Abstract
Low-grade inflammation (LGI) has been suggested to be involved in the development of chronic diseases. Healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet (MD), may decrease the markers of LGI. Healthy Nordic diet (HND) has many similarities with MD, but its effects on LGI are less well known. Both of these dietary patterns emphasize the abundant use of fruits and vegetables (and berries in HND), whole grain products, fish, and vegetable oil (canola oil in HND and olive oil in MD), but restrict the use of saturated fat and red and processed meat. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the results of studies, which have investigated the associations or effects of HND on the markers of LGI. Altogether, only two publications of observational studies and eight publications of intervention trials were found through the literature search. Both observational studies reported an inverse association between the adherence to HND and concentration of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). A significant decrease in the concentration of hsCRP was reported in two out of four intervention studies measuring hsCRP. Single intervention studies reported the beneficial effects on interleukin 1Ra and Cathepsin S. Current evidence suggests the beneficial effects on LGI with HND, but more carefully controlled studies are needed to confirm the anti-inflammatory effects of the HND.
Highlights
Low-grade inflammation (LGI) has been linked with the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases [1,2,3,4].It is well known that human adipose tissue is a storage for excess energy, but it is an active endocrine organ producing and releasing a number of bioactive compounds, adipokines, of which some are known to be pro-inflammatory (e.g., tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-α), Interleukins (IL) 6 and 8), and some anti-inflammatory [5,6]
Mediterranean and Nordic diets have a lot of common features, including abundant use of fruits and vegetables, the restricted use of saturated fats and red meat, the use of vegetable oil, and whole grain products as an important source of dietary fiber [19]
Despite some differences in the diets, this review suggests that the Healthy Nordic diet (HND) may have anti-inflammatory effects
Summary
It is well known that human adipose tissue is a storage for excess energy, but it is an active endocrine organ producing and releasing a number of bioactive compounds, adipokines, of which some are known to be pro-inflammatory (e.g., tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-α), Interleukins (IL) 6 and 8), and some anti-inflammatory (e.g., adiponectin) [5,6]. White blood cells (e.g., monocytes), macrophages, and the liver produce pro- and anti-inflammatory factors [7,8]. It has been suggested that there is an interaction between the gut microbiota and the immune system, and changes in the gut microbiota may contribute to LGI by resulting in a deficient immune response and impaired tolerance to commensal microorganisms [9,10]. Various mechanisms through which LGI may contribute to the development of non-communicable diseases have been discussed in several reviews [3,6,7,11].
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