People who eat foods known to increase inflammation are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study that used a food-based “Inflammatory index” derived from circulating concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers.
The study, say authors, is the first to use this kind of index, rather than specific diets or dietary patterns, to show that the greater the consumption of these foods, the higher the cardiovascular risk.
As described in the paper, the empirical dietary inflammatory pattern score has been studied previously and is based on changes in the levels of interleukin-6, TNF-alphaR2, and C-reactive protein elicited by 39 predefined food groups.
Greater intake of red meat, processed meat, organ meat, refined carbohydrates, and sweetened drinks, for example, increases inflammatory potential, while green leafy vegetables, dark yellow vegetables, whole grains, fruits, tea, coffee, and wine are all known to decrease inflammatory potential.
Speaking with TCTMD, Li explained that what makes the tool unique is the specific inflammatory score given to different foods that, for example, treats green leafy vegetables as distinct from other types of vegetables.
Li et al’s analysis derived EDIP scores from food frequency questionnaires collected for the Nurses’ Health Study 1 and 2, as well as the Health Professional’s Follow-up Study.
Inflammatory Index and CVD. After adjusting for use of anti-inflammatory medications and cardiovascular risk factors, including body mass index, a higher EDIP score was linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
People with the highest dietary inflammatory potential, by quintile, had an increased risk of CVD compared to the lowest quintile.
The study also highlights the types of foods with the lowest inflammatory potential as distinct from nutrient value, said Li. “So I think for individuals that are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, clinicians, from this study, can get some evidence to suggest they eat more anti-inflammatory foods and reduce their intake of proinflammatory food.”
Li’s paper is one of two in JACC this week exploring the role of inflammatory foods in CVD. A research letter by Montserrat Cofan, PhD, and colleagues reports that supplementing diet over a 2-year period with walnuts-known to have anti-inflammatory properties-significantly reduced concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers.