Dietary Inflammatory Index is associated with Healthy Eating Index, Alternative Healthy Eating Index, and dietary patterns among Iranian adults

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations have evaluated the effect of the inflammatory potential of diet in several populations by calculating the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score. We aimed to evaluate the association of the DII with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and dietary pattern (DP) among healthy Iranian adults. METHODS: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 4365 middle‐aged adults. Major DPs and DII score were identified using a validated semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association of DPs, HEI, and AHEI across tertiles of DII. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding variables, a low HEI (HEI < 55) and AHEI (AHEI < 56.5) were more prevalent among the participants in the highest tertile of DII compared to the first tertile (PR: 1.13, P‐value <.05; PR: 1.10, P‐value <.05; respectively). Adherence to a balanced healthy dietary pattern was significantly lower in subjects with a diet that was more pro‐inflammatory compared to those with anti‐inflammatory diet (PR: 0.85, P‐value P < .01). No significant association was found between the DII and a western DP. High levels of HDL and hip and waist circumference were observed in the highest tertile of DII, and high levels of dietary intake of protein and fiber, minerals, fasting blood glucose, and monounsaturated fat were reported in the lowest tertile of DII. CONCLUSION: The highest tertile of the DII (a pro‐inflammatory diet) was associated with a lower HEI, AHEI, and lower adherence to balanced DP in a representative sample of adults in Iran.