Fish-rich diet, leptin, and body mass.
BACKGROUND
Leptin has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. A diet rich in fish has been associated with decreased cardiac and vascular risk.


RESULTS
We examined the relationship between diet and leptin in 2 related homogeneous African tribal populations of Tanzania. One tribe consumes freshwater fish as their main diet component (n=279), and the other tribe consumes a primarily vegetarian diet (n=329). In multivariate analysis, plasma leptin levels were associated with type of diet (F=14.3, P<0.001), independent of age, body mass index, body fat, alcohol consumption, or insulin. Both male (2.5+/-2 [fish diet] versus 11.2+/-2.4 [vegetarian diet] ng/mL, P=0.017) and female (5.0+/-1.9 [fish diet] versus 11.8+/-1.4 [vegetarian diet] ng/mL, P=0.007) fish eaters had lower plasma leptin levels than did their vegetable diet counterparts, even though body mass index values were virtually identical.


CONCLUSIONS
A diet rich in fish is associated with lower plasma leptin, independent of body fat. These findings may have implications for understanding the reduced cardiovascular risk in subjects on a high-fish diet.
University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Mikolaj
M
Winnicki
Virend K
VK
Somers
Valentina
V
Accurso
Bradley G
BG
Phillips
Massimo
M
Puato
Paolo
P
Palatini
Paolo
P
Pauletto
D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013636:Tanzania
D020738:Leptin