Interrelationship of Seasons with Inflammation, Red Meat, Fruit, and Vegetable Intakes, Cardio-Metabolic Health, and Smoking Status among Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Seasons can affect human inflammatory status and the occurrence of diseases, and foods may also have differential impacts on inflammation across seasons; however, few studies have investigated whether there are independent and joint impacts of seasons and red meat, fruit and vegetable intakes on inflammation in breast cancer survivors. We conducted a cross-sectional study by leveraging a large cohort, the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) study. The WHEL study comprised primarily early stage breast cancer survivors and collected blood samples, dietary intake, demographic, and health status information at baseline. We selected 2919 participants who provided baseline dietary information and had measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), a general marker of inflammation. In our multivariable-adjusted analyses, we found that red meat intakes were positively associated, while fruit and vegetable intakes were inversely associated with CRP; blood collected in the winter season was associated with lower CRP when compared to summer; and increased smoking intensity and body mass index (BMI) as well as having cardio-metabolic conditions (such as heart disease or diabetes) were positively associated with CRP. Furthermore, we examined the joint associations of food intakes and the season of blood draw with CRP in different subgroups. We found that moderate intakes of red meat were associated with a reduction of CRP in winter but not in other seasons; increased intakes of fruit and vegetables were associated with reduced inflammation in most seasons except winter. These associations were observed in most subgroups except past smokers with pack-years ≥ 15, in whom we observed no benefit of red meat intakes in winter. Our study provides valuable evidence for considering seasonal impacts on inflammation and seasonal food impacts in different subgroups among breast cancer survivors. The results of our study are in line with one of the emphases of the current NIH 2020–2030 nutrition strategy plan—namely, pay attention to what, when, and who should eat.

Exploratory analysis of the effect of a controlled lifestyle intervention on inflammatory markers – the Healthy Lifestyle Community Programme (cohort 2)

“…Two relevant limitations are the non-randomized design and the 6-month delay in starting the control group (although the follow-up durations were equivalent). While our findings indicate a more favourable 1-year trajectory of hs-CRP in the intervention group, this result may have been influenced by seasonal changes [ 59 ], although seasonal effects on hs-CRP are uncertain [ 60 ]. While a significant hs-CRP decrease from baseline to 1 year was observed in the intervention group and no significant change was observed in the control group (even though baseline levels in the control group were higher), seasonal influences remain a potential confounder.…”

Dietary inflammatory index, inflammation biomarkers and preeclampsia risk: a hospital-based case–control study

“…To provide a further explanation for these findings, DII scores were adapted to explain the underlying strategies, since DII scores are based on dietary data sets collected from a dietary survey among the participants in that study, hence they could reflect the activation of oxidative stress and the inflammatory immune response related to specific food parameters (41) . The production of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-6 is mediated by proinflammatory diets high E-DII foods, corresponding with higher intake of refined grains, dairy products, red meats, soft drinks, sweets and desserts and lower consumption of whole grains, vegetables and fruits (42)(43)(44) . Nevertheless, the consumption of red meat across tertiles E-DII among cases in this study was parallel.…”

Daily Vegetables Intake and Response to COPD Rehabilitation. The Role of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and DNA Damage

“…A recent study reported that high vegetable intake, particularly green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, correlated with lower levels of white blood cell counts [ 34 ]. The anti-inflammatory effect of vegetable assumption could be explained considering their content in polyphenol compounds with antioxidant effect, folate, and flavonoids [ 35 ], and through their restoration of water loss and electrolyte balance function [ 36 ]. Moreover, the high dietary fiber content supports gut health and the growth of microbial species which potentially modulate the production of pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines [ 37 ].…”