Carotenoid pattern intake and relation to metabolic status, risk and syndrome, and its components - divergent findings from the ORISCAV-LUX-2 survey.

Carotenoids are generally associated with health-beneficial effects; however, their intake patterns related to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components remain controversial. This cross-sectional study investigated associations between dietary intakes of individual carotenoids, fruits and vegetables, and the MetS and its components. Dietary intakes of 1346 participants of the Observation des Risques et de la Santé Cardio-Vasculaire au Luxembourg (ORISCAV-LUX-2) study were investigated by a 174-item FFQ, and carotenoid intake was determined by linking findings using mainly the USDA food databases. Components of MetS and complementary variables, including anthropometric (BMI, waist circumferences and waist:hip ratio) and biological parameters (TAG, HDL-cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure), were measured. Logistic (for MetS) and linear multivariable regression models (including assessing MetS as scores) adjusted for various confounders were created. α-and ß-Carotene, as well as lutein + zeaxanthin, were inversely associated with MetS (also when it was measured on a continuous scale), reducing the odds for MetS by up to 48 %. However, lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene were rather positively associated with MetS scores and its components, though these adverse effects disappeared, at least for lycopene, when controlling for intakes of tomato-based convenience foods, in line with indicating a rather unhealthy/westernised diet. All these associations remained significant when including fruits and vegetables as confounders, suggesting that carotenoids were related to MetS independently from effects within fruits and vegetables. Thus, a high intake of carotenoids was bidirectionally associated with MetS, its severity, risk and its components, depending on the type of carotenoid. Future investigations are warranted to explore the inverse role that tomato-based carotenoids appear to suggest in relation to the MetS.

Association between major dietary patterns and Parkinson's disease risk: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: There has been emerging attention to investigate the possible role of some dietary factors in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, evidence about the relationship between dietary components and the risk of PD is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the association between major dietary patterns and the risk of PD. METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 105 patients with newly diagnosed PD and 215 healthy controls. Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease was made based on the UK Brain Bank criteria. Usual dietary intakes were collected by a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were detected by principal component analysis. RESULTS: Four dietary patterns, including traditional, healthy, western, and light dietary patterns, were identified. After considering all potential confounders, individuals with the highest tertile of traditional dietary pattern scores had a lower risk of PD than those with the lowest tertile (OR: 0.002; 95% CI: 0.000-0.016). A similar inverse association between the healthy pattern (OR: 0.314; 95% CI: 0.131-0.750) and light pattern (OR: 0.282; 95% CI: 0.121-0.654) and risk of PD was revealed. In contrast, adherence to the western dietary pattern was associated with PD incidence (OR: 7.26; 95% CI: 2.76-19.09). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that adherence to western dietary pattern could increase the risk of PD by approximately seven times. However, the traditional, healthy, and light dietary patterns had an inverse relationship with PD risk.

Association between Levels of Trimethylamine N-Oxide and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. Reports on the effect of Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TAMO), a small amine oxide generated by gut microbial metabolism of choline, betaine, and carnitine, on cancer are inconsistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarize the effect of TAMO on cancer incidence. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. Data were pooled using the random-effects method and were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The pooled results of 16 studies, including 5930 participants, showed that the association between TMAO levels and cancer incidence is insignificant (Odds Ratio: 0.97, 95% CI: (0.64, 1.46), P-value = 0.871). Subgroup analysis showed that urinary TMAO levels were negatively associated with cancer incidence; in contrast, a direct and positive association was observed between serum TMAO levels and cancer incidence. However, "gender" and the "TMAO measuring method" were the potential sources of discrepancies. Meta-regression analysis did not reveal any significant association between duration of studies, age, female ratio, subjects-control, and subjects-case. The present study demonstrates that serum TAMO levels were insignificantly associated with cancer incidence.

Senescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in Wistar male rats receiving normal chow/high-calorie diets with/without vitamin D.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have a momentous function in the composition of the bone marrow microenvironment because of their many valuable properties and abilities, such as immunomodulation and hematopoiesis. The features and actions of MSCs are influenced by senescence, which may be affected by various factors such as nutritional/micronutrients status, e.g., vitamin D. This study aimed to examine the effects of a high-calorie diet (HCD) with/without vitamin D on BM-MSCs senescence. In the first phase, 48 middle-aged rats were fed a normal chow diet (NCD, n = 24) and an HCD (n = 24) for 26 weeks. Afterward, the rats in each group were randomly divided into three equal subgroups. Immediately, eight-rat from each diet group were sacrificed to assess the HCD effects on the first phase measurements. In the second phase, the remaining 4 groups of rats were fed either NCD or HCD with (6 IU/g) or without vitamin D (standard intake: 1 IU/g); in other words, in this phase, the animals were fed (a) NCD, (b) NCD plus vitamin D, (c) HCD, and (d) HCD plus vitamin D for 4 months. BM-MSCs were isolated and evaluated for P16INK4a, P38 MAPK, and Bmi-1 gene expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, SA-ß-gal activity, and cell cycle profile at the end of both phases. After 26 weeks (first phase), the ROS level, SA-ß-gal-positive cells, and cells in the G1 phase were significantly higher in HCD-fed rats than in NCD-fed ones (P < 0.05). HCD prescription did not significantly affect cells in the S and G2 phases (p > 0.05). Compared with the NCD-fed animals, P16INK4a and P38 MAPK gene expression were up-regulated in the HCD-fed animals; also, Bmi-1 gene expression was down-regulated (P < 0.05). BM-MSCs from vitamin D-treated rats (second phase) exhibited reduced mRNA levels of P16INK4a and P38 MAPK genes and increased Bmi-1 mRNA levels (all P < 0.05). Vitamin D prescription also declined the percentage of SA-ß-gal-positive cells, ROS levels, and the cells in the G1 phase and increased the cells in the S phase in both NCD and HCD-fed animals (P < 0.05). The reduction of the cells in the G2 phase in rats fed with an NCD plus vitamin D was statistically non-significant (P = 0.128) and significant in HCD plus vitamin D rats (P = 0.002). HCD accelerates BM-MSCs senescence, and vitamin D reduces BM-MSCs senescence biomarkers.

Association of diet quality indices with serum and metabolic biomarkers in participants of the ORISCAV-LUX-2 study.

PURPOSE: Diet quality is a critical modifiable factor related to health, including the risk of cardiometabolic complications. Rather than assessing the intake of individual food items, it is more meaningful to examine overall dietary patterns. This study investigated the adherence to common dietary indices and their association with serum/metabolic parameters of disease risk. METHODS: Dietary intakes of the general adult population (n = 1404, 25-79 years) were assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire (174 items). The French ANSES-Ciqual food composition database was used to compute nutrient intakes. Seven indicators were calculated to investigate participants' diet quality: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Score (DASH-S), Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I), Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI), and Naturally Nutrient-Rich Score (NNRS). Various serum/metabolic parameters were used in the validity and association analyses, including markers of inflammation, blood glucose, and blood lipid status. RESULTS: Following linear regression models adjusted for confounders, the DASH-S was significantly associated with most metabolic parameters (14, e.g., inversely with blood pressure, triglycerides, urinary sodium, uric acid, and positively with serum vitamin D), followed by the DQI-I (13, e.g., total cholesterol, apo-A/B, uric acid, and blood pressure) and the AHEI (11, e.g., apo-A, uric acid, serum vitamin D, diastolic blood pressure and vascular age). CONCLUSION: Food-group-based indices, including DASH-S, DQI-I, and AHEI, were good predictors for serum/metabolic parameters, while nutrient-based indices, such as the DAI or NNRS, were less related to biological markers and, thus, less suitable to reflect diet quality in a general population.

The association of dietary antioxidant index (DAI) with breast cancer among Iranian women.

