Diet of second-generation Japanese-American men with and without non-insulin-dependent diabetes

Abstract

Second-generation Japanese-American (Nisei) men have rates of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus four times higher than men in Japan, suggesting a role for environmental factors in the etiology of this disease. Dietary intake was assessed for 229 Nisei men with diabetes (DM, n = 78), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, n = 72), and normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 79). The diet of Nisei men with DM compared with men with IGT or NGT was similar in kilocalories but higher in fat and protein. Absence of diabetes was self-reported by 153 men (N-entry) of which 76 were confirmed to have NGT and 17 were discovered to have DM. Animal-protein and -fat intakes were significantly higher in N-entry DM men than in N-entry NGT men. Overall the Nisei diet, particularly that of Nisei men with DM, resembled more the diet of US men than men in Japan.