Development and validation of dietary and lifestyle insulinemic indices among Iranian adult population

Background There is no study regarding developing a valid index to predict insulin-related disorders in the Iranian population based on their dietary habits and lifestyle. In the current study, we aimed to develop and validate insulinemic potential indices of diet and lifestyle in Iranian adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we analysed data of 1063 men and women aged ≥ 25 years among participants of the examination three of Tehran lipid and glucose study (TLGS) (2006–2008). Dietary intakes were assessed using a valid semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary and lifestyle indices were developed using stepwise linear regression analysis based on dietary intakes, body mass index, and physical activity data. Fasting serum insulin concentration and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were used as biomarkers of hyperinsulinemia (HI) and insulin resistance (IR). Validation analyses were performed in examination four of TLGS. Results We developed four indices related to insulin homeostasis, including the dietary index for HI (DIH), the dietary index for IR (DIR), the lifestyle index for HI (LIH), and the lifestyle index for IR (LIR). Based on multivariable-adjusted models, the relative values of the biomarker in subjects in the highest quartile of indices were 45% for LIH (95% CI 1.36–1.55, Ptrend < 0.001), 28% for DIR (95% CI 1.13–1.42, Ptrend = 0.019), and 51% for LIR (95% CI 1.41–1.61, Ptrend < 0.001), higher than those in the reference quartile, respectively. Conclusion We designed and validated indices to determine the insulin potential of diet and lifestyle for the Iranian population, according to Iran’s demographic and dietary intake characteristics.

Caregiver Perceptions of Child Diet Quality: What Influenced Their Judgment

This study aimed at assessing the correctness of a caregiver’s perception of their child’s diet status and to determine the factors which may influence their judgment. 815 child-caregiver pairs were recruited from two primary schools. 3-day 24-h recall was used to evaluate children’s dietary intake, Chinese Children Dietary Index (CCDI) was used to evaluate the dietary quality. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the factors that could influence the correctness of caregiver’s perception. In the current study, 371 (62.1%) children with “high diet quality” and 35 (16.1%) children with “poor diet quality” were correctly perceived by their caregivers. Children who were correctly perceived as having “poor diet quality” consumed less fruits and more snacks and beverages than those who were not correctly perceived (p < 0.05). Obese children were more likely to be correctly identified as having “poor diet quality” (OR = 3.532, p = 0.040), and less likely to be perceived as having “high diet quality”, even when they had a balanced diet (OR = 0.318, p = 0.020). Caregivers with a high level of education were more likely to correctly perceive children’s diet quality (OR = 3.532, p = 0.042). Caregivers in this study were shown to lack the ability to correctly identify their children’s diet quality, especially amongst children with a “poor diet quality”. Obesity, significantly low consumption of fruits or high consumption of snacks can raise caregivers’ awareness of “poor diet quality”.

Proinflammatory and Hyperinsulinemic Dietary Patterns Are Associated With Specific Profiles of Biomarkers Predictive of Chronic Inflammation, Glucose-Insulin Dysregulation, and Dyslipidemia in Postmenopausal Women

Background: Dietary patterns promoting hyperinsulinemia and chronic inflammation, including the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), have been shown to strongly influence risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. EDIH was developed using plasma C-peptide, whereas EDIP was based on plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 2 (TNF-αR2). We investigated whether these dietary patterns were associated with a broader range of relevant biomarkers not previously tested.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 35,360 women aged 50–79 years from the Women's Health Initiative with baseline (1993–1998) fasting blood samples. We calculated EDIH and EDIP scores from baseline food frequency questionnaire data and tested their associations with 40 circulating biomarkers of insulin response/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, chronic systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, lipids, and lipid particle size. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression was used to estimate the percent difference in biomarker concentrations per 1 standard deviation increment in dietary index. FDR-adjusted p &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) were significantly associated with altered concentrations of 25 of the 40 biomarkers examined. For EDIH, the percent change in biomarker concentration in the insulin-related biomarkers ranged from +1.3% (glucose) to +8% (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance) and −9.7% for IGF-binding protein-1. EDIH impacted inflammation and endothelial dysfunction biomarkers from +1.1% (TNF-αR2) to +7.8% (CRP) and reduced adiponectin by 2.4%; and for lipid biomarkers: +0.3% (total cholesterol) to +3% (triglycerides/total cholesterol ratio) while reducing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 2.4%. EDIP showed a similar trend of associations with most biomarkers, although the magnitude of association was slightly weaker for the insulin-related biomarkers and stronger for lipids and lipid particle size.Conclusions: Dietary patterns with high potential to contribute to insulin hypersecretion and to chronic systemic inflammation, based on higher EDIH and EDIP scores, were associated with an unfavorable profile of circulating biomarkers of glucose-insulin dysregulation, chronic systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and dyslipidemia. The broad range of biomarkers further validates EDIH and EDIP as mechanisms-based dietary patterns for use in clinical and population-based studies of metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

