Skip to main content

Lignans, Plant-Based Nutrients, Tied to Lower Diabetes Risk in Major US Study

Written by Andrew Le, MD

UpdatedSeptember 10, 2024

A groundbreaking study encompassing over two decades of data from US adults has found that consuming higher amounts of lignans, naturally occurring compounds in plant-based foods, may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). The comprehensive investigation utilized data from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracking the health and dietary habits of hundreds of thousands of participants for over 30 years.

Lignans are a type of phytoestrogen, which mimic the hormone estrogen in the body and are plentiful in Western diets. They can be found in foods such as flaxseeds, whole grains, and coffee. The researchers, led by Siyue Wang, PhD, and Qi Sun, MD, ScD, aimed to explore how this often-overlooked component of the diet might influence diabetes risk.

The study's design allowed for repeated updates on participants’ lignan intake every two to four years using food frequency questionnaires and diet records. Those studied were free of T2D, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at the study’s start. Over 5 million person-years, the results showed higher lignan intake was inversely related to T2D risk, except for one type of lignan, lariciresinol.

The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, are particularly significant for individuals with obesity and premenopausal women. In these groups, certain lignans may offer even stronger protective effects against T2D onset. Additionally, the researchers analyzed a small Men’s Lifestyle Validation Study and found a substantial correlation between lignan intake and various metabolic health markers.

For the general public, the message is that incorporating lignan-rich foods into one's diet could serve as an important strategy in preventing type 2 diabetes. As the researchers stress, further studies are needed to confirm and better understand how individual lignans may influence diabetes development.

For those interested in a deeper dive into this extensive study, the full text is available open access under the CC-BY License in JAMA Network Open with the title "Lignan Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Incidence Among US Men and Women" by Siyue Wang, PhD; Yang Hu, ScD; Binkai Liu, MS; Yanping Li, PhD; Molin Wang, PhD; Qi Sun, MD, ScD. It can be found at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.26367

This article was investigated and summarized to help spread understanding of how plant-based dietary components could contribute to diabetes risk reduction. The in-depth research by Sun, Wang, and colleagues exemplifies how dietary choices can impact long-term health outcomes.

Built with the help of https://www.buoyhealth.com, this summary offers a snapshot of a broad and detailed study examining the role of plant-based nutrients in public health.

References

Wang, S., Hu, Y., Liu, B., Li, Y., Wang, M., & Sun, Q. (2024). Lignan Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Incidence Among US Men and Women. JAMA Network Open, 7(8), Article e2426367. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.26367