Food Intervention with Folate Reduces TNF-α and Interleukin Levels in Overweight and Obese Women with the <i>MTHFR</i> C677T Polymorphism: A Randomized Trial
Jéssica Vanessa de Carvalho Lisboa,
Marina Ramalho Ribeiro,
Rafaella Cristhine Pordeus Luna,
Raquel Patrícia Ataíde Lima,
Rayner Anderson Ferreira do Nascimento,
Mussara Gomes Cavalcante Alves Monteiro,
Keylha Querino de Farias Lima,
Carla Patrícia Novaes dos Santos Fechine,
Naila Francis Paulo de Oliveira,
Darlene Camati Persuhn,
Robson Cavalcante Veras,
Maria da Conceição Rodrigues Gonçalves,
Flávia Emília Leite de Lima Ferreira,
Roberto Teixeira Lima,
Alexandre Sérgio da Silva,
Alcides da Silva Diniz,
Aléssio Tony Cavalcanti de Almeida,
Ronei Marcos de Moraes,
Eliseu Verly Junior,
Maria José de Carvalho Costa
Affiliations
Jéssica Vanessa de Carvalho Lisboa
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Marina Ramalho Ribeiro
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Rafaella Cristhine Pordeus Luna
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Raquel Patrícia Ataíde Lima
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Rayner Anderson Ferreira do Nascimento
Postgraduate Program in Molecular and Human Biology, Center of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Mussara Gomes Cavalcante Alves Monteiro
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Keylha Querino de Farias Lima
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Carla Patrícia Novaes dos Santos Fechine
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Naila Francis Paulo de Oliveira
Departament of Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Darlene Camati Persuhn
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Robson Cavalcante Veras
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Maria da Conceição Rodrigues Gonçalves
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Flávia Emília Leite de Lima Ferreira
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Roberto Teixeira Lima
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Alexandre Sérgio da Silva
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Alcides da Silva Diniz
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, Brazil
Aléssio Tony Cavalcanti de Almeida
Department of Economics, Postgraduate Program in App1lied Economics and Economics of the Public Sector, Center for Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Ronei Marcos de Moraes
Postgraduate Program in Health Decision Models, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Eliseu Verly Junior
Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Medicine, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, Brazil
Maria José de Carvalho Costa
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58059-900, Brazil
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism associated with body fat accumulation could possibly trigger an inflammatory process by elevating homocysteine levels and increasing cytokine production, causing several diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of food intervention, and not folate supplements, on the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in overweight and obese women with the MTHFR C677T polymorphism. A randomized, double-blind eight-week clinical trial of 48 overweight and obese women was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups. They received 300 g of vegetables daily for eight weeks containing different doses of folate: 95 µg/day for Group 1 and 191 µg/day for Group 2. MTHFR C677T polymorphism genotyping was assessed by digestion with HinfI enzyme and on 12% polyacrylamide gels. Anthropometric measurements, 24-h dietary recall, and biochemical analysis (blood folic acid, vitamin B12, homocysteine (Hcy), TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) were determined at the beginning and end of the study. Group 2 had a significant increase in folate intake (p < 0.001) and plasma folic acid (p < 0.05) for individuals with the cytosine−cytosine (CC), cytosine−thymine (CT), and thymine−thymine (TT) genotypes. However, only individuals with the TT genotype presented reduced levels of Hcy, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β (p < 0.001). Group 1 showed significant differences in folate consumption (p < 0.001) and folic acid levels (p < 0.05) for individuals with the CT and TT genotypes. Food intervention with folate from vegetables increased folic acid levels and reduced interleukins, TNF-α, and Hcy levels, mainly for individuals with the TT genotype.