Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Micronutrients play a crucial role in cellular protection against external aggressions, particularly combating oxidative stress and aging. The aim of our study was to determine the association between micronutrient intake and cellular protection in diabetic patients.

Methods: A descriptive study was performed on 115 type 2 diabetics. Each patient underwent a dietary survey to assess micronutrient intake. We used the Functional Food Questionnaire (FFQ) related to cellular protection and validated by the European Institute of Dietetics and Micronutrition (IEDM) to classify the patient’s dietary habits into favorable, less favorable, and unfavorable categories based on the obtained score.

Results: The median age of patients was 57.93±7.48 years. The majority of included patients were female (67.8%) with a sex ratio (female/male) of 2.1. For vitamins, a deficiency in vitamin D intake was the most observed among our patients (51.4%). Regarding minerals, a magnesium intake deficiency was the most frequent and encountered in 52.2% of patients. Favorable, less favorable, and unfavorable dietary habits were observed in 22.6%; 38.3%; and 39.1% of the patients, respectively, using the FFQ. In our study, we found positive and significant associations between the FFQ score relative to cellular protection and intake of vitamin A (P=0.033), vitamin C (P<0.001), and manganese (P=0.031). In multivariate analysis favorable habits were associated with vitamin C intake (P=0.002).

Conclusion: A well-balanced diet rich in antioxidants, especially in vitamin C, vitamin A, and manganese, enables the body to combat oxidative stress. A deficiency in micronutrient intake may clinically manifest through various functional signs such as skin disorders and infectious issues, potentially altering the quality of life of patients.