Prospective Study of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Diabetes in Puerto Rican Adults

ABSTRACT Background Vegetarian-type dietary patterns have been associated with reducing the risk of developing diabetes and may function as an effective strategy for diabetes management. Objectives We aimed to examine the associations between adherence to plant-based diet indices and the risk of developing diabetes in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Methods Puerto Rican adults (n = 646), aged 45–75 y and free of diabetes at baseline, were included. Dietary intake was assessed via a validated FFQ. Three plant-based dietary indices were calculated: an overall plant-based diet index (PDI), a healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and an unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). Incident diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L), glycated hemoglobin ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol), or use of hypoglycemic agents during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards were used to evaluate associations between the dietary patterns and incidence of diabetes, adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, obesity, total energy intake, depressive symptomatology, and plasma concentrations of lipids. Results During a mean of 4.2 y of follow-up, we identified 134 diabetes cases. After adjustment for covariates, higher hPDI was associated with lower risk of developing diabetes (adjusted HR for the highest compared with the lowest tertile: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.94; P-trend = 0.03). In contrast, the PDI and uPDI were not significantly associated with the risk of diabetes (P-trend &gt; 0.3 for both). Conclusions The healthful plant-based dietary index, but not the total plant-based dietary index, was inversely associated with diabetes risk. These findings suggest that the quality of plant-based diets must be considered when recommending plant-based diets for the prevention of diabetes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01231958.

Are the Eatwell Guide and Nutrient Profiling Models Consistent in the UK?

A nutrient profiling model (NPM) was developed in 2005 in the UK to regulate the marketing of foods to children. It was revised in 2018, but the new version has not been finalised. The Eatwell Guide (EWG) is the UK’s official food-based dietary guidelines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between the 2005 and 2018 versions of the NPM and the EWG. Using recent National Diet and Nutrition Surveys, we estimated the healthiness of individual diets based on an EWG dietary score and a NPM dietary index. We then compared the percentage of agreement and Cohen’s kappa for each combination of the EWG score and NPM index across the range of observed values for the 2005 and 2018 versions. A total of 3028 individual diets were assessed. Individuals with a higher (i.e., healthier) EWG score consumed a diet with, on average, a lower (i.e., healthier) NPM index both for the 2005 and 2018 versions. Overall, there was good agreement between the EWG score and the NPM dietary index at assessing the healthiness of representative diets of the UK population, when a low cut-off for the NPM dietary index was used, irrespective of the version. This suggests that dietary advice to the public is broadly aligned with NPM-based food policies and vice-versa.

Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and the Incidence of Diabetes in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study

Objectives To examine the associations between the plant-based diet and risk of developing diabetes in participants of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Methods Included were 691 Puerto Ricans aged 45–75 years who were free of diabetes at baseline. Dietary intake was assessed via a validated food frequency questionnaire. Three plant-based dietary indices were then calculated, including an overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and an unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). Incident diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose 126 mg/dL [7.0 mmol/L], hemoglobin A1c 6.5% [48 mmol/mol] or use of any hypoglycemic agents during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the associations between the plant-based dietary patterns and the incidence of diabetes, adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, obesity, total energy intake, depression, and plasma concentrations of c-reactive protein and lipid profiles. Results During the 5-years of follow-up, we identified 139 incident diabetes cases. After adjustment for covariates, hPDI was inversely associated with the risk for developing diabetes (P-trend = 0.04). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the highest vs lowest tertiles of hPDI was 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.32–0.96). In contrast, The PDI and uPDI dietary indices were not significantly associated with the risk of diabetes (P-trend &gt; 0.2 for both). Conclusions The healthful plant-based dietary index was associated with a lower risk of diabetes. These findings suggest that the healthful plant-based dietary index may be beneficial for the prevention of the development of diabetes. Funding Sources This project was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institue, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

Maternal Dietary Quality During Pregnancy and Its Association With Low Birth Weight and Small for Gestational Age: A Birth Cohort in China

