The Mediterranean diet significantly reduced dietary inflammatory index scores but it did not translate to an improvement in inflammatory biomarkers in individuals with coronary heart disease

In July 2018 researchers from Australia, Ireland, Spain and the USA published the results of their study to assess whether a Mediterranean diet produced a lower dietary inflammatory index score in individuals with coronary heart disease. It is known that a lower dietary inflammatory index score is associated with reduced inflammation and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. In this study 56 individuals with coronary heart disease (84% male, average age 63 years) consumed either a Mediterranean diet (27 individuals) or a low-fat diet (29 individuals) for a period of 6 months. Information on diet was collected via 7-day food diaries and a dietary inflammatory index score calculated. The Mediterranean diet was seen to have a markedly lower dietary inflammatory index score than the low-fat diet. Results showed that the Mediterranean diet significantly reduced dietary inflammatory index scores at 6 months but not the low fat diet. However this reduction in dietary inflammatory index score did not translate to an improvement in inflammatory biomarkers.

Mayr HL et al. Randomization to 6-month Mediterranean diet compared with a low-fat diet leads to improvement in Dietary Inflammatory Index scores in patients with coronary heart disease: the AUSMED Heart Trial. Nutr Res. 2018 Jul;55:94-107.

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