TY - JOUR
T1 - Vitamin D-rich marine Inuit diet and markers of inflammation – a population-based survey in Greenland
AU - Schæbel, L K
AU - Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E C
AU - Laurberg, P
AU - Vestergaard, H
AU - Andersen, S
PY - 2015/12/16
Y1 - 2015/12/16
N2 - The traditional Inuit diet in Greenland consists mainly of fish and marine mammals, rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory capacity but markers of inflammation have been found to be high in Inuit living on a marine diet. Yet, the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in Inuit remains unsettled. This led us to investigate the association between vitamin D and markers of inflammation in a population with a high intake of a marine diet. We studied 535 Inuit and non-Inuit living in West and East Greenland. Information concerning dietary habits was obtained by interview-based FFQ. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and chitinase-3-like protein 1(YKL-40). Participants were divided into three groups based on degree of intake of the traditional Inuit diet. The diet groups (Inuit diet/mixed diet/imported foods) were associated with vitamin D levels in serum (74.2, 69.8 and 52.9 nm; P < 0.001), hsCRP (1.6, 1.4 and 1.3 mg/l; P = 0.002) and YKL-40 (130, 95 and 61 ng/ml; P < 0.001), respectively. YKL-40 level decreased with rising vitamin D level in Inuit (Inuit diet P = 0.002; mixed diet P = 0.011). YKL-40 was lower in groups with higher vitamin D levels after adjusting for other factors known to influence inflammation (P < 0.001). This was not seen for hsCRP. In conclusion, vitamin D and markers of inflammation vary in parallel with the intake of the marine Inuit diet. Vitamin D levels were inversely associated with YKL-40 levels, but no association with hsCRP was found. The hypothesised anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D was not supported. Other factors in the marine diet may be speculated to influence inflammation.
AB - The traditional Inuit diet in Greenland consists mainly of fish and marine mammals, rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory capacity but markers of inflammation have been found to be high in Inuit living on a marine diet. Yet, the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in Inuit remains unsettled. This led us to investigate the association between vitamin D and markers of inflammation in a population with a high intake of a marine diet. We studied 535 Inuit and non-Inuit living in West and East Greenland. Information concerning dietary habits was obtained by interview-based FFQ. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and chitinase-3-like protein 1(YKL-40). Participants were divided into three groups based on degree of intake of the traditional Inuit diet. The diet groups (Inuit diet/mixed diet/imported foods) were associated with vitamin D levels in serum (74.2, 69.8 and 52.9 nm; P < 0.001), hsCRP (1.6, 1.4 and 1.3 mg/l; P = 0.002) and YKL-40 (130, 95 and 61 ng/ml; P < 0.001), respectively. YKL-40 level decreased with rising vitamin D level in Inuit (Inuit diet P = 0.002; mixed diet P = 0.011). YKL-40 was lower in groups with higher vitamin D levels after adjusting for other factors known to influence inflammation (P < 0.001). This was not seen for hsCRP. In conclusion, vitamin D and markers of inflammation vary in parallel with the intake of the marine Inuit diet. Vitamin D levels were inversely associated with YKL-40 levels, but no association with hsCRP was found. The hypothesised anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D was not supported. Other factors in the marine diet may be speculated to influence inflammation.
U2 - 10.1017/jns.2015.33
DO - 10.1017/jns.2015.33
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 26793305
SN - 2048-6790
VL - 4
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Journal of Nutritional Science
JF - Journal of Nutritional Science
M1 - e40
ER -
