The association between dairy intake in adolescents with inflammation and risk markers of type 2 diabetes during young adulthood – results of the DONALD study

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:sec id="S1368980024000624_as1"> <jats:title>OBJECTIVE:</jats:title> <jats:p>The aim of this analysis was to investigate whether habitual intake of total dairy (TD) or different dairy types (liquid, solid, fermented, not-fermented, low-fat, high-fat, low-sugar and high-sugar dairy) during adolescence is associated with biomarkers of low-grade inflammation as well as risk factors of type 2 diabetes in young adulthood.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1368980024000624_as2"> <jats:title>DESIGN:</jats:title> <jats:p>Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to investigate prospective associations between estimated TD intake as well as intake of different types of dairy and a pro-inflammatory score, based on hsCRP, IL-6, IL-18, leptin and adiponectin, and insulin resistance assessed as HOMA2-IR in an open cohort study.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1368980024000624_as3"> <jats:title>SETTING:</jats:title> <jats:p>Dortmund, Germany</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1368980024000624_as4"> <jats:title>PARTICIPANTS:</jats:title> <jats:p>Data from participants (n=375) of the DOrtmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) study were included, for whom at least two 3-day weighed dietary records during adolescence (median age: 11 years) and one blood sample in young adulthood (&gt;18 years) were available.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1368980024000624_as5"> <jats:title>RESULTS:</jats:title> <jats:p>There was no statistically significant association between TD intake or intake of any dairy type and the pro-inflammatory score (all p&gt;0.05). TD intake as well as each dairy type intake and insulin resistance also showed no association (all p&gt;0.05).</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1368980024000624_as6"> <jats:title>CONCLUSIONS:</jats:title> <jats:p>The habitual intake of dairy or individual types of dairy during adolescence does not seem to have a major impact on low-grade systemic inflammation and insulin resistance in the long term. There was no indication regarding a restriction of dairy intake for healthy children and adolescents in terms of diabetes risk reduction.</jats:p> </jats:sec>