Effect of non-soy legume consumption on inflammation and serum adiponectin levels among first-degree relatives of patients with diabetes: A randomized, crossover study

Objective: First-degree relatives of patients with diabetes are at more risk for endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of a non-soy legume-enriched diet on inflammatory biomarkers and serum adiponectin levels among first-degree relatives of these patients. Methods: Twenty-six participants (14 women and 12 men) with a family history of diabetes were recruited to this randomized, crossover study. Participants were randomly assigned to a legume-enriched or a habitual diet for 6 wk that was separated by a 2-wk washout. The inflammatory markers-high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, and serum levels of adiponectin-were measured at the beginning and the end of each intervention period according to the standard protocol. Results: Energy intake of participants was not statistically different between the two diets (1821.5 +/- 100.11 versus 1788.2 +/- 92.68 kcal/d, respectively). After consumption of a legume diet, percent change of hs-CRP reduced significantly compared with consumption of a habitual diet (-4.86% +/- 1.86% versus 3.55% +/- 1.97%, P = 0.002) and among the women in the study (-12.96% 1.96% versus 3.24% +/- 2.65%, P = 0.004). The percent change of other inflammatory markers and serum concentrations of adiponectin were not significantly different between the two diet groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that a legume-enriched diet significantly reduced the hs-CRP concentrations in first-degree relatives of patients with diabetes after 6 wk of intervention compared with a habitual diet. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.