Overview of the Dietary Inflammatory Index™
The DII® Explained
The Dietary Inflammatory Index™ (DII®) was created with the knowledge accumulated over many decades of research showing that diet exerts a major influence over systemic, chronic inflammation. Besides making one feel achy and lethargic, chronic inflammation is associated with a range of chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The DII® estimates the inflammatory potential of one’s diet through data provided by having individuals fill out a food frequency questionnaire. The resulting DII® score is then used to educate and inform individuals about the quality of their diet.
Why Your DII® is Important
A large, persuasive, and ever-increasing body of evidence links chronic inflammation to virtually all of the chronic diseases that cause the majority of disability and death in the U.S., including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Combined, these conditions affect well over 50% of the population in the United States alone. The total cost to our healthcare system of these conditions combined is estimated to be over $470 billion per year. Research has shown, however, that many of these conditions are largely preventable or mitigated through adopting a less inflammatory diet (i.e., one with more anti-inflammatory foods and fewer pro-inflammatory foods).
How the DII® Works
The DII® is essentially a way to measure how “inflammatory” a food product is to your body. According to Dr. Hébert, though, complicating the issue is the fact that Western diets make it difficult for many Americans to comprehend the concept of pro-inflammatory vs anti-inflammatory foods.
For example, on the DII®, many dairy products such as yogurt and milk are classified as “highly inflammatory” while chili peppers are “anti-inflammatory.” Says Hébert, “The confusion often arises from a disconnect between the taste of the foods and their physiological inflammatory or anti-inflammatory properties on the body.”
Dietary Inflammation Food Grades™: The Dietary Inflammatory Index™ (DII®) is the index used to measure how inflammatory foods are to your body. It is derived through a complex mathematical formula. In order to make the raw DII® scores easier to understand for consumers, they are converted into a simple “A to F” scale called Dietary Inflammation Food Grades™, which can then be used for labeling recipes.
The DII®–Certified Seal of Approval : Products which meet certain standards are afforded the opportunity to display the DII®–Certified Seal of Approval.