Objectives Maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays a vital role in fetal growth and development. Dietary index eliminates the need for complex nutrient calculations and assess dietary quality as a whole. The present study was conducted to evaluate maternal dietary quality using specific dietary index for Chinese pregnant women, and to explore the association between maternal diet and the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA). Methods A birth cohort was conducted in Beijing, China (n = 3871) between June 2018 and February 2019. Maternal diet in the 1st and 2nd trimesters was assessed by inconsecutive 2-day 24-hour dietary recalls. The Chinese Diet Balance Index for Pregnancy (DBI-P) was used to assess participants’ dietary quality. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to explore the independent effects of DBI components on LBW and SGA. Results The prevalence of LBW and SGA was 3.8% and 6.0%, respectively in the present study. There existed an unbalanced diet, especially high insufficient intake of vegetables (87.3% and 86.6%), dairy (95.9% and 96.6%), and aquatic foods (80.5% and 85.4%) in both the 1st and 2nd trimesters. Adequate fruits consumption was higher in the 1st trimester (76.7%) than that in the 2nd trimester (15.5%). The intake of cereals was negatively associated with the risk of LBW (OR = 0.944, 95% CI: 0.893–0.997), and the intake of dairy and dairy products was negatively associated with the risk of SGA (OR = 0.874, 95% CI: 0.773–0.987) in the 2nd trimester, after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions Diet quality of Chinese pregnant women in Beijing was unbalanced, in particular high insufficiency in dairy products and vegetables. Pregnant women should pay attention to the adequate intakes of cereals and dairy products in mid-pregnancy, in order to prevent the occurrence of LBW and SGA. Funding Sources This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Peking University Research Initiation Fund.

Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index, Dietary Patterns, Plant-Based Dietary Index and the Risk of Obesity

Evidence on the association between various dietary constructs and obesity risk is limited. This study aims to investigate the longitudinal relationship between different diet indices and dietary patterns with the risk of obesity. Non-obese participants (n = 787) in the North West Adelaide Health Study were followed from 2010 to 2015. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®), plant-based dietary index (PDI) and factor-derived dietary pattern scores were computed based on food frequency questionnaire data. We found the incidence of obesity was 7.62% at the 5-year follow up. In the adjusted model, results from multivariable log-binomial logistic regression showed that a prudent dietary pattern (RRQ5 vs. Q1 = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.15–0.96), healthy PDI (RR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.12–0.77) and overall PDI (RR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.23–1.33) were inversely associated with obesity risk. Conversely, the DII (RR = 1.59; 95% CI: 0.72–3.50), a Western dietary pattern (RR = 2.16; 95% CI: 0.76–6.08) and unhealthy PDI (RR = 1.94; 95% CI: 0.81–4.66) were associated with increased risk of obesity. Based on the cubic spline analysis, the association between an unhealthy PDI or diet quality with the risk of obesity was non-linear. In conclusion, an anti-inflammatory diet, healthy diet or consumption of healthy plant-based foods were all associated with a lower risk of developing obesity.

Comparative Study of Dietary Nutrition Index of Players of Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Tribal Schools of Kanker Chhattisgarh India

Nutritional assessment of the adolescent is very important, as it provides the status of health. Calculating Dietary Nutrition Index (DNI) is an ideal method to the study nutritional status of any population. In the present study dietary index of the players who are studying in tribal schools of Chhattisgarh and players who are residing in urban area and training under Sports Authority of India was assessed. Total of 200 subjects aged between 14 to 17 years participated in this study. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used to compare the nutritional status of different groups. The result of the study revealed that DNI of tribal boys and girls and SAI girls is inadequate. Further it was found that there was a significant difference between the groups. SAI boys and girls showed better values as compared to tribal boys and girls. It is suggested that intervention to meet the dietary requirement of the players should be planned for optimal performance.

Association of the insulinemic potential of diet and lifestyle with risk of diabetes incident in Tehranian adults: a population based cohort study

Background We aimed to assess the associations between insulinemic potential of diet and lifestyle and the risk of diabetes incident, using four empirical indices including the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH), the empirical dietary index for insulin resistance (EDIR), empirical lifestyle index for hyperinsulinemia (ELIH), and empirical lifestyle index for insulin resistance (ELIR). Methods A total of 3734 individuals, aged ≥ 20 years old, who were free of diabetes at baseline (2008–2011), were followed for 6.2 years (2015–2018) to ascertain incident diabetes. The food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary intakes at baseline. Odds ratio (OR) of diabetes were calculated across quartiles of EDIH, EDIR, ELIH, and ELIR using logistic regression, which controlled for confounding factors. Results The mean ± SD age and BMI of individuals (45.1 % male) were 40.9 ± 12.0 years and 27.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2, respectively. At the end of follow-up, 253 (6.8 %) diabetes cases were identified. In the multivariable-adjusted model, individuals in the highest quartile of EDIR (1.58;95 %CI:1.03–2.44, P for trend = 0.025), ELIH (1.89;95 %CI:1.20–2.97, P for trend = 0.004), and ELIR (1.74; 95 %CI:1.11–2.72, P for trend = 0.031) had increased the risk of diabetes. However, no significant associations were found between the score of EDIH and diabetes incident. Conclusions Higher adherence to EDIR, ELIH, and ELIR scores were associated with increased risk of diabetes, while no significant association was found between EDIH score and diabetes incident.