Recent studies have reported that dietary antioxidants can influence the risk of breast cancer (BC). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of dietary antioxidant index (DAI) with BC among Iranian women. This case-control study was conducted on 180 women with breast cancer and 360 healthy women who were referred to the cancer clinic of Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital in Tehran, Iran. A 168-item validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intake. The DAI score was calculated based on the intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals derived from the FFQ. The control group had a significantly higher intake of vitamin D (1.79±1.56 vs. 1.05±0.84 µg/d; P=0.01) and lower intake of calorie (2315±1066 vs. 2737±925 kcal/d; P=0.01), carbohydrate (311±170 vs. 402±124 g/d; P=0.01), iron (15.4±12.1 vs. 19.7±6.4 mg/d; P=0.01), thiamine (1.5±0.7 vs. 2.3±0.9 mg/d; P=0.01), niacin (18.2±9.2 vs. 24.3±7.9 mg/d; P=0.01), folic acid (465±308.7 vs. 673±205.2 µg/d; P=0.01), and selenium (82.6±41.7 vs. 98.7±40.8 µg/d; P=0.01) compared to the case group. No significant association was found between DAI with breast cancer after adjustments for age. DAI had a negative association with breast cancer after additional adjustments for BMI, the number of pregnancies, duration of breastfeeding, menopause age, and total energy intake (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.90-.93, and all P<0.001). The present study identified a negative association between DAI and the risk of BC, indicating the importance of antioxidants in preventing BC. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to confirm this association.

Associations between the dietary inflammatory index with obesity and body fat in male adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and body composition may be affected by the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory components of diets. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and body fat percentage (BF%) in male adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 535 adolescent boys in Tehran, Iran. Bio-impedance analyzer (BIA) scale was used to measure body mass index (BMI) and body composition. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to measure DII. RESULTS: Participants with higher BF% (≥ 19.2%) had higher BMI (P < 0.001), DII, and intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), compared with the participants with lower BF%. Participants with a lower DII had significantly higher intakes of fibers (P < 0.001) and lower intakes of fats, SFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), oleic acid and linoleic acid (P < 0.05) compared with the participants with higher DII (P < 0.01). High BF% was positively associated to DII (OR = 1.6, CI 95%: 1.1-2.3, P = 0.019). Adjustments for age, BMI, physical activity, mothers' marital status and educational level and the number of siblings did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: Following a diet with a low inflammatory index score was associated to lower BF% in male adolescents. Thus, a diet rich in anti-inflammatory factors may effectively improve body composition and prevent obesity in adolescents. Further comprehensive studies are necessary to verify these findings and to identify the underlying mechanisms.

The role of dietary antioxidant index and index of nutritional quality in MS onset: finding from an Iranian population-based incident case-control study.

METHODS: This was a large population-based case-control study recruiting 547 incident cases and 1057 population controls between August 2013 and February 2015. DAI and INQ were calculated based on the adolescence dietary intake of the participants. Logistic regression was employed for estimating adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval in 2018. RESULTS: Participants with less than median DAI values had two-fold increased risk of MS onset (adjusted OR 2.05, 95% CI: 1.64-2.58, P < 0.001). A significant dose-response pattern for DAI (adjusted OR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.18-1.55, P for trend <0.001) was also detected. In the case of INQ, the strongest decreased risk were detected for vitamin D (OR = 0.09) and Zinc (OR = 0.34), followed by vitamin A (OR = 0.49), Calcium (OR = 0.49) and vitamin B6 (OR = 0.51) (All P-values < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering the inherent limitation of case-control designs, an appropriate intake of nutrient antioxidants may have a role in decreasing the likelihood of MS risk. Moreover, those with healthier diet assessed by index of nutritional quality were at decreased risk for MS.

The association between dietary inflammatory index, dietary antioxidant index, and mental health in adolescent girls: an analytical study.

BACKGROUND: Diet is considered as one of the modifiable factors that appears to exert a vital role in psychological status. In this way, we designed this study to examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII), dietary antioxidant index (DAI), and mental health in female adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 364 female adolescents selected from high schools in the five regions of Tabriz, Iran. A 3-day food record was used to extract the dietary data and calculate DII/DAI scores. DII and DAI were estimated to assess the odds of depression, anxiety, and stress based on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Adjusted relationships of the DII and DAI with depression, anxiety, and stress were determined using multiple regression after adjusting for age, energy intake, BMI, family income and mother and father education. Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI)-for-age > + 1 z-score relative to world health organization standards. RESULTS: Depression, anxiety, and stress were observed in 21.4%, 26.6%, and 25.7% of subjects, respectively. The percentage of overweight among adolescents was 19.4%. The association between DII and score of mental health profile was positive among subjects in the third tertile of DII compared to subjects in the first tertile. However, this association was not statistically significant after adjusting for confounding variables. Moreover, there was a significant inverse association between DAI and depression and anxiety; and a statistically insignificant association between DAI and stress after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted the importance of a healthy and anti-inflammatory diet on mental health in female adolescents. Therefore, modifying unhealthy dietary habits are likely to be effective in the management of psychosocial disorders.

