CORRELATION BETWEEN INTAKE OF DIETARY PHYTOCHEMICALS AND CIRCULATING ADIPONECTIN LEVEL IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC NIGERIANS: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Regular consumption of dietary phytochemicals as part of dietary pattern has been suggested as a possible effective dietary strategy of modulating circulating adiponectin level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, findings from previous studies across different ethnic groups are inconsistent. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between intake of dietary phytochemicals and circulating level of adiponectin among a group of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a specialist hospital in north eastern Nigeria. Methods: Dietary intake assessment was done using a semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire and intake of dietary phytochemicals was calculated as dietary phytochemical index. The study subjects were categorized in to four quartiles according to their median intake of dietary phytochemicals. Fasting plasma glucose and adiponectin were measured among the study subjects. Analysis of variance and partial correlation analyses were used to determine the relationships between the study variables. Results: Higher circulating adiponectin level was observed among subjects with higher intake of dietary phytochemicals in the fourth quartile compared to the subjects with lower intake of dietary phytochemicals in the first quartile (9.8 ± 2.5µg/mL vs 8.2 ± 2.3µg/mL, p-value for trend < 0.05).There was a statistically significant positive correlation between intake of dietary phytochemicals and plasma level of adiponectin, among the study subjects, regardless of gender and independent of age and BMI and duration of diabetes mellitus (r = 0.20, p < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that among subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus in this study, consumption of a diet rich in phytochemicals has the potential to improve circulating adiponectin level. We recommend further interventional studies to establish the role of dietary phytochemicals in the optimization of the management of type 2 diabetes