 0.001) but explained a modest portion of variance (R2 = 0.073, adjusted R2 = 0.065). Log-transformed CV intake significantly predicted HbA1c levels (unstandardized β = -0.866, p = 0.008), indicating that doubling cruciferous vegetable intake would associate with approximately 0.6% decrease in HbA1c, which is clinically meaningful for glycemic control. Age, history of HTN, family history of DM, and alcohol consumption, were also significantly associated with HbA1c levels. Conclusions: Higher CV consumption is associated with lower HbA1c levels among adults ≥ 45 years with T2DM, suggesting potential benefits for glycemic control. These findings align with mechanistic studies showing isothiocyanates in CVs may improve insulin signaling pathways. While causality cannot be established, results support investigating cruciferous vegetables as dietary intervention to improve diabetes management in individuals with T2DM. Future research should examine whether specific cruciferous vegetables have differential effects and whether preparation methods impact their glycemic benefits. Randomized control trials could determine optimal intake levels for maximizing glycemic improvements while maintaining dietary adherence.

Name

Comment*

Comments are viewable only by submitter

Captcha*