Comparative Study of Serum Leptin and Insulin Resistance Levels Between Korean Postmenopausal Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian Women.
- Author:
Mi Hyun KIM
1
;
Yun Jung BAE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Comparative Study ; Original Article
- Keywords: Vegetarians; Non-vegetarians; Insulin resistance; Leptin
- MeSH: Adipose Tissue; Blood Glucose; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Diet; Diet, Vegetarian; Female; Glucose; Homeostasis; Humans; Insulin Resistance*; Insulin*; Leptin*
- From:Clinical Nutrition Research 2015;4(3):175-181
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: The present study was conducted to compare serum leptin and insulin resistance levels between Korean postmenopausal long-term semi-vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Subjects of this study belonged to either a group of postmenopausal vegetarian women (n = 54), who maintained a semi-vegetarian diet for over 20 years or a group of non-vegetarian controls. Anthropometric characteristics, serum leptin, serum glucose, serum insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance), and nutrient intake were compared between the two groups. The vegetarians showed significantly lower body weight (p < 0.01), body mass index (p < 0.001), percentage (%) of body fat (p < 0.001), and serum levels of leptin (p < 0.05), glucose (p < 0.001), and insulin (p < 0.01), than the non-vegetarians. The HOMA-IR of the vegetarians was significantly lower than that of the non-vegetarians (p < 0.01) after adjustment for the % of body fat. A long-term vegetarian diet might be related to lower insulin resistance independent of the % of body fat in postmenopausal women.
