An 8-week diet high in cereal fiber and coffee but free of red meat does not improve beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Background Higher dietary intake of fibers and coffee, but lower red meat intake is associated with reduced risk for type 2 diabetes in epidemiological studies. We hypothesized that a calorie-restricted diet, which is high in fiber and coffee, but free of red meat, improves beta-cell function in patients with T2D. Methods In a randomized parallel-group pilot trial, obese type 2 diabetes patients were randomly allocated to consume either a diet high in cereal fiber and coffee, but free of red meat (n = 17) (L-RISK) or a diet low in fiber, free of coffee but high in red meat (n = 20) (H-RISK) for 8 weeks. Insulin secretion was assessed from glucagon stimulation tests (GST) and mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTT) before and after dietary intervention. Results Both diets resulted in comparable reduction of fasting concentrations of insulin (H-RISK -28% vs. L-RISK -32%, both p < 0.01), C-peptide (H-RISK -26% vs. L-RISK -30%, both p < 0.01) and blood glucose (H-RISK -6.8%, p < 0.05 vs. L-RISK -10%, p < 0.01). Gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) secretion increased by 24% after 8 weeks in the L-RISK only (p < 0.01). However, GST and MMTT showed no differences in insulin secretion after intervention. Conclusions Calorie restriction independent of the intake of fiber, coffee or meat failed to improve beta-cell function, but improved GIP secretion in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Trial registration Registration at Clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier number: NCT01409330, Registered 4 August 2011 – Retrospectively registered.

Keywords

• Calorie restriction
• Coffee
• Dietary fiber
• Red meat
• Beta-cell function