AUTHOR=Kotemori Ayaka , Sawada Norie , Iwasaki Motoki , Yamaji Taiki , Shivappa Nitin , Hebert James R. , Ishihara Junko , Inoue Manami , Tsugane Shoichiro 

TITLE=Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Inflammation in Japanese Men

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.604296

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2021.604296

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Dietary components are known to affect chronic low-grade inflammation status. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®) was developed to measure the potential impact of a diet on an individual's inflammatory status, and it has been validated mainly in Western countries.</p><p><bold>Objective:</bold> This study aimed to examine the validity of the energy-adjusted DII (E-DII<sup>TM</sup>) using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentration in Japanese men and women.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In total, 6,474 volunteers from a cancer-screening program (3,825 men and 2,649 women) completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and their hs-CRP concentrations were evaluated. E-DII scores were calculated on the basis of 30 food parameters derived from the FFQ. Higher E-DII scores reflect a greater pro-inflammatory potential of the diet. The associations between E-DII quartiles and hs-CRP concentration were assessed using regression models adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking status, and amount of physical activity.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Mean E-DII in men and women was + 0.62 ± 1.93 and −1.01 ± 2.25, respectively. The proportion of men and women who had hs-CRP concentration &gt;3 mg/L was 4.7 and 3.1%, respectively. A significant positive association was observed between E-DII score and hs-CRP concentration in men; geometric mean of hs-CRP concentration in the lowest and highest E-DII quartiles was 0.56 mg/L and 0.67 mg/L (<italic>P</italic><sub>trend</sub> &lt; 0.01), respectively. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of having an elevated hs-CRP concentration (&gt;3 mg/L) was 1.72 (1.10–2.67) in the highest E-DII quartile (<italic>P</italic><sub>trend</sub> = 0.03) in men. However, no association was observed between E-DII score and hs-CRP concentration in women, except in those not taking prescription medications.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> DII was associated with inflammation status in Japanese men, but the association was limited in Japanese women.</p>