By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDJan 12 2023Reviewed by Aimee Molineux Researchers know that a higher dietary inflammatory index is linked to an increased risk of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and therefore, mortality. Would a Mediterranean diet help? A new study sought to answer this question through a randomized trial comparing the habitual diet to the Mediterranean diet in Australian adults.
The MD is a plant-based diet with plenty of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, nuts, and olive oil. It is linked to a reduction in hsCRP and other inflammatory markers. in addition, the MD could reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and death due to CVD, perhaps because it introduces a host of bioactive anti-inflammatory components into the body.
What did the study show? Both groups showed comparable adherence to their diet at baseline, but after the intervention, the MD group had high adherence vs. unchanged levels for the HD group. The DII group was similar for both groups at baseline, but at two and four months from the start, the MD group showed a significant reduction in the DII score.
The average BMI at baseline varied significantly from the lowest to the middle of the third DII score tertile, indicating the association of BMI with dietary inflammation. This persisted even after adjusting for E-DII. The same association was observed for body weight and DII tertiles.