Quinoa Improves Glycolipid Metabolism and Glucose Fluctuation Based on β-Cell Function in Early-stage Type 2 Diabetes

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore whether quinoa diet can improve glycolipid metabolism and glucose fluctuations in patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and observe its impact on islet β-cell function and insulin resistance in patients with early-stage T2DM (diagnosed according to the 1999 WHO criteria, disease duration <5 years, HbA1c 6.5%-10%, no history of insulin therapy, aged 20-70 years).

The main question it aims to answer is:

Can quinoa diet reduce blood glucose (fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin), improve lipid metabolism (cholesterol, triglycerides), and stabilize glucose fluctuations (time in range, time above range) in patients with early-stage T2DM? Does quinoa diet improve islet β-cell function (HOMA-β) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and reduce the need for oral hypoglycemic medications? Comparison group: Researchers will compare the quinoa diet (QD) group (replacing traditional starchy foods with quinoa products) vs. the regular diet (RD) group (conventional diet) to see if quinoa diet demonstrates better metabolic improvement and medication reduction effects.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to the QD group or RD group. Undergo oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) and continuous glucose monitoring (cGMS) at baseline and after the intervention.

The QD group will consume quinoa-based foods (noodles, blended powder, cookies) as substitutes for staple foods, beverages, and snacks for 14 weeks, documenting daily intake in a record book.

Both groups will receive standardized dietary and exercise education, with monthly follow-ups for food distribution and data collection.