Dietary antioxidant density in usual diet improves inflammatory biomarkers in overweight postmenopausal women

Abstract

Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of typical diets has been found to be associated with increased plasma TAC level and antioxidant enzyme activities. However, its relationship with long term change in inflammation biomarkers is unknown. We aimed to examine whether increased dietary TAC can improve inflammatory biomarkers in a high risk population. Forty postmenopausal, overweight, non‐smoking, but apparently healthy women aged 40–70 y were recruited for a 9‐month longitudinal study. Seven‐day food records and 12‐h fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and at the end of the observational study for dietary and plasma biomarker assessments. At baseline, no association between dietary TAC and inflammatory biomarkers was identified. Over the 9 months, the increase in dietary TAC was accompanied by an inverse change in fasting blood glucose level (p<0.01). It also had a negative partial correlation with E‐selectin level (p<0.05) when age, ethnicity, change in BMI, and changes in blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels were adjusted. When participants were divided into two groups by positive and negative changes in dietary TAC over 9 months, participants having positive change in dietary TAC had a smaller increase in MCP‐1 compared to the negative TAC change group (p<0.05). Findings suggest that modification of dietary TAC might be an effective long term strategy for improving inflammatory biomarkers.Grant Funding Source : Donaghue Nutrition Research Program