The correlation between serum inflammatory, antioxidant, glucose handling biomarkers, and Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI) and the role of DAI in obesity/overweight causation: population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a multifactorial disease, and about 40% of world adults are overweight, and about 20% are obese. Diet is one of the most important factors in the causality of obesity. The interactions between the diet and gut microbiota or chronic inflammation pathways highlight the importance of its various aspects in the incidence and prevalence of obesity. At the same time, diet is a combination of several antioxidants that are needed together for the body's antioxidant system. The Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI) is a valid nutritional tool, and its correlation has been studied concerning total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde. The study aimed to examine the relationship between the DAI and the odds of obesity. We hypothesized that a higher DAI score indicating a predominantly antioxidant diet has a protective effect against odds of obesity. METHODS: In this population-based case-control study, 812 participants with a higher body mass index (BMI) than 25 were selected as the case group. Also, 793 participants with BMI in the range of 17.9-24.9 were selected as the control group. A valid and reliable 124-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intake. Based on FFQ data, we summed up the standardized intake of the major dietary antioxidants, including vitamin A, E, C, selenium, zinc, and manganese, to calculate DAI. RESULTS: In a multivariable adjusting model, there was a significant association between DAI (as a continuous variable) and BMI (odds ratio (OR) = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.92-0.99; P value = 0.02). Also, there was a significant association between DAI (as a categorized variable) and body surface area with multivariable adjusting model (OR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64-0.98; P value = 0.04). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the DAI can accurately predict some serum antioxidant and anti-inflammatory levels along with glucose handling markers.

Nutritional Factors Involved in the Etiology of Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Since treatment options for GC are limited, the best and most effective way is to try to reduce the incidences and understanding prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: The success in prevention strategies depends on understanding etiologic mechanisms. Our goal is to identify the major nutritional risk factors for GC, and we will examine the controversial evidence. DATA SOURCES: We used Pub Med, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, Elsevier, Springer, and MEDLINE databases for extracting articles. DATA EXTRACTION: Human studies published in English from 1997to2018 were included. Two reviewers other than authors initially assessed abstract of 742 papers and 248papers were selected for future assessments. After full review and consideration of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we used 85 articles. RESULTS: Dietary salt is a strong independent risk for GC whereas alcohol is most likely a risk only in the presence of heavy alcohol consumption. Red meat and high-fat diet increase the risk of developing GC but fresh fruits, vegetables and certain micronutrients like selenium and vitamin C are protective. CONCLUSION: Some nutrients such as selenium, vitamin C, folate, iron, and zinc are involved in the etiology of GC. On the other hand; salt, fats, alcohol, red meat, and pepper were reported to be risk factors for GC. Since the GC is a heterogeneous malignancy and multiple factors are involved in its genesis.

"Association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and risk of irritable bowel syndrome: a case-control study".

BACKGROUND: Pathophysiology of IBS is not well recognized; however, several studies have shown the possible relationship between diet and risk of IBS. We assessed the ability of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) to predict the risk of IBS. METHODS: The subjects were 155 IBS cases and 310 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (aged ≥18 years). The participants were recruited from June, 2019 to March, 2020. IBS was recognized using the Rome IV criteria. DII score was computed based on dietary intake using a 168-item FFQ. The DII score was calculated based on energy-adjusted amounts of nutrients using residual method. Logistic regression models were used to estimate multivariable odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: The mean DII score was significantly higher among IBS patients in comparison to healthy controls (0.78 ± 2.22 vs. - 0.39 ± 2.27). In crude model, increase in DII as continuous variable was associated with a significant increase in the risk of IBS (OR (95% CI): 1.26 (1.1-15.38)). Furthermore, the association remained significant even after adjusting for age and sex (OR (95% CI): 1.28 (1.1-17.41)) and after multivariate adjustment (OR (95% CI): 1.38 (1.2-1.56)). In crude, age and sex adjusted and multivariate-adjusted models subjects in fourth quartile of DII had higher OR in comparison to subjects in first quartile. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a possible positive association between a pro-inflammatory diet and the risk of IBS. Thus, encouraging intake of more anti-inflammatory dietary factors and reducing intake of pro-inflammatory factors may be a strategy for reducing risk of IBS.

