Not all Chinese food is equal: study ranks cuisines by inflammatory potential

New study maps the inflammatory potential of China's iconic regional dishes—revealing that fiery Sichuan meals may actually soothe inflammation while sweeter southern styles stir it up.

Study: Nutrition and dietary inflammatory indices of the eight major cuisines of China. Image Credit: JJJW / ShutterstockStudy: Nutrition and dietary inflammatory indices of the eight major cuisines of China. Image Credit: JJJW / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal BMC Nutrition, researchers assessed ingredients, dietary inflammatory index (DII), and food composition of major Chinese cuisines.

Chinese cuisine is visually appealing and delectable. Various factors, including local climate, existing biota, cultural context, agricultural resources, and advancements in trade, technology, and exploration, have contributed to the evolution of these cuisines. There are eight major Chinese cuisines: Anhui, Hunan, Cantonese, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Shandong.

Almost all diseases in humans are linked to lifestyle and diet. While little is known about the health effects of various cuisines, the incidence and prevalence of several lifestyle diseases differ significantly across regions. Therefore, information on food ingredients, nutritional and energy content, and health or disease-related indicators is required for a comprehensive understanding of cuisines.

About the study

In the present study, researchers analyzed the DII, primary nutrients, and energy content of the eight major Chinese cuisines. They collected information about the ingredients, including their weight, name, and loss of raw elements, for each ingredient used. Ingredients were stratified into 26 food groups. The dosage and usage rate of food groups were estimated.

The China Food Composition Tables (CFCTs) were used to derive the nutrient and energy content of each dish. Dishes were classified into anti-inflammatory (DII < 0), neutral (DII = 0), and pro-inflammatory (DII > 0) categories. Because CFCTs lacked information on some foods, the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan and published literature were used as supplementary resources.

Nutrient and energy contents were estimated and separately normalized for weight (standard 100 g serving per dish) and energy (energy-equivalent serving of 2056 kcal per dish). DII was calculated based on the daily mean food intake. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to examine differences among cuisines. A systematic cluster analysis based on macronutrients was conducted to differentiate between distinct clusters or groups of dishes.

Findings

Overall, 980 dishes representing the eight Chinese cuisines were included for analysis. The most prevalent food groups were similar across cuisines; these included 1) condiments, 2) scallion, ginger, and garlic, 3) poultry, 4) vegetable oils, 5) cooking alcohol, 6) starchy foods, 7) aquatic foods, 8) eggs, 9) animal fat, 10) livestock meat, and 11) non-leafy vegetables. Condiments were the most popular across all cuisines.

Notably, most cuisines used much more animal fats than vegetable fats. Jiangsu cuisine ranked the highest in the usage of free sugars, followed by Zhejiang cuisine. Sichuan cuisine had the highest fat and energy content per standard 100 g serving of a dish; Fujian cuisine had the lowest. Further, dishes from Sichuan cuisine had minimal carbohydrate content, while those from Zhejiang cuisine had peak levels.

In addition, Sichuan cuisine had significantly higher levels of dietary fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and β-carotene. Shandong cuisine had the lowest levels of niacin, β-carotene, and vitamins B6 and C. Cholesterol and protein levels were significantly different across cuisines. For each energy-equivalent serving of a dish, Sichuan cuisine had the highest levels of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and total fat, and the lowest levels of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins B12 and D, niacin, cholesterol, and folic acid.

By contrast, Fujian cuisine had the highest levels of vitamin D, folic acid, vitamin B12, carbohydrates, and riboflavin, and the lowest levels of fat. Anhui cuisine had the lowest levels of vitamin E and dietary fiber, but the highest levels of protein, vitamin A, niacin, and thiamin. There were significant differences in the DII across cuisines.

Sichuan cuisine had the lowest DII, while Anhui cuisine had the highest DII. No dish had a DII of 0. The cluster analysis revealed two distinct clusters for each energy-equivalent serving: high carbohydrate and high fat-protein. Sichuan cuisine had the highest percentage of high-fat-protein content, whereas Anhui cuisine had the lowest.

Interestingly, cuisines with stronger flavors, like Sichuan, may offer more anti-inflammatory benefits than lighter-tasting styles, challenging conventional dietary assumptions. Contrary to expectations, the high-fat profile of Sichuan cuisine was not associated with higher DII scores, likely due to its high dietary fiber content.

Conclusions

In summary, major Chinese cuisines exhibited distinct ingredient choices and significantly different energy and nutrient compositions. Sichuan cuisine had greater levels of fat, energy, β-carotene, and dietary fiber, while Fujian and Zhejiang cuisines were abundant in protein and carbohydrates. Anhui cuisine had the highest proportion of pro-inflammatory dishes, followed by Fujian cuisine, while Sichuan cuisine had the lowest. Sichuan cuisine also had the highest percentage of high-fat-protein dishes, contrary to common assumptions.

The authors caution that applying the DII to Chinese diets involves limitations due to missing data on certain food components and differences in culinary traditions. They also note that the complexity of dishes and individual culinary interpretation mean that generalizations about cuisines should be made cautiously.

Journal reference:
Tarun Sai Lomte

Written by

Tarun Sai Lomte

Tarun is a writer based in Hyderabad, India. He has a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Hyderabad and is enthusiastic about scientific research. He enjoys reading research papers and literature reviews and is passionate about writing.

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