Nutrition
Volume 24, Issue 10 , Pages 941-949, October 2008

Association between dietary fiber and markers of systemic inflammation in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study

  • Yunsheng Ma, MD, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +508-856-1008; fax: +508-856-2022
    • ,
  • James R. Hébert, Sc.D.

      Affiliations

    • Cancer Prevention and Control Program and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
    • ,
  • Wenjun Li, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson, Sc.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Barbara Olendzki, M.P.H., R.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Sherry L. Pagoto, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Lesley Tinker, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
    • ,
  • Milagros C. Rosal, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Ira S. Ockene, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Judith K. Ockene, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Jennifer A. Griffith, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Simin Liu, M.D., Sc.D.

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

Received 6 February 2008; accepted 25 April 2008. published online 19 June 2008.

Abstract 

Objective

Systemic inflammation may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Few studies have comprehensively assessed the direct relations between dietary fiber and inflammatory cytokines, especially in minority populations. Using baseline data from 1958 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, we examined cross-sectional associations between dietary fiber intake and markers of systemic inflammation (including serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-2 [TNF-α-R2]) in addition to differences in these associations by ethnicity.

Methods

Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the relation between fiber intake and makers of systemic inflammation.

Results

After adjustment for covariates, intakes of dietary fiber were inversely associated with IL-6 (P values for trend were 0.01 for total fiber, 0.004 for soluble fiber, and 0.001 for insoluble fiber) and TNF-α-R2 (P values for trend were 0.002 for total, 0.02 for soluble, and <0.001 for insoluble fibers). Although the samples were small in minority Americans, results were generally consistent with those found among European Americans. We did not observe any significant association between intake of dietary fiber and hs-CRP.

Conclusion

These findings lend support to the hypothesis that a high-fiber diet is associated with lower plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-α-R2. Contrary to previous reports, however, there was no association between fiber and hs-CRP among postmenopausal women. Future studies on the influence of diet on inflammation should include IL-6 and TNF-α-R2 and enroll participants from ethnic minorities.

Keywords: Dietary fiber, C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6, Tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-2, Inflammation, Cytokines, Epidemiology, Cardiovascular disease, Nutrition

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 The Women's Health Initiative program was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The work was partly supported by R01 DK062290 (PI: Simin Liu) and 2N01WH042116 (PI: Judith K. Ockene).

PII: S0899-9007(08)00204-9

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2008.04.005

Nutrition
Volume 24, Issue 10 , Pages 941-949, October 2008

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