ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Inflammation underlies a variety of chronic medical conditions, including diabetes. The anti-inflammatory diet, one that excludes foods that may stimulate inflammation and includes foods that reduce inflammation, may improve inflammatory biomarkers in people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty participants with diabetes or pre-diabetes were randomized (2:1) in a controlled feeding study that compared the anti-inflammatory diet (n=20) to a control diet (n=10) based on the American Diabetes Association recommendations. Diets were matched for protein, carbohydrate, fat, and fiber content as closely as possible. Participants were fed an isocaloric diet for 2 weeks, followed by continued ad libitum feeding in their dietary group assignment for an additional 4 weeks. All meals were prepared by the study team. OUTCOMES: Primary outcomes included inflammatory markers, including cytokines and hsCRP. Secondary outcomes included body weight and biomarkers for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. RESULTS: Both diets resulted in trends in reduced markers of inflammation, especially with weight loss. In addition, glucose, lipids, and triglycerides all trended downward, also non-significantly and equally in both groups. CONCLUSION: Dietary change can improve inflammation as well as other cardiometabolic risk factors. In this study, the anti-inflammatory diet did not affect markers of inflammation more than the control diet.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To test our hypothesis that lower intakes of previously identified cardioprotective nutrients would be associated with the coronary epidemic in Central and Eastern Europe. DESIGN: We conducted a survey of coronary mortality in 16 countries and diet in 19 countries. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Countries were placed in four groups with different cultural patterns (Central and Eastern Europe, including Russia; Western Europe and the United States; Mediterranean; and Asian). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Independent predictors of coronary mortality. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Means and standard deviations were calculated, and analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc tests and backward elimination regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Coronary mortality was highest in Central and Eastern Europe followed by Western Europe and the United States, the Mediterranean countries, and Asia (Japan). The model with folate, fiber, and n-6/n-3 fatty acids explained the majority of variation in coronary mortality (men 86%, women 90%). Most of the variation was explained by folate (men 61%, women 62%). The picture is complicated by the fact that folate, lutein/zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene were highly intercorrelated ( r =0.87 to 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: A diet low in foods containing folate and carotenoids (beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin) may be a major contributing factor to increased coronary risk observed in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.