The Anti-Inflammatory Diet (IBD-AID) is a nutritional regimen for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that restricts the intake of certain carbohydrates, includes the ingestion of pre- and probiotic foods, and modifies dietary fatty acids to demonstrate the potential of an adjunct dietary therapy for the treatment of IBD.

Many cross-sectional studies show an inverse association between dietary magnesium and insulin resistance, but few longitudinal studies examine the ability to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium intake through food and its effect on insulin resistance among participants with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The dietary intervention study examined this question in 234 individuals with MetS. Magnesium intake was assessed using 24-h dietary recalls at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Fasting glucose and insulin levels were collected at each time point; and insulin resistance was estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). The relation between magnesium intake and HOMA-IR was assessed using linear mixed models adjusted for covariates. Baseline magnesium intake was 287 ± 93 mg/day (mean ± standard deviation), and HOMA-IR, fasting glucose and fasting insulin were 3.7 ± 3.5, 99 ± 13 mg/dL, and 15 ± 13 μU/mL, respectively. At baseline, 6-, and 12-months, 23.5%, 30.4%, and 27.7% met the RDA for magnesium. After multivariate adjustment, magnesium intake was inversely associated with metabolic biomarkers of insulin resistance (P < 0.01). Further, the likelihood of elevated HOMA-IR (>3.6) over time was 71% lower [odds ratio (OR): 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12, 0.72] in participants in the highest quartile of magnesium intake than those in the lowest quartile. For individuals meeting the RDA for magnesium, the multivariate-adjusted OR for high HOMA-IR over time was 0.37 (95% CI: 0.18, 0.77). These findings indicate that dietary magnesium intake is inadequate among non-diabetic individuals with MetS and suggest that increasing dietary magnesium to meet the RDA has a protective effect on insulin resistance.

Objective. To examine the association of dietary quality and risk of incident diabetes overall and by race/ethnicity among postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Research methods and procedures. The WHI recruited 161,808 postmenopausal women between 1993 and 1998, and followed them until 2005. Incident diabetes was determined annually over an average of 7.6 years from enrollment. At baseline, all participants completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary quality was assessed by the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), calculated from the baseline FFQ responses. Results. There were 10,307 incident cases of self-reported treated diabetes over 1,172,761 person-years of follow-up. Most participants did not meet the AHEI dietary goals; that is, only 0.1% of women met or exceeded the recommended consumption of vegetables, and few (17.3%) met or exceeded the recommended level for total fiber. After adjusting for potential confounders, women in the highest quintile of the AHEI score were 24% less likely to develop diabetes relative to women in the lowest quintile of AHEI [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.76 (95% CI: 0.70–0.82)]. This association was observed in Whites [HR = 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68–0.82)] and Hispanics [HR = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.46–0.99)], but not in Blacks [HR = 0.85 (95% CI: 0.69–1.05)] or Asians [HR = 0.88 (95% CI: 0.57–1.38)]. Conclusion. These findings support a protective role of healthful eating choices in reducing the risk of developing diabetes, after adjusting for other lifestyle factors, in White and Hispanic postmenopausal women. Future studies are needed to investigate the relationship between dietary quality and risk of diabetes among Blacks and Asians in relationship to other lifestyle factors.

Background: Dietary guidelines suggest limiting daily sodium intake to <2,300 mg for the general population, and <1,500 mg/d for those with certain cardiovascular risk factors. Despite these recommendations, few Americans are able to achieve this goal. Identifying challenges in meeting these guidelines is integral for successful compliance. This analysis examined patterns and amount of daily sodium intake among participants with metabolic syndrome enrolled in a one-year dietary intervention study.Methods: Two hundred forty participants with metabolic syndrome enrolled in a dietary intervention trial to lose weight and improve dietary quality. Three 24-hour dietary recalls were collected at each visit which provided meal patterns and nutrient data, including sodium intake. A secondary data analysis was conducted to examine sodium consumption patterns at baseline and at one-year study visits. Sodium consumption patterns over time were examined using linear mixed models.Results: The percentage of meals reported eaten in the home at both baseline and one-year follow-up was approximately 69%. Follow-up for the one-year dietary intervention revealed that the participants who consumed sodium greater than 2,300 mg/d declined from 75% (at baseline) to 59%, and those that consumed higher than 1,500 mg/d declined from 96% (at baseline) to 85%. Average sodium intake decreased from 2,994 mg at baseline to 2,558 mg at one-year (P < 0.001), and the sodium potassium ratio also decreased from 1.211 to 1.047 (P < 0.001). Sodium intake per meal varied significantly by meal type, location, and weekday, with higher intake at dinner, in restaurants, and on weekends. At-home lunch and dinner sodium intake decreased (P < 0.05), while dinner sodium intake at restaurant/fast food chains increased from baseline to one-year (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Sodium intake for the majority of participants exceeded the recommended dietary guidelines. Findings support actions that encourage low-sodium food preparation at home and encourage public health policies that decrease sodium in restaurants and prepared foods.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), are chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. Standard IBD treatment typically employs a combination of anti-inflammatories, immunomodulators and biologics; however, the pharmacological approach is not by itself curative. The Anti-Inflammatory Diet for IBD (IBD-AID) is a nutritional regimen that has been derived from The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). The IBD-AID restricts the intake of complex carbohydrates such as refined sugar, gluten-based grains, and certain starches from the diet. As in the original SCD, these carbohydrates are thought to provide a substrate for proinflammatory bacteria. The IBD-AID also places strong emphasis on the ingestion of pre- and probiotics to help restore the balance of the intestinal flora. A third focus of the IBD-AID is the elimination of trans-fatty acids, and a shift away from foods high in saturated fat and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, with a proportionate encouragement of foods with omega-3 fatty acids. The objective was to assess the efficacy of the IBD-AID as an adjunct or alternative to standard IBD therapy. A literature search for recent studies and review articles was undertaken regarding diet and IBD. After IRB approval, medical records of patients with IBD who have used the IBD-AID to help treat their disease were retrospectively reviewed. Each patient's response to the diet was reviewed based on an estimated Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI) or Modified Truelove and Witts score (MTLWS). Of 11 patients, 8 had CD, 3 had UC. The average age was 42.2 years old (age range 19-70 years). Before the dietary intervention, 7 patients (64%) had one or more drug treatment failures, meaning they had adverse side effects, the medication had no effect, or the medication had become ineffective. After using the IBD-AID, all (100%) of the patients were able to discontinue at least one of their prior anti-inflammatories, immunomodulators or biologics. Additionally, all (100%) of the patients had symptom reduction including bowel frequency. The mean HBI pre-IBD-AID was 11 (range 1-20) and the mean follow-up score was 1.5 (range 0-3). The mean MTLWS pre- IBD-AID was 7 (range 6-8) and the mean follow-up score was 0. The average decrease in the HBI was 9.5 and the average decrease in the MTLWS was 7. This case series indicates the potential for the IBD-AID to be used as an adjunct or alternative therapy for the treatment of IBD. Further randomized, prospective trials are needed. Strategies to improve palatability of and compliance with the IBD-AID are also needed.