ABSTRACT
Type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a complex disorder characterized by the autoimmune destruction of the insulin producing β-cells of the pancreas. With the loss of insulin production, the transport of glucose into cells is impaired and hyperglycemia results. Over time, this can lead to microvascular and macrovascular complications. For many years, several dietary factors have been thought to trigger or suppress the autoimmune mechanisms, which result in T1DM. These include cow’s milk [1], the timing of cereal exposure to the immature gut [2], nitrates or nitrites [3], and vitamin D deficiency [4]. Also, population studies show a link between vegetables infested with Streptomyces and an increased incidence of T1DM [5]. Gastrointestinal immunologic mechanisms have been proposed as possibly causative in the autoimmune destruction of the β-cells of the pancreas. No conclusive data is yet available but population studies continue to perpetuate theoretical arguments for dietary causality in T1DM.
