The association between intake of dietary lycopene and other carotenoids and gestational diabetes mellitus risk during mid-trimester: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to determine whether increased carotenoids intake was associated with reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort study. The dietary carotenoids intake of 1978 pregnant women was assessed using a researcher-administered FFQ before undertaking an oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were used to obtain the effect estimates. Participants in the highest quartile of lycopene intake showed a lower risk of GDM (OR 0.50; 95 % CI 0.29, 0.86; P-for (trend) = 0.007) compared with those in the lowest quartile; each 1 mg increase in lycopene consumption was associated with a 5 % (95 % CI 0.91, 0.99; P-for trend = 0.020) decrease in GDM risk. No significant association was found between alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin intake and GDM risk. Multiple linear regression analysis suggested an inverse association between lycopene intake and fasting blood glucose (FBG) (P-for (trend) < 0.001); each 1 mg increase in lycopene intake was associated with 0.005 (95 % CI 0.002, 0.007; P-for (trend) < 0.001) mmol/l decrease in FBG. Interaction analysis indicated consistent effect on each age or pre-BMI subgroup; however, a stronger protective effect of lycopene intake against GDM was observed among primigravid women (OR 0.20; 95 % CI 0.07, 0.55 in the highest v. the lowest quar til e of intake; P-for (interaction) = 0.036). In conclusion, dietary lycopene intake was mainly assumed via reducing FBG to decrease GDM risk, and the protection was relatively increased among primigravid women.