Association between dietary fiber and markers of systemic inflammation in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study

Abstract

Objective-Systemic inflammation may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Few studies have comprehensively assessed the direct relationships between dietary fiber and inflammatory cytokines, especially in minority populations. Using baseline data from 1,958 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Heath Initiative Observational Study, we examined cross-sectional associations between dietary fiber intake and markers of systemic inflammation (including serum C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α receptor 2 (TNF-α-R2)), as well as differences in these associations by ethnicity.Method-Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between fiber intake and makers of systemic inflammation.Results-After adjustment for covariates, intake of dietary fiber were inversely associated with both IL-6 (P values for trend were 0.01 for total fiber, 0.004 for soluble fiber, and 0.001 for insoluble fiber) and TNF-α-R2 (P values for trend were 0.002 for total, 0.02 for soluble, and <0.001 for insoluble fiber). Although the sample sizes were small in minority Americans, results were generally Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Conclusions-These findings lend support to the hypothesis that a high-fiber diet is associated with lower plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-α-R2. Contrary to previous reports, however, there was no association between fiber and hs-CRP among postmenopausal women. Future studies on the influence of diet on inflammation should include IL-6 and TNF-α-R2 and enroll participants from ethnic minorities. NIH Public Access

The effects of dietary fibre on C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker predicting cardiovascular disease

“…With fewer inflammatory cytokines produced in the bowel, the liver may produce less CRP, resulting in lower concentrations of CRP (Rosamond, 2002). In agreement with recent reviews (Bastard et al, 2006;Ma et al, 2008), two studies in this review found simultaneous reductions in CRP and IL-6 (Esposito et al, 2003a.…”

“…Furthermore, the risk reduced by 61% (P-value for trend ¼ 0.006) for subjects in the highest quartile of watersoluble intake and 75% (P-value for trend o0.01) for insoluble fibre (Ma et al, 2006). However, more recently, Ma et al (2008) reported no association between DF and CRP among post-menopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study although intakes of DF were inversely associated with other markers of systemic inflammation (interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-a receptor-2). DF may therefore play an important role in mediating the relation between diet, inflammation and cardiovascular disease (King et al, 2003).…”

Dietary patterns, subclinical inflammation, incident coronary heart disease and mortality in middle-aged men from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg cohort study

“…In addition, single food components have been found to be related to inflammatory markers; higher intakes of dietary fibre (Ma et al, 2008;Herder et al, 2009;Wannamethee et al, 2009), whole-grain products (Qi et al, 2006;Lutsey et al, 2007), fruit and vegetables (Wannamethee et al, 2006;Holt et al, 2009), nuts (Salas-Salvado et al, 2008;Casas-Agustench et al, 2010), and a moderate alcohol intake (Wang et al, 2008;Oliveira et al, 2010) were associated with lower concentrations of several immune mediators in the circulation.…”

A review of the Hispanic paradox: time to spill the beans?

“…This legume-mediated reduction in CRP (and IL-6) is clinically significant and comparable to that seen with statin therapy [16]. That this anti-inflammatory effect is mediated through the high fibre content of legumes is supported by numerous cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that have shown high-fibre diets are associated with lower systemic inflammation [70][71][72]. We conclude that there is substantial evidence supporting the proposition that high legume consumption has an anti-inflammatory effect that is probably mediated through its high fibre content.…”