Increased adherence to the DASH diet is associated with decreased odds of metabolic disease in young people, especially overweight girls

In a recent study published in scientific reportresearchers evaluated the relationship between Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and metabolic health in overweight and obese youth in Iran.

background

Overweight and obesity among adolescents is a global health problem associated with metabolic abnormalities such as hypertension, blood lipid abnormalities, glucose metabolism disorders, and insulin resistance. These diseases increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and early death. Lifestyle variables such as diet and exercise influence metabolic health.

Recent studies have reported a positive relationship between high intake of vegetables and fruits, low sugar drinks and fat, and healthy eating and metabolically healthy overweight. It has been suggested that there is a link between this and obesity. The DASH diet, which includes more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and low-fat dairy products, has been studied in adolescents, but controversial findings warrant further research. be.

About research

In this cross-sectional study, researchers investigated the metabolic effects of the DASH diet in overweight and obese youth.

The research team studied 203 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 who were overweight or obese, as determined by their body mass index (BMI) values ​​using the Quetelet formula. Eligible students were not on a weight-loss diet, had no endocrine or genetic disorders, and were not using vitamin or mineral supplements or medications that could alter their metabolic profile.

Researchers obtained dietary intake data using a standardized food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We also collected data on anthropometric parameters such as circulating insulin, blood pressure, lipid profile, and fasting blood glucose levels. The research team identified eight factors: high intake of low-fat dairy products, whole grains, seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, and low intake of sodium, sweetened beverages, and processed and red meat. We characterized the DASH score based on.

The team took blood samples from all participants for biochemical analysis. They measured insulin levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and determined insulin resistance using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) criteria. We checked your metabolic health based on:

Researchers assessed physical activity levels using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and total caloric intake using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food composition database. . They used multivariate logistic regression to determine the odds ratios (ORs) of the association between the DASH diet and metabolic health, adjusting for age, gender, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and total caloric intake. I calculated.

result

The mean age and BMI of study participants were 14 years and 27 kg/m2, respectively. Of the participants, 79 (42 girls, 37 boys, 39%) had metabolically unhealthy overweight or obesity (MUO) by the IDF definition, and 62 by the IDF and HOMA-IR results. 32 women and 35 men (33%) had MUO. Guidelines. Using the IDF definition, her MUO prevalence in the highest tertile of the DASH diet was lower compared to the lowest statistical tertile (10 vs. 67%). Similar results were obtained using the HOMA-IR guidelines (10 vs. 61%).

People in the top tertile of the DASH diet have higher HDL-c levels, lower blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, triglycerides, HOMA-IR levels, and more I was physically active. With confounder adjustment, her MUO odds were 91% and 92% for individuals in the highest and lowest DASH tertiles, respectively, using IDF/IR (OR, 0.09) and IDF definition (OR, 0.08) was shown to be low.

Highest and lowest DASH adherence was associated with lower odds of hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, and low HDL cholesterolemia, with odds ratios of 0.1, 0.3, 0.1, and 0.3, respectively. Subgroup analysis by BMI and gender showed a stronger association among women (OR, 0.02) than men (OR, 0.09). The DASH diet is rich in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, and magnesium, and low in sodium, which may reduce inflammation and improve metabolic health.

conclusion

Overall, the study results showed that increased adherence to the DASH diet was associated with decreased odds of metabolic diseases among Iranian adolescents, especially overweight girls. The study also found that adherence to the DASH diet reduced the risk of hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and low HDL cholesterol. Further studies, including prospective studies, may validate the findings.

The inverse association observed between DASH dietary patterns and MUO categories in the current study was due to the fact that adolescents had higher intakes of health-related DASH components such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and seeds. This indicates that you need to increase the . , consuming nuts and at the same time limiting intake of unhealthy foods such as processed and red meat, sugary drinks, and salt to improve diet quality and reduce the burden of metabolic disease.