Dietary acid load, alternative healthy eating index score, and bacterial vaginosis: is there any association? A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Changing the dietary pattern may be an alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis, the prevalent vaginal infection in women. METHODS: One hundred and forty-three bacterial vaginosis-affected women diagnosed by Amsel criteria and 151 healthy controls aged 18 to 45 entered the current case-control research. To calculate the alternative healthy eating index and dietary acid load score, food consumption was recorded with an accurate and precise food frequency questionnaire. The dietary acid load was measured by potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) indices. Using logistic regression models, the association between the alternative healthy eating index and dietary acid load score with bacterial vaginosis was investigated. RESULTS: The last tertile of the alternative healthy eating index had a 75% decreased odds of experiencing bacterial vaginosis in the adjusted model (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.12-0.53, P for trend = 0.001). Besides, vegetables (aOR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.17-0.69, P for trend = 0.003), nuts and legumes (aOR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.23-0.87, P for trend = 0.028), and meats (aOR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.16-0.60, P for trend = 0.001) intake was linked to a decreased bacterial vaginosis odds. However, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice (aOR = 3.47, 95% CI = 1.68-7.17, P for trend < 0.001), trans fatty acids (aOR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.18-4.43, P for trend = 0.005), and sodium (aOR = 3.44, 95% CI = 1.67-7.06, P for trend = 0.002) intake were directly associated with bacterial vaginosis odds. There was no evidence of a link between dietary acid load and bacterial vaginosis. CONCLUSION: According to the present study's findings, there is no correlation between dietary acid load and the likelihood of developing bacterial vaginosis. However, following a plant-based dietary pattern based on the healthy eating index may lead to a lower odds of bacterial vaginosis.