A South Asian Mediterranean-style diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and lower diabetes risk: The MASALA cohort

Sharan K. Rai; Steven L. Gortmaker; Frank B. Hu; Alka M. Kanaya; Namratha R. Kandula; Qi Sun; Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju

doi:10.1002/oby.23759

A South Asian Mediterranean-style diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and lower diabetes risk: The MASALA cohort

Sharan K. Rai, Steven L. Gortmaker, Frank B. Hu, Alka M. Kanaya, Namratha R. Kandula, Qi Sun, Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Medicine, General Medicine Division

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Objective: The Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risks for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease in certain populations, although data among diverse groups are limited. This study evaluated cross-sectional and prospective associations between a novel South Asian Mediterranean-style (SAM) diet and cardiometabolic risk among US South Asian individuals. Methods: The study included 891 participants at baseline in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Culturally relevant foods were grouped into nine categories to construct the SAM score. The study examined associations of this score with cardiometabolic risk factors and incident T2D. Results: At baseline, higher adherence to the SAM diet was associated with lower glycated hemoglobin (−0.43% ± 0.15% per 1-unit increase in SAM score; p = 0.004) and lower pericardial fat volume (−1.22 ± 0.55 cm³; p = 0.03), as well as a lower likelihood of obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.98) and fatty liver (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98). Over the follow-up (~5 years), 45 participants developed T2D; each 1-unit increase in SAM score was associated with a 25% lower odds of incident T2D (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59–0.95). Conclusions: A greater intake of a SAM diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and a lower likelihood of incident T2D.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1697-1706
Number of pages	10
Journal	Obesity
Volume	31
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23759
State	Published - Jun 2023

Funding

The authors thank the other investigators, the staff, and the participants of the MASALA study for their valuable contributions. The results of the current study were presented as a poster at the American Heart Association (AHA) EPI Lifestyle Scientific Sessions, May 20–21, 2021, held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project described was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants 5R01HL093009 and 2R01HL093009 and at the University of California, San Francisco site with grants UL1RR024131 and UL1TR001872. Sharan K. Rai was supported by a Doctoral Foreign Study Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The funding agencies had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Endocrinology
Nutrition and Dietetics
Medicine (miscellaneous)
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/oby.23759

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title = "A South Asian Mediterranean-style diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and lower diabetes risk: The MASALA cohort",

abstract = "Objective: The Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risks for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease in certain populations, although data among diverse groups are limited. This study evaluated cross-sectional and prospective associations between a novel South Asian Mediterranean-style (SAM) diet and cardiometabolic risk among US South Asian individuals. Methods: The study included 891 participants at baseline in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Culturally relevant foods were grouped into nine categories to construct the SAM score. The study examined associations of this score with cardiometabolic risk factors and incident T2D. Results: At baseline, higher adherence to the SAM diet was associated with lower glycated hemoglobin (−0.43% ± 0.15% per 1-unit increase in SAM score; p = 0.004) and lower pericardial fat volume (−1.22 ± 0.55 cm3; p = 0.03), as well as a lower likelihood of obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.98) and fatty liver (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98). Over the follow-up (~5 years), 45 participants developed T2D; each 1-unit increase in SAM score was associated with a 25% lower odds of incident T2D (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59–0.95). Conclusions: A greater intake of a SAM diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and a lower likelihood of incident T2D.",

author = "Rai, {Sharan K.} and Gortmaker, {Steven L.} and Hu, {Frank B.} and Kanaya, {Alka M.} and Kandula, {Namratha R.} and Qi Sun and Bhupathiraju, {Shilpa N.}",

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doi = "10.1002/oby.23759",

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AU - Rai, Sharan K.

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AU - Hu, Frank B.

AU - Kanaya, Alka M.

AU - Kandula, Namratha R.

AU - Sun, Qi

AU - Bhupathiraju, Shilpa N.

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N2 - Objective: The Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risks for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease in certain populations, although data among diverse groups are limited. This study evaluated cross-sectional and prospective associations between a novel South Asian Mediterranean-style (SAM) diet and cardiometabolic risk among US South Asian individuals. Methods: The study included 891 participants at baseline in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Culturally relevant foods were grouped into nine categories to construct the SAM score. The study examined associations of this score with cardiometabolic risk factors and incident T2D. Results: At baseline, higher adherence to the SAM diet was associated with lower glycated hemoglobin (−0.43% ± 0.15% per 1-unit increase in SAM score; p = 0.004) and lower pericardial fat volume (−1.22 ± 0.55 cm3; p = 0.03), as well as a lower likelihood of obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.98) and fatty liver (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98). Over the follow-up (~5 years), 45 participants developed T2D; each 1-unit increase in SAM score was associated with a 25% lower odds of incident T2D (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59–0.95). Conclusions: A greater intake of a SAM diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and a lower likelihood of incident T2D.

AB - Objective: The Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risks for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease in certain populations, although data among diverse groups are limited. This study evaluated cross-sectional and prospective associations between a novel South Asian Mediterranean-style (SAM) diet and cardiometabolic risk among US South Asian individuals. Methods: The study included 891 participants at baseline in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Culturally relevant foods were grouped into nine categories to construct the SAM score. The study examined associations of this score with cardiometabolic risk factors and incident T2D. Results: At baseline, higher adherence to the SAM diet was associated with lower glycated hemoglobin (−0.43% ± 0.15% per 1-unit increase in SAM score; p = 0.004) and lower pericardial fat volume (−1.22 ± 0.55 cm3; p = 0.03), as well as a lower likelihood of obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.98) and fatty liver (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98). Over the follow-up (~5 years), 45 participants developed T2D; each 1-unit increase in SAM score was associated with a 25% lower odds of incident T2D (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59–0.95). Conclusions: A greater intake of a SAM diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and a lower likelihood of incident T2D.

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A South Asian Mediterranean-style diet is associated with favorable adiposity measures and lower diabetes risk: The MASALA cohort

Abstract

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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