The Effects of Mediterranean Diet on Remission, Lipid Profile, Weight and Body Composition in Children and Adolescents With Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes

The Effects of Mediterranean Diet on Remission, Lipid Profile, Weight and Body Composition in Children and Adolescents With Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes

Nutritional therapy has a major role in diabetes care, achieving and maintaining metabolic control: normal glucose homeostasis, normal lipid profile, normal blood pressure and desirable weight. Controlled nutritional diet, as introduced by the professional committees aims at achieving better general health condition.

There is a growing body of evidence showing that Mediterranean diet has a major role in prevention of diabetes sequelae in type 2 diabetes patients. Hitherto, the effects of Mediterranean diet on patients with type 1 diabetes has not been studied, with the exception of one Italian study.

Six months after education to consume Mediterranean diet in a cohort of 96 children with type 1 diabetes the authors observed decreased fat and cholesterol consumption, increased dietary fiber consumption, lower LDL cholesterol levels and better HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio.

The proposed study is aimed to assess the impact of Mediterranean nutrition compared to the accepted nutritional guidelines, in newly diagnosed type 1 children and adolescents on lipid profile, metabolic control, C peptide, daily insulin dose, Inflammatory parameters, endothelial function and anthropometric parameters 12 months following diagnosis.

The study designed as a two parallel arms, randomized, single center, intervention study.

Patients enrolled to the study will be randomly assigned, to one of the following groups in a 1:1 ratio. Interventional Arm: Patients assigned to the interventional arm will receive nutritional instructions of Mediterranean diet and Control Group: Patients assigned to the interventional arm will receive regular nutritional instructions in accordance with the accepted nutritional guidelines

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parents/guardian are willing and able to sign an informed consent form
• Age 5-18 years
• Diagnosis with type 1 diabetes for up to 2 months prior to screening
• Peak C peptide > o.2 pmol/mL

Exclusion Criteria:

• The patient has any significant disease or conditions, including psychiatric disorders that in the opinion of the principal investigator might interfere with patient's compliance or ability to complete the study
• Any concomitant disease that might impact body composition, physical activity level and/or eating habits
• Active celiac disease, hashimoto thyroiditis or uncontrolled Graves' disease
• Down syndrome, Turner, inflammatory bowel disease
• Patients treated with antipsychotic drugs, steroids, or other drugs that might affect body weight and appetite.
• Patient who suffers from eating disorders
• Patients participating in other device or drug studies