Dietary Inflammatory Index: The Inflammatory Potential of Diet and Human Health

Dear Colleagues,

Numerous studies indicate that the inflammatory potential of diet plays a significant role in maintaining human health. This is reflected in the dietary inflammatory index (DII), used to assess a healthy diet. The original DII consists of a list of 45 food components believed to have significant inflammatory potential. Each component has been assigned a score according to the following criteria: whether it significantly increases (+1), decreases (−1), or has an insignificant (0) effect on pro-inflammatory markers, viz. interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP), and whether it significantly decreases (+1), increases (−1), or has an insignificant (0) effect on anti-inflammatory markers, viz. interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Thus, DII offers a new perspective in the study of the relationship between diet-related inflammation and disease and on the development of several types of human cancer, such as breast, colon, and gastric cancer. It also can be used to determine the health-promoting or harmful effects of a diet. In addition, the DII scores of specific dietary components have been associated with the development of a variety of cardiovascular, neurological, and autoimmune diseases. For example, dietary carbohydrates and total fat have been shown to contribute to weight gain or increased BMI, which could exacerbate inflammation. Anti-inflammatory components, indicated by a low DII score, alleviate inflammation by reducing oxidative stress or by reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. These cytokines are known to cause leukocyte infiltration, macrophage accumulation, and transcription factor activation, resulting in abnormal gene expression, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and resistance to apoptosis. In summary, a more pro-inflammatory diet, characterized by a higher DII score, is believed to be associated with an increased risk of disease, and exchanging pro-inflammatory food components for anti-inflammatory ones would improve prevention and control. As such, the inflammatory potential of diet and index-based dietary patterns represents an increasingly important topic for clinical, epidemiological, and experimental studies.  

This Special Issue aims to highlight the inflammatory potential of diet and the role of the dietary inflammatory index in determining the risk of various types of disease. These include some of the most widespread conditions in modern society, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and nervous system and autoimmunological disorders. This edition also intends to shed light on a targeted anti-inflammatory diet as therapy for improving overall human health. We therefore welcome the submission of original articles, reviews, and meta-analyses on the above topics, as well as other aspects of an anti- or pro-inflammatory diet in the human body.

Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Starska
Prof. Dr. Boleslaw Karwowski
Guest Editors

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• dietary inflammatory index
• inflammatory diet
• diet-related inflammation
• oxidative stress
• immune system
• anti- and proinflammatory signaling pathways
• antioxidant activity
• food processing
• cellular functions
• disease prevention
• human health