Dietary Intakes of Branched-Chained Amino Acid and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Adults: The Harbin Cohort Study on Diet, Nutrition and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases Study

Objectives: To assess the association between branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) intakes and risk for type 2 diabetes. Methods: Dietary intakes were assessed in 1,804 people with type 2 diabetes and 7,020 controls with information on nutrient intakes, including BCAAs derived from Chinese food composition tables. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns (DPs) and multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of type 2 diabetes, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by quartiles of BCAAs were estimated using logistic regression with 2-sided p<0.05. Results: Multivariable-adjusted ORs and 95% CI were 1.00, 1.297 (1.087 to 1.548), 1.380 (1.153 to 1.652) and 1.561 (1.291 to 1.888), p<0.0001, across energy-adjusted quartiles of total BCAA intakes. We identified 6 DPs: wheaten foods; vegetables, fruit and milk; beverages and snacks; potatoes, soybean and egg; meat; and fish. Multivariable-adjusted ORs and 95% CI across quartiles of total BCAA intakes for people with type 2 diabetes within the 4th quartile of DPs were 1.00, 1.337 (0.940 to 1.903); 1.579 (1.065 to 2.343); 2.412 (1.474 to 3.947); P-for (trend)=0.001 for vegetables, fruit and milk, 1.00, 1.309 (0.930 to 1.842), 1.328 (0.888 to 1.985), 2.044 (1.179 to 3.544); P-for (trend)=0.028 for meat and 1.00, 1.043 (0.720 to 1.509), 1.497 (0.969 to 2.312), 1.896 (1.067 to 3.367); P-for (trend)=0.017 for fish. Conclusions: BCAA intakes and type 2 diabetes risk depend on the context of DPs, not exclusively on BCAA intake. (C) 2017 Canadian Diabetes Association.