Daily branch chained amino acid intakes and the risk of obesity among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus

Background Some studies have found that branched amino acid (BCAA) is associated with the risk of obesity among general population, however, not all the results were consistent. The present study aimed to investigate the association of daily BCAA intakes with the risk of postpartum overweight and abdominal obesity among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of 1263 women with prior GDM at 1–5 years post-delivery. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association of daily dietary intakes of BCAAs with the risk of overweight and abdominal obesity. Results The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) across quartiles of daily BCAA intakes were 1.42 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.97), 1.00 (reference), 1.21 (95% CI 0.88–1.68), and 1.31 (95% CI 0.95–1.81) for general overweight, and 1.38 (95% CI 0.99–1.90), 1.00, 1.19 (95% CI 0.86–1.64), and 1.43 (95% CI 1.04–1.98) for abdominal obesity, respectively. Only women with the lowest quartile of daily BCAA intakes significantly increased the risks of general overweight (OR 1.49; 95 %CI 1.06–2.09) and abdominal obesity (OR 1.50; 95 %CI 1.08–2.11) compared with women at quartile 2 of daily BCAA intakes after further adjustment of daily energy intake. Conclusions The present study indicated U-shaped associations between daily BCAA intakes and the risk of general overweight and abdominal obesity among women with prior GDM.