Associations between Dietary Acid Load and Biomarkers of Inflammation and Hyperglycemia in Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Metabolic acidosis can lead to inflammation, tissue damage, and cancer metastasis. Dietary acid load contributes to metabolic acidosis if endogenous acid–base balance is not properly regulated. Breast cancer survivors have reduced capacities to adjust their acid–base balance; yet, the associations between dietary acid load and inflammation and hyperglycemia have not been examined among them. We analyzed data collected from 3042 breast cancer survivors enrolled in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study who had provided detailed dietary intakes and measurements of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Using a cross-sectional design, we found positive associations between dietary acid load and plasma CRP and HbA1c. In the multivariable-adjusted models, compared to women with the lowest quartile, the intakes of dietary acid load among women with the highest quartile showed 30–33% increases of CRP and 6–9% increases of HbA1c. Our study is the first to demonstrate positive associations between dietary acid load and CRP and HbA1c in breast cancer survivors. Our study identifies a novel dietary factor that may lead to inflammation and hyperglycemia, both of which are strong risk factors for breast cancer recurrence and comorbidities.

The association between dietary acid load and the migraine odds

“…Chronic consumption of a diet with a high acid load could shift the acid-base balance toward acidosis (21). Besides, with the presence of abnormalities in acid-base balance, the dietary acid load is more likely to induce acidosis in the human body (18). It has been found that people with migraine could have abnormalities in the acid-base balance due to mitochondrial dysfunction (38,39).…”

“…It has been found that people with migraine could have abnormalities in the acid-base balance due to mitochondrial dysfunction (38,39). Several possible mechanisms have been suggested that a high acidic load may play a role in the onset of migraine attacks or increasing headache attack frequency in migraineurs (16)(17)(18)(19)(20); these are explicated as follows. First, animal and human studies have reported that acidosis can cause high in ammation and NO due to its damaging effect on tissues or blood vessels (16)(17)(18)40).…”

“…Several possible mechanisms have been suggested that a high acidic load may play a role in the onset of migraine attacks or increasing headache attack frequency in migraineurs (16)(17)(18)(19)(20); these are explicated as follows. First, animal and human studies have reported that acidosis can cause high in ammation and NO due to its damaging effect on tissues or blood vessels (16)(17)(18)40). The physiological ways to explain this issue is that TNF-α, myeloperoxidase, and NO synthases enzymes may be produced through acidosis condition in the human body (18).…”

“…The available evidence suggests that even a slight increase in acidic load may stimulate the expression of induced NO synthases, increase levels of in ammatory factors such as TNF, increase blood ow as well as adiposity measures such as body mass index (BMI) (16)(17)(18)(19)(20). High dietary acid load, that is known by high intake of acid precursors including phosphorus and protein containing sulfuric amino acid and low intake of base precursors such as potassium, magnesium and calcium, could shift the acid-base balance towards acidosis (21,22).…”

“…High acidic load in the human body could affect in ammation, NO pathways, blood ow and adiposity measures (16)(17)(18)(19)(20). On the other hand, these factors are thought to play a role in initiation of migraine attacks (5,6,8,10,(12)(13)(14)(15).…”