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. 2024 Apr 14;131(7):1259-1267.
doi: 10.1017/S0007114523002751. Epub 2023 Nov 28.

Association between seaweed intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study

Chaehyun Kim  1 , Kyong Park  1
Affiliations

Association between seaweed intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study

Chaehyun Kim et al. Br J Nutr. .

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the longitudinal association between seaweed and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Korean population. Data from 148 404 Korean adults aged 40 years and older without a history of T2DM, cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline were obtained from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study data. The participants' seaweed intake was obtained using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and the diagnosis of T2DM was surveyed through a self-reported questionnaire during follow-up. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for T2DM were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard regression, and the dose-response relationship was analysed using a restricted cubic spline regression. Participants had a mean follow-up period of 5 years. Participants with the highest seaweed intake had a 7 % lower risk of T2DM compared with the group with the lowest intake (95 % CI (0·87, 0·99)). Interestingly, this association was stronger in those with normal weight (HR: 0·88, 95 % CI (0·81, 0·95)), while no association was observed in participants with obesity. Spline regression revealed an inverse linear relationship between seaweed intake and T2DM risk in participants with normal weight, showing a trend where increased seaweed intake is related to lower instances of T2DM (Pfor nonlinearity = 0·48). Seaweed intake is inversely associated with the onset of T2DM in Korean adults with normal weight.

Keywords: Cohort; Korea; Obesity; Seaweed; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Effect of various demographic factors on the associations between seaweed intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI presented were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model, adjusted for all covariates listed in model 3 of Table 2. Additionally, for every individual subgroup, the reported outcomes are representative of the hazard ratio comparing quartile 4 to quartile 1. For physical activity, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet score and total energy intake, we divided into two groups based on median values.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Hazard ratios (95 % CI) for the non-linear relationship between seaweed intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus in participants with (a) normal weight and (b) obesity, evaluated using restricted cubic splines. The model was adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet score and total energy intake. Obesity was defined as having a BMI ≥25 kg/m2, according to the WHO obesity criteria for Asia-Pacific populations.
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