Abstract
- Background
While robust preclinical and animal investigations have consistently demonstrated that higher dietary intakes of cruciferous vegetables or their bioactive constituents effectively suppress systemic inflammation, clinical and epidemiological evidence supporting these anti-inflammatory effects in human populations remains remarkably scarce. This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the associations between habitual vegetable consumption and a comprehensive panel of systemic circulating inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in a large cohort of middle-aged Chinese women.
- Methods
A cross-sectional analytical evaluation was conducted among 1,005 middle-aged Chinese women. Habitual dietary intake of specific food groups—including total vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, and non-cruciferous vegetables—was comprehensively assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Fasting blood samples and timed urine collections were analyzed to quantify circulating plasma or serum concentrations of key pro-inflammatory cytokines, specifically tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1$\beta$), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), alongside urinary excretion markers of oxidative stress, notably F2-isoprostanes and their major metabolic breakdown product, 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F2t-IsoP. Multivariable linear regression models, rigorously adjusted for potential dietary, lifestyle, and anthropometric confounders, were utilized to evaluate dose-response trends across intake quintiles.
- Results
Multivariable-adjusted analyses revealed that circulating concentrations of key pro-inflammatory cytokines—specifically TNF-$\alpha$, IL-1$\beta$, and IL-6—were significantly lower among women with higher habitual intakes of cruciferous vegetables. Comparing extreme quintiles of cruciferous vegetable consumption demonstrated substantial percentage reductions in inflammatory biomarker concentrations: 12.66% for TNF-$\alpha$ ($P_{\text{trend}} = 0.01$), 18.18% for IL-1$\beta$ ($P_{\text{trend}} = 0.02$), and 24.68% for IL-6 ($P_{\text{trend}} = 0.02$). A similar, albeit weaker, inverse association was observed for total combined vegetable intake, whereas no statistically significant associations were detected for non-cruciferous vegetables alone. Furthermore, urinary excretion levels of oxidative stress markers (F2-isoprostanes and 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F2t-IsoP) showed no significant association with either cruciferous or total vegetable intake.
- Conclusions
This epidemiological study provides strong human clinical evidence indicating that the established health benefits of cruciferous vegetable consumption are attributable, at least in part, to their potent systemic anti-inflammatory properties.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4063312/