Nutrition as a risk factor for the carbohydrate metabolism disorders in ethnic groups of the Russian population: tatars, bashkirs, yakuts and chechens. A pilot study

Relevance. Excessive nutrition is considered one of the risk factors for the development of T2DM. In this regard, the question arises whether the nutritional characteristics of certain peoples can explain the differences in the prevalence of T2DM. Objective: To study the nutritional characteristics of four ethnic groups of the Russian population that differ in the prevalence of T2DM — Yakuts, Tatars, Bashkirs and Chechens — and to identify nutritional factors that may be associated with a higher prevalence of T2DM. Materials and methods: The pilot study included healthy individuals of four ethnic groups. Based on the developed questionnaire, the frequency of consumption (“daily”, “once a week or more”, “less than once a week”, “I do not consume”) of the main food groups was assessed: “meat products, including poultry” (meat), “fish and seafood”, “eggs”, “dairy products”, “bread and bakery products”, “pasta”, “porridge, cereals, rice”, “potatoes”, “vegetables”, “fruits”, “sweets, chocolate”, “confectionery”, “sweet carbonated drinks”. The results of the study as a whole indicate the “universality of the food basket”. At the same time, the obtained data indirectly indicate a more caloric diet, rich in animal products, among ethnic groups with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes — Yakuts and Tatars, while the diet of Chechens, the ethnic group with the lowest prevalence of type 2 diabetes, characterized by a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: The results of the pilot project made it possible to identify nutritional characteristics in the studied ethnic groups that may influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and should be take into account when developing measures to prevent carbohydrate metabolism disorders and obesity.