The Impact of the Disease Trend on the Macro and Micro-Nutrients Intake in Patients with Gastric Cancer.

Background: Disease-related malnutrition, as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, is very common in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Malnutrition in cancer patients was reported to have important adverse effects, including a decreased response and tolerance to treatment, a decrease of performance, shorter survival, and lower quality of life. The treatment approaches involving chemotherapy is known to develop various acute and chronic symptoms that restrict eating and, thereby, exert a profound impact on nutritional status.Method: In this study, 82 patients with GC with an average age of 48.33 ± 10.74 were enrolled. Patients were followed up for 6 months without any nutritional intervention and/or education. A 168 item semi-quantities food frequency questioner was completed by a trained nutritionist at the beginning of the study and six months after the start of chemotherapy.Results: Intake of vitamin A (T0:585.52 ± 203.34 vs. T6:529.48 ± 138.91, t = 2.96), Thiamin (T0:2.09 ± 0.76 vs. T6:1.80 ± 0.72, t = 2.81), vitamin B6 (T0:2.03 ± 0.53 vs. T6:2.29 ± 0.73, t = 2.56), and vitamin B12 (T0:5.79 ± 3.96 vs. T6:4.48 ± 2.20, t = 2.43) significantly decreased after 6 months of receiving chemotherapy. On the other intake of beef (T0:17.79 ± 25.48 vs. T6:12.58 ± 16.66, t = 2.06), low-fat milk (T0:52.57 ± 69.80 vs. T6:29.18 ± 45.89, t = 2.95), cream (T0:2.42 ± 4.16 vs. T6:1.06 ± 1.68, t = 2.88), and raw vegetable (T0:6.54 ± 9.55 vs. T6:3.85 ± 5.23, t = 2.54) significantly decreased.Conclusion: Nutritional deterioration is an important part of the pathogenesis of cancer and its treatment that can occur at any point in the timeline of cancer diagnosis, treatment or support. Therefore nutritional counseling and supportive services are needed for cancer patients, especially when their disease is diagnosed.

The Vitamins Involved in One-Carbon Metabolisms are Associated with Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer in Overall and Subtypes.

Background: Some micronutrients like folate, vitamin B12, B6, and B2 are the source of coenzymes, which participate in one-carbon metabolism. Any disruption in this metabolism can interfere with DNA replication, repair and regulation of gene expression and ultimately promote the likelihood of carcinogenesis. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the intakes of micronutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism with breast cancer (BrCa) and its subtype's odds. Methods: Nutrients' intake from diet and supplements were collected through interviewing 151 cases and 154 controls by a 168-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between dietary and/or total intake of studied nutrients and odds of BrCa and its subtypes. Results: After adjusting the effects of confounding variables in the models, the odds of BrCa was significantly lower in the highest intake quartile compared with the lowest quartile for total intake of vitamin B2 (OR = 0.17, 95% CI, 0.07-0.39; Ptrend < 0.001), vitamin B6 (OR = 0.11, 95% CI, 0.05-0.27; Ptrend < 0.001), vitamin B12 (OR = 0.20, 95% CI, 0.09-0.43; Ptrend < 0.001) and folate (OR = 0.09, 95% CI, 0.04-0.21; Ptrend < 0.001). Also, those with the highest quartile of vitamin B6, B12, B2 and folate intake compared with the lowest quartile were less likely to develop estrogen receptor (ER)+ and progesterone receptor (PR)+ subtypes, ER- status, PR- and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ subtypes and HER2- status. Conclusion: High intakes of vitamins B2, B6 and folate are associated with reduced odds of BrCa in overall and all ER, PR and HER2 subtypes. Also, high intakes of vitamin B12 reduced the odds of all subtypes of BrCa except ER- subtype.

