Higher dietary acid load potentially increases serum triglyceride and obesity prevalence in adults: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 5; p. e0216547
• Main Authors: Abbasalizad Farhangi, Mahdieh, Nikniaz, Leila, Nikniaz, Zeinab
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 09-05-2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acid production; Acids; Acids - adverse effects; Adult; Adults; Anthropometry; Biology and Life Sciences; Blood lipids; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol; Confidence intervals; Diabetes; Diet; Diet - adverse effects; Fruits; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Lipids; Low density lipoprotein; Low density lipoproteins; Medicine and Health Sciences; Men; Meta-analysis; Metabolic diseases; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Mortality; Nutrition research; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - etiology; Parameters; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Prevention; Prognosis; Proteins; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; Serum lipids; Subgroups; Systematic review; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; Upgrading; Iran
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216547

In the current meta-analysis, we aimed to systematically review and summarize the eligible studies evaluating the association between dietary acid load in terms of potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net-endogenous acid production (NEAP) with anthropometric parameters and serum lipids in adult population.
In a systematic search from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences and Cochrane electronic databases up to December 2018, relevant studies were included. Cross-sectional, case control or cohort studies evaluating the association between PRAL and NEAP with the mean values of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, HDL), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and the prevalence of obesity were included.
According to our results, having higher dietary acid load content in terms of high PRAL scores was associated with higher triglyceride concentrations (weighted mean difference (WMD): 3.468; confidence interval (CI): -0.231, 7.166, P = 0.04) and higher obesity prevalence (30% and 27% in highest versus lowest categories). Accordingly, being in the highest category of NEAP was associated with higher prevalence of obesity (25% and 22% in highest versus lowest category). In subgroup analysis, higher PRAL scores was associated with higher BMI in women (WMD: 0.122; CI: -0.001, 0.245; P = 0.049) and higher NEAP in men (WMD: 0.890; CI: 0.430, 1.350; P < 0.001). There was no association between dietary acid load and other studied parameters.
In the current meta-analysis, high dietary acid load content was associated with higher serum triglyceride concentrations and higher obesity prevalence. Reducing dietary acid load content might be a useful preventive strategy against obesity and metabolic disorders.