Background: Diet and nutrition are strongly implicated in the etiology of type 2 diabetes. This study has investigated whether low vitamin C and β-carotene intakes were associated with glycemic control in diabetic patients.
Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis of diabetic adult patients participating in Fasa Cohort Study, a 24-h dietary recall was used to assess intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamin C and β-carotene. The associations between vitamin C and β-carotene intakes and glycemic control were determined in 3 groups of normal glucose tolerance, pre-diabetes mellitus, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the relationship between fasting blood glucose (FBS) and vitamin C and β-carotene intakes was
investigated.
Results: There were no differences between groups for intake of total vitamin C and β-carotene (p>0.05). An inverse relation was recognized between intake of total vitamin C and β-carotene and FBS (p<0.05). Conclusion: A negative association was observed between FBS and intake of vitamin C and β-carotene; however more experimental studies are needed to establish whether increase in intake of vitamin C and β-carotene can improve FBS level and prevent T2DM.