The Association between Dietary Patterns and Breast Cancer Pathobiological Factors Progesterone Receptor (PR) and Estrogen Receptors (ER): New Findings from Iranian Case-Control Study.

Background: Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among females and second cancer after lung cancer in many societies. Ignoring the phenotypes of the BrCa can affect the interpretation of the association between diet and BrCa. The aim of this study was to determine the association between dietary patterns and estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) status in women with BrCa. Methods: This study includes 150 cases of BrCa. Controls were 150 healthy adults, frequency matching based on age. The individual information, food frequency questionnaire, and physical activity were completed while interviews. Information about the pathologic factors obtained from patients' files. Factor analysis method used to determine the dietary patterns; logistic regression used to measure the odds ratios. Results: Getting upper median intake of unhealthy diet had a strong association with BrCa-positive ER and positive PR (OR: 4.98, 95% CI: 2.65-9.34 and OR: 4.99, 95% CI: 2.56-9.75, respectively) compared to under median intake of unhealthy diet. In addition, the protective effect of the healthy diet was stronger on BrCa-negative ER, negative PR (OR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04-0.34 and OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03-0.25, respectively). Conclusion: The protective effect of a healthy dietary pattern was stronger on BrCa negative ER and negative PR. The unhealthy dietary pattern had a strong association with BrCa positive ER and positive PR.

Inflammatory Potential of Diet: Association With Chemerin, Omentin, Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein, and Insulin Resistance in the Apparently Healthy Obese.

OBJECTIVE: Low-grade inflammation is a characteristic of various conditions, including obesity. Diet is regarded as a strong modifier of inflammation. The potential links between inflammatory properties of diet and adipokines as well as insulin resistance (IR) warrant further investigation. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) with serum chemerin, omentin, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) as well as IR among apparently healthy obese adults. DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, 171 abdominally obese subjects were recruited in the northwest of Iran. Demographic data, dietary intake, anthropometric indices, and physical activity (PA) were assessed. DII scores were calculated based on dietary intake, using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Basal blood samples were collected to determine the biochemical parameters. A linear regression test with adjusted beta estimates was applied for data analysis. RESULT: Compared to those with higher DII score, the group with lower DII score (anti-inflammatory diet) had higher protein (83.62 ± 36.42 g vs. 71.61 ± 25.94 g) and lower carbohydrate (325.00 ± 125.76 g vs. 378.19 ± 137.69 g) intake. Participants with higher DII score had lower consumption of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats as well as fiber and higher saturated fats (p < .001). Those with elevated DII score had higher levels of chemerin (p = .034) and LBP (p = .040), compared to those with lower DII. Omentin showed no significant differences between groups with different DII scores. Additionally, people with a more proinflammatory diet had higher FBS (p = .005); however, other markers of IR did not differ by DII scores. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that increased inflammatory potential of diet, as indicated by higher DII score, is associated with elevated levels of chemerin and LBP. While DII was positively associated with FBS, no significant correlation was found for insulin and other indices of IR.

The Association Between Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) and Glioma and Evaluation of Nutrient Intakes of These Patients: A Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: Glioma is the most common adult brain tumors. Dietary factors may play a role in the etiology of glioma. The Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) provides a general overview for the nutrient content of a food or a diet. This study aimed to investigate the association between INQ and glioma and nutrient intakes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was included 128 patients and 256 controls. Dietary intakes of the subjects were evaluated by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and FFQ-derived dietary data were used to calculate INQ scores. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Cases had higher intake of total fat, saturated fatty acid (SFA), meats, hydrogenated oils and controls had higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, calcium, dairy, fruits, and nuts. Only the INQ of vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, and fiber are higher in controls. An inverse association was observed between glioma and INQ of calcium, vitamin E, vitamin C, and fiber. CONCLUSION: The results of this study propose a healthy diet such as high intake of vitamins C and E, calcium, fiber, food groups like fruits and vegetables, and low-fat milk and nuts; and low consumption of total fat, SFA, and red meat may be protective against glioma.

Association of Pro-inflammatory Dietary Intake and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Findings from Iranian case-control study.

