ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of diet constituents in affecting the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM, type 1) in susceptible individuals. There is much evidence to suggest that IDDM is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the insulin-secreting beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The relationship between food and health has been a subject of fascination since ancient times. Although many of the hazards associated with microbial or parasitic contamination of food have been reduced, some would argue they have been replaced by concerns regarding chemicals used during food cultivation, growth, processing, or storage and the individual or combined effects of naturally occurring nutrients and toxins. Breast-feeding has been examined by several investigators, but the existence of a relationship between breast-feeding prevalence and duration with protection from IDDM remains controversial.
