Diet Induced Acidosis Is Associated With Lower Circulating Adiponectin Levels Regardless of Body Weight Status

Low circulating Adiponectin level have been observed to significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and several malignancies. A number of potential determinants of the circulating Adiponectin levels have been investigated in order to develop newer preventive strategies for such diseases. The possible role of diet induced acidosis in decreasing the circulating level of Adiponectin in healthy population has been proposed. However, findings from previous studies are not consistent. It is likely that the association is affected by genetic and environmental factors that differ among different populations. We investigated the impact of diet induced acidosis on the circulating level of Adiponectin in a group of apparently healthy adult Nigerians. Food frequency questionnaire and the Nigerian Food Composition Table were used for the assessment of dietary intake. Acid forming potential of our local diets were estimated as Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) scores. Plasma total Adiponectin was measured. Across the quartiles of the PRAL scores, there was a statistically significant trend with higher intake of dietary acid associated with significant decreased circulating Adiponectin level (p for trend < 0.05. Study participants in the highest quartile of the PRAL scores have a statistically significant lower Adiponectin level compared with participants in the lowest quartile (12.6 ± 2.2µg/mL vs. 6.1 ± 2.5µg/mL, p < 0.05). We conclude that among the subjects in this study lower intake of dietary acid is associated with significant increase in circulating Adiponectin level.