Background: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is considered as a major health problem in the world. There is much evidence that diet and dietary factors play an important role in inflammation, and consequently pathogenesis of NAFLD. To investigate the role of diet in the development of inflammation, we can use the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which has been shown to be predictive of levels of inflammatory markers. Methods: 295 incident cases were selected using the convenience-sampling procedure, and 704 controls randomly were selected from the same clinic and among the patients who had no hepatic steatosis and were frequency-matched on age (±5 years) and sex. The DII was computed based on dietary intake from 168-item FFQ. Logistic regression models were used to estimate multivariable ORs. Results: Subjects in tertile 3 had 1.57 (95% CI: 1.13-2.20), 1.78 (95% CI: 1.19-2.67), and 2.02 (95% CI: 1.32-3.09) times higher odds of developing NAFLD, compared to subjects in tertile 1 in models 1 (adjusted for age), 2 (model 1 + BMI, education, smoking, alcohol, diabetes, low density lipoprotein, triglycerides) and 3 (model 2 + aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase), respectively. When used as a continuous variable, one unit increase in DII was associated with 1.16 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.29), 1.21 (95% CI: 1.107, 1.37) and 1.25 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.43) increase in odds of NAFLD in models one, 2 and 3 respectively. Conclusion: Subjects who consumed a more pro-inflammatory diet were at increased odds of NAFLD.

The association between index of nutritional quality and ulcerative colitis: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Recent studies have shown that dietary factors play an important role in the development of UC. Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) is a suitable method that analyzes quantitatively and qualitatively single foods, meals, and diets. The aim of this study was to determine the association between INQ and UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 62 newly diagnosed cases with UC and 124 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were studied in a referral hospital in Tabriz, Iran. INQ scores were calculated based on information on the usual diet that was measured by a valid and reliable Food Frequency Questionnaire consisting of 168 food items. Logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, education, smoking, Helicobacter pylori, family history of UC, appendectomy, alcohol, and total energy intake was used to estimate multivariable odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: After controlling for several covariates, we found inverse associations between UC risk and INQs of Vitamin C (OR = 0.34 [0.16-0.73]) and folate (OR = 0.11 [0.01-0.99]). In crude model of analysis, cases had a higher intake of total energy, protein, carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, and iron compared to controls, whereas controls had higher intakes of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, folate, and biotin compared to cases. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that enough consumption of Vitamin C and folate was associated with lower risk of UC.

Protective effect of provitamin A dietary carotenoid intake on overweight/obesity and their relation to inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers - a case-control study.

This investigation assessed associations between dietary carotenoid intake and the odds of overweight/obesity, as well as inflammatory/oxidative stress biomarkers, in 851 participants with overweight/obesity (BMI ≥25 kg m-2) and 754 normal-weight controls. A 124-item food-frequency-questionnaire (FFQ) and food composition databases were employed to estimate carotenoid intake. Binary logistic regressions assessed the association of carotenoid intake with the odds of overweight/obesity, adjusting for several potential confounders. Multiple linear regression models revealed associations between carotenoid intake and biomarkers (anthropometrics, blood lipids, inflammation, antioxidant status). Logistic regression models adjusted for various confounders and fruits and vegetables showed protective associations for provitamin A carotenoids (i.e., ß-carotene + α-carotene + ß-cryptoxanthin; odds ratio (OR): 0.655, p = 0.041) and astaxanthin (OR: 0.859, p = 0.017). Similarly adjusted multiple linear regressions revealed significant associations between several carotenoids and lower levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α and increased IL-10 and total antioxidant capacity. Further analysis revealed that lycopene was significantly associated with increased odds of overweight/obesity (OR: 1.595, p = 0.032) in a model adjusted for various confounders and vegetables (i.e., unadjusted for fruits). A protective association between the sum of provitamin A carotenoid and astaxanthin dietary intake and the odds of having overweight/obesity was found. The findings that carotenoids other than lycopene were not or inversely associated with the odds of overweight/obesity may point toward differentiating effects of various carotenoids or their associations with different food groups. Provitamin A rich food items including fruits and vegetables appear to be a prudent strategy to reduce inflammation and the odds of having overweight/obesity.