Submit to Nutrients Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Obesity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 19197

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Fátima Pérez De Heredia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Interests: physiology of nutrition, obesity, and adipose tissue; links between nutritional status, adiposity, and inflammation; feasibility and usefulness of dietary and exercise interventions for improving body composition and cardiometabolic risk in cardiac rehabilitation patients

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to introduce this Special Issue on a topic that is now hotter than ever. It is widely accepted that obesity is an inflammatory condition, and although the exact mechanisms are multiple and remain to be completely unraveled, the consequences manifest in the various comorbidities associated with unhealthy body fat accumulation and distribution patterns. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has provided more evidence of the links between obesity and a dysregulated inflammatory response, making these links even more relevant.

In this Special Issue, we will present the latest research on the links between obesity and inflammation, increased cardiometabolic risk, and the development of comorbidities and present the latest evidence on the role that diet, foods, and nutrients can play to ameliorate these conditions.

Dr. Fátima Pérez De Heredia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

obesity
adipose tissue
inflammation
oxidative stress
nutrient overload
cardiometabolic risk

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Higher Healthy Eating Index Is Associated with Decreased Markers of Inflammation and Lower Odds for Being Overweight/Obese Based on a Case-Control Study

by Farhad Vahid, Mahsa Jalili, Wena Rahmani, Zahra Nasiri and Torsten Bohn

Nutrients 2022, 14(23), 5127; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14235127 - 2 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3317

Abstract

Obesity is a health risk characterized by chronic inflammation, and food choices are strongly associated with its etiology. Our objective was to investigate the association between dietary patterns and the healthy eating index (HEI) with the odds of overweight/obesity and related inflammatory markers. Within a population-based case-control study, we collected data and samples from 793 normal-weight and 812 overweight/obese Iranian people (based on either body mass index (BMI) or body surface area (BSA)). Dietary intake and HEI scores were obtained via a validated 124-item food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric and socioeconomic parameters, as well as blood inflammatory markers, were measured. Participants with higher HEI scores had higher serum high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and significantly lower energy intake. Water consumption in the overweight/obese group was significantly lower than in the control group. In the final models using partial correlation and controlling for multiple confounders, there was a significant inverse correlation between HEI and interleukin-4 (IL-4, R = −0.063), IL-1β (R = −0.054), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, R = −0.069). Based on multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for multiple confounders, there was a significant association between HEI as a continuous variable (OR = 0.993, 95% CI: 0.988–0.999) and categorical variable (OR = 0.801, 95% CI: 0.658–0.977) and odds of overweight/obesity across BMI groups. The dietary patterns in the case and control groups however were similar, and we failed to find a significant association between HEI and odds of overweight/obesity based on BSA. Adherence to healthy eating recommendations may be a prudent recommendation to prevent overweight/obesity and keeping inflammatory indicators low. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet)

10 pages, 1295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proinflammatory Polyphosphate Increases in Plasma of Obese Children with Insulin Resistance and Adults with Severe Type 2 Diabetes

by Marcela Montilla, Andrea Liberato, Pablo Ruiz-Ocaña, Ana Sáez-Benito, Manuel Aguilar-Diosdado, Alfonso Maria Lechuga-Sancho and Felix A. Ruiz

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4601; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214601 - 1 Nov 2022

Viewed by 2099

Abstract

Obesity increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes through increased inflammation at cellular and tissue levels. Therefore, study of the molecular elements involved in obesity-related inflammation may contribute to preventing and controlling it. Inorganic polyphosphate is a natural phosphate polymer that has recently been attracting more attention for its role in inflammation and hemostasis processes. Polyphosphates are one of the main constituents of human platelets, which are secreted after platelet activation. Among other roles, they interact with multiple proteins of the coagulation cascade, trigger bradykinin release, and inhibit the complement system. Despite its importance, determinations of polyphosphate levels in blood plasma had been elusive until recently, when we developed a method to detect these levels precisely. Here, we perform cross sectional studies to evaluate plasma polyphosphate in: 25 children, most of them with obesity and overweight, and 20 adults, half of them with severe type 2 diabetes. Our results show that polyphosphate increases, in a significant manner, in children with insulin resistance and in type 2 diabetes patients. As we demonstrated before that polyphosphate decreases in healthy overweight individuals, these results suggest that this polymer could be an inflammation biomarker in the metabolic disease onset before diabetes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1868 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Docosahexaenoic Acid Counteracts the Hypoxic-Induced Inflammatory and Metabolic Alterations in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

by Noura B. Younes, Omnia Ahmed Mohamed and Nasser M. Rizk

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4600; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214600 - 1 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2068

Abstract

Background: Hypoxia is caused by the excessive expansion of the white adipose tissue (AT) and is associated with obesity-related conditions such as insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid reported to have beneficial health effects. However, the effects of DHA in AT against hypoxia-induced immune-metabolic perturbations in adipocytes exposed to low O₂ tension are not well known. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of DHA on markers of inflammation, metabolism, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in 3T3-L1 cell adipocytes exposed to low O₂ tension (1% O₂) induced hypoxia. Methods: The apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) rates were evaluated. Metabolic parameters such as lactate, FFA, glycerol release, glucose uptake, and ATP content were assessed by a fluorometer. The expression of HIF-1, GLUT1 and the secretion of adipocytokines such as leptin, adiponectin, and pro-inflammatory markers was evaluated. Results: DHA-treated hypoxic cells showed significantly decreased basal free fatty acid release, lactate production, and enhanced glucose consumption. In addition, DHA-treatment of hypoxic cells caused a significant reduction in the apoptosis rate and ROS production with decreased lipid peroxidation. Moreover, DHA-treatment of hypoxic cells caused a decreased secretion of pro-inflammatory markers (IL-6, MCP-1) and leptin and increased adiponectin secretion compared with hypoxic cells. Furthermore, DHA-treatment of hypoxic cells caused significant reductions in the expression of genes related to hypoxia (HIF-1, HIF-2), anaerobic metabolism (GLUT1 and Ldha), ATP production (ANT2), and fat metabolism (FASN and PPARY). Conclusion: This study suggests that DHA can exert potential anti-obesity effects by reducing the secretion of inflammatory adipokines, oxidative stress, lipolysis, and apoptosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Moringa oleifera Lam. Supplementation on Inflammatory and Cardiometabolic Markers in Subjects with Prediabetes

by Ligia E. Díaz-Prieto, Sonia Gómez-Martínez, Iván Vicente-Castro, Carlos Heredia, Elena A. González-Romero, María del Carmen Martín-Ridaura, Mercedes Ceinos, María J. Picón, Ascensión Marcos and Esther Nova

Nutrients 2022, 14(9), 1937; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091937 - 5 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2878

Abstract

Different parts of the Moringa oleifera Lam. (MO) tree are consumed as food or food supplements for their nutritional and medicinal value; however, very few human studies have been published on the topic. The current work was aimed to provide ancillary analysis to the antidiabetic effects previously reported in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group intervention conducted in patients with prediabetes. Thus, the effect of MO leaves on blood and fecal inflammatory markers, serum lipid profile, plasma antioxidant capacity and blood pressure was studied in participants who consumed 6 × 400 mg capsule/day of MO dry leaf powder (MO, n = 31) or placebo (PLC, n = 34) over 12 weeks. Differences between groups were assessed using each biomarker’s change score with, adjustment for fat status and the baseline value. In addition, a decision tree analysis was performed to find individual characteristics influencing the glycemic response to MO supplementation. No differences in the biomarker’s change scores were found between the groups; however, the decision tree analysis revealed that plasma TNF-α was a significant predictor of the subject’s HbA1c response (improvement YES/NO; 77% correct classification) in the MO group. In conclusion, TNF-α seems to be a key factor to identify potential respondents to MO leaf powder. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 1268 KiB

Open AccessReview

Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD), Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease: Associations with Fructose Metabolism and Gut Microbiota

by Karolina Drożdż, Katarzyna Nabrdalik, Weronika Hajzler, Hanna Kwiendacz, Janusz Gumprecht and Gregory Y. H. Lip

Nutrients 2022, 14(1), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010103 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 7832

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common condition associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Since systemic metabolic dysfunction underlies NAFLD, the current nomenclature has been revised, and the term metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been proposed. The new definition emphasizes the bidirectional relationships and increases awareness in looking for fatty liver disease among patients with T2DM and CVD or its risk factors, as well as looking for these diseases among patients with NAFLD. The most recommended treatment method of NAFLD is lifestyle changes, including dietary fructose limitation, although other treatment methods of NAFLD have recently emerged and are being studied. Given the focus on the liver–gut axis targeting, bacteria may also be a future aim of NAFLD treatment given the microbiome signatures discriminating healthy individuals from those with NAFLD. In this review article, we will provide an overview of the associations of fructose consumption, gut microbiota, diabetes, and CVD in patients with NAFLD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Obesity and Inflammation: The Role of Nutrition and Diet

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (5 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI