Algae Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005

Abstract

SummaryThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between dietary algae (seaweed) consumption and the risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Korean population. We analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005, a nationally representative survey. The study participants included 3,405 males and females aged 20-65 y. Participants were classified into four groups according to the quartiles of total algae consumption frequencies. Proportional odds models were used to assess the relationship between algae consumption and the risk of having diabetes or prediabetes, after adjustment for age, family history of diabetes, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides, total energy intake and food group intakes. The frequency of algae consumption was positively correlated to the consumption of legumes, fruits, fish, and dairy products in both genders ( p Ͻ 0.001). The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for diabetes vs. prediabetes vs. normoglycemia was 0.66 (0.43-0.99) for males and 0.80 (0.51-1.24) for females in the highest quartile of algae consumption compared to the lowest quartile. Our results suggest that dietary algae consumption may decrease the risk of diabetes mellitus in Korean men. A welldesigned prospective study is needed to confirm this association.

External cross-validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis for the assessment of body composition in Korean adults

“…The adult men had significantly higher values of BMC and FFM. The BMI was comparable to the nationally representative data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005 [30] by age and sexes (23.7 ± 3.1 vs. 23.8 ± 4.2 in adult men and 23.1 ± 3.2 vs. 23.2 ± 4.3 in adult women from KNHNES and this study, respectively), showing that the population of this study was representative for body composition of Korean adults.…”

Seaweeds in Human Health

“…Seaweed consumption was related to a reduction in the increase of metabolic syndrome prevalence in women (Yeh et al, 2011). Nevertheless after adjusting for confounding variables, a trend toward a lower diabetes disease progression with high alga consumption was observed in males (p = 0.08) (Lee et al, 2010a). Seaweeds are considered as part of a healthy diet, especially in Eastern Asia (MacArtain et al, 2007).…”

Algae as nutritional and functional food sources: revisiting our understanding

“…Ulvans owe their bioactive properties to their unusual hydrophilic polyanionic features and structural analogies with animal glycosaminoglycan regulators (dermatan sulfate, heparin/heparin sulfates) and L-rhamnose specific lectins in humans. The reported bioactivities of ulvan extracts in vitro include antibacterial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-tumor, anti-hyperlipidemic, and immunoregulatory effects (Kaeffer et al 1999; Yu et al 2003; Mao et al 2006, 2008; Leiro et al 2007; Zhang et al 2008, 2010; Lee et al 2010; Holdt and Kraan 2011; Matloub et al 2013). …”