High consumption of pulses is associated with lower risk of abnormal glucose metabolism in women in Mauritius

Abstract

Aims To investigate if consumption of pulses was associated with a reduced risk of developing abnormal glucose metabolism, increases in body weight and increases in waist circumference in a multi-ethnic cohort in Mauritius. Methods Population-based surveys were performed in Mauritius in 1992 and in 1998. Pulse consumption was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire in 1992 and outcomes were measured in 1998. At both time points, anthropometry was undertaken and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Results Mauritian women with the highest consumption of pulses (highest tertile) had a reduced risk of developing abnormal glucose metabolism [odds ratio 0.52; 95% CI 0.27, 0.99) compared with those with the lowest consumption, and also after multivariable adjustments. In women, a high consumption of pulses was associated with a smaller increase in BMI. Conclusions High consumption of pulses was associated with a reduced risk of abnormal glucose metabolism and a smaller increase in BMI in Mauritian women. Promotion of pulse consumption could be an important dietary intervention for the prevention of Type 2 diabetes and obesity in Mauritius and should be examined in other populations and in clinical trials.

Pulse Consumption and Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review

“…A borderline significant inverse association was observed with chickpea consumption, whereas no significant associations were found with dry beans. In a cohort study of 1421 men and women in Mauritius followed for a median of 6 years, high consumption of pulses among women (16.7 g/MJ vs. 3.93 g/MJ) was associated with a 48% lower risk of developing abnormal glucose metabolism and a smaller increase in BMI [34]. In an effort to combine original data from multiple cohorts, a federated meta-analysis included 729,998 participants from 27 prospective cohorts from diverse regions around the world [26].…”