Research

Mixed

Adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet, as measured by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), is significantly associated with increased systemic inflammation, specifically elevated levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and homocysteine.

To lower systemic inflammation, prioritize an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, while limiting processed meats, sugars, and saturated fats. This dietary pattern is specifically linked to lower levels of IL-6 and homocysteine, key markers for cardiovascular risk, even if standard CRP tests remain normal.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Multivariable-adjusted analysis showed positive associations between the DII and the inflammatory markers IL-6 (OR 1·19, 95 % CI 1·04, 1·36) and homocysteine (OR 1·56, 95 % CI 1·25, 1·94).
Nitin Shivappa et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2015

Why this rating

Observational cross-sectional study with large sample size (n=2487) and multivariable adjustment, but cannot establish causality.

Source

Associations between dietary inflammatory index and inflammatory markers in the Asklepios Study

Nitin Shivappa et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2015

DOI 10.1017/s000711451400395x

cross_sectional · n=2487Cited 454×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →