Night Shift Workers More Likely to Have “Pro-Inflammatory” Diet

Michael Wirth, MSPH, Ph.D., of the University of South Carolina, Columbia, analyzed the relationship between shiftwork and pro-inflammatory diet using data from a nationwide sample of employed adults. Based on diet questionnaires, the researchers calculated a "dietary inflammatory index" (DII) for each individual. The greater the DII score, the more pro-inflammatory the diet. The results showed that shift workers had an elevated DII compared with day workers. For those who worked varying shifts, the average DII was 1.07, compared with .86 for day workers. Women had higher DII values than men. Among women, the DII was higher for evening or night shift workers compared with day workers: 1.48 versus 1.17. A pro-inflammatory diet might be one factor contributing to shiftwork-related health risks which include high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Feb 2014