TY - JOUR
T1 - Higher intake of dietary dicarbonyl compounds is associated with lower incidence of type 2 diabetes
T2 - European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct case-cohort study
AU - Maasen, Kim
AU - Mayen, Ana-Lucia
AU - Hana, Claudia
AU - Knaze, Viktoria
AU - Van Greevenbroek, Marleen M. J.
AU - Eussen, Simone J. P. M.
AU - Debras, Charlotte
AU - Stehouwer, Coen D. A.
AU - Tjonneland, Anne
AU - Kyro, Cecilie
AU - Ibsen, Daniel B.
AU - Dah, Christina C.
AU - Mancini, Francesca
AU - Laouali, Nasser
AU - Hajji, Mariem
AU - Schulze, Matthias B.
AU - Bajracharya, Rashmita
AU - Katzke, Verena
AU - Masala, Giovanna
AU - Pasanisi, Fabrizio
AU - Milani, Lorenzo
AU - Pala, Valeria
AU - Mane, Marta Farras
AU - Moreno-Iribas, Conchi
AU - Rodriguez-Barranco, Miguel
AU - Yohar, Sandra Milena Colorado
AU - Mokoroa, Olatz
AU - Papier, Keren
AU - Weiderpass, Elisabete
AU - Freisling, Heinz
AU - Wareham, Nicholas J.
AU - Forouhi, Nita G.
AU - Christakoudi, Sofia
AU - Vangrieken, Philippe
AU - Jenab, Mazda
AU - Schalkwijk, Casper G.
PY - 2026/3/17
Y1 - 2026/3/17
N2 - Purpose Dicarbonyls are reactive precursors of advanced glycation end-products. They are formed during food processing, and endogenously in humans during glycolysis and lipid peroxidation. Higher plasma dicarbonyls, particularly methylglyoxal (MGO), promote insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, but the association between dietary dicarbonyls intake and type 2 diabetes is unknown. This study examined the associations between dietary dicarbonyls and type 2 diabetes incidence. Methods 11,995 incident type 2 diabetes cases and a sub-cohort of 15,797 controls from the prospective multi-center European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct cohort were included. Intakes of three major dicarbonyls MGO, glyoxal [GO], and 3-deoxyglucosone [3-DG] were estimated at baseline using dietary questionnaires. Type 2 diabetes risk according to dietary dicarbonyl intake was estimated by multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios from Prentice-weighted Cox-regression analyses. Results Higher intakes of MGO (sample-specific mean intake 3.4 +/- 1.3 mg/d) and 3-DG (13.8 +/- 10.5) were associated with lower incidence of type 2 diabetes (HR 0.92 [95% CI 0.90-0.95] for 1 SD higher MGO intake and 0.93 [0.90-0.95] for 1 SD higher 3-DG intake). No associations were observed for dietary GO. Conclusion Participants who consumed more dietary dicarbonyls MGO and 3-DG had a lower risk to develop type 2 diabetes. This protective association contrasts with the harmful effects on type 2 diabetes risk reported for endogenously formed dicarbonyls.
AB - Purpose Dicarbonyls are reactive precursors of advanced glycation end-products. They are formed during food processing, and endogenously in humans during glycolysis and lipid peroxidation. Higher plasma dicarbonyls, particularly methylglyoxal (MGO), promote insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, but the association between dietary dicarbonyls intake and type 2 diabetes is unknown. This study examined the associations between dietary dicarbonyls and type 2 diabetes incidence. Methods 11,995 incident type 2 diabetes cases and a sub-cohort of 15,797 controls from the prospective multi-center European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct cohort were included. Intakes of three major dicarbonyls MGO, glyoxal [GO], and 3-deoxyglucosone [3-DG] were estimated at baseline using dietary questionnaires. Type 2 diabetes risk according to dietary dicarbonyl intake was estimated by multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios from Prentice-weighted Cox-regression analyses. Results Higher intakes of MGO (sample-specific mean intake 3.4 +/- 1.3 mg/d) and 3-DG (13.8 +/- 10.5) were associated with lower incidence of type 2 diabetes (HR 0.92 [95% CI 0.90-0.95] for 1 SD higher MGO intake and 0.93 [0.90-0.95] for 1 SD higher 3-DG intake). No associations were observed for dietary GO. Conclusion Participants who consumed more dietary dicarbonyls MGO and 3-DG had a lower risk to develop type 2 diabetes. This protective association contrasts with the harmful effects on type 2 diabetes risk reported for endogenously formed dicarbonyls.
KW - Advanced glycation end products
KW - Dietary dicarbonyl compounds
KW - Food processing
KW - Glycation
KW - Methylglyoxal
KW - Type 2 diabetes
KW - METHYLGLYOXAL
KW - SENSITIVITY
KW - CONSUMPTION
KW - PROJECT
U2 - 10.1007/s00394-026-03904-0
DO - 10.1007/s00394-026-03904-0
M3 - Article
SN - 1436-6207
VL - 65
JO - European Journal of Nutrition
JF - European Journal of Nutrition
IS - 3
M1 - 98
ER -