The effects of diet quality and dietary acid load on insulin resistance in overweight children and adolescents

Introduction This study aimed to investigate the association of diet quality (DQ) and dietary acid load (DAL) with insulin resistance (IR) in overweight children and adolescents. Materials and methods The study was conducted on 135 overweight participants aged 6–17 years. DQ was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) and the HEI-2015-TUBER, revised in accordance with the Turkey Dietary Guidelines (TUBER). Estimation of DAL was made calculating the potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) scores. Results The HEI-2015-TUBER score was lower in those with IR than in those without IR (p = 0.021). Higher PRAL and NEAP scores were found in those with IR (p = 0.060 and p = 0.044, respectively). Moreover, a one-unit increase in the HEI-2015-TUBER score and the DAL score was associated with a reduction of 4.2% and a rise of approximately 3% in IR risk, respectively. Conclusions Healthy eating habits in overweight paediatric groups may help to reduce the IR risk, improving DQ and decreasing DAL.