Dose-response associations of dietary inflammatory potential with health outcomes: A prospective cohort study of 198,265 UK Biobank participants

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dose-response associations of dietary inflammatory potential with all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 198,265 UK Biobank participants who completed at least one dietary assessment. A web based 24-hour recall questionnaire was used to derive the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII). All-cause mortality and incident CVD and cancer ascertained from linked records. RESULTS: After adjusting for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, there were J-shaped associations of E-DII with all-cause mortality and CVD, and a relatively linear association with cancer. When E-DII was <0, E-DII was not associated with any of the outcomes. When E-DII was ≥0, the linear associations were strongest in all-cause mortality (HR 1.09, 95%CI 1.05-1.13), followed by CVD (HR 1.06, 95%CI 1.03-1.09), and cancer (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.05). CONCLUSION: Dietary inflammatory potential was associated with mortality and CVD only when the diet is pro-inflammatory.