The diet score includes a special section for 'smart foods' like turmeric, green tea, and olive oil — things that might help the heart, even if they're not traditional staples.
Claim Context
The iPACE-DQI includes a unique 'Smart Foods' component assessing intake of turmeric, soluble fiber supplements, green tea, and extra-virgin olive oil, reflecting a culturally adapted approach to incorporating potential cardioprotective foods in the Indian diet.
“The final component, 'Smart foods score', considers cardio-protective role of certain supplementary foods: turmeric, soluble-fiber supplement, olives or extra-virgin olive oil, and green tea; scoring criteria in Table 1.”
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Whether consumption of turmeric, green tea, soluble fiber, and olive oil, as captured by the iPACE-DQI 'Smart Foods' component, is independently associated with reduced CVD risk in South Asians.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12+ prospective cohort studies in South Asian populations, examining whether intake of these four 'smart foods' independently predicts CVD events or hs-CRP levels after adjusting for overall diet quality.
Whether adding one or more 'Smart Foods' to the diet reduces hs-CRP in Indian adults.
A double-blind RCT of 120 Indian adults with elevated hs-CRP, randomized to daily supplementation of turmeric (500mg curcumin), green tea extract (400mg EGCG), soluble fiber (10g psyllium), or olive oil (20g), vs. placebo, for 12 weeks, measuring hs-CRP as primary outcome.
Whether higher 'Smart Foods' scores on the iPACE-DQI predict lower CVD risk independently of other components.
A prospective cohort of 2,000 Indian adults with baseline iPACE-DQI scoring, stratifying by 'Smart Foods' score (0–10), and tracking CVD events over 8 years, adjusting for total iPACE-DQI score and other confounders.
Whether 'Smart Foods' intake correlates with lower hs-CRP in Indian adults.
A cross-sectional survey of 1,000 Indian adults measuring daily intake of the four 'Smart Foods' and hs-CRP levels, testing for association after adjusting for age, BMI, and overall diet quality.
Whether individuals who adopt 'Smart Foods' report perceived health improvements.
A case series of 15 Indian adults who increased 'Smart Foods' intake as part of iPACE-DQI counseling, documenting self-reported changes in energy, digestion, or inflammation symptoms over 3 months.