A recent study recently published in Engineering has revealed how the combinations of foods consumed over an extended period can significantly impact cardiometabolic health. Led by a team of scientists from various institutions, including the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health, the research analyzed data from two large cohorts: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States and the Guangdong Gut Microbiome Project (GGMP) in China. The results indicate that the balance and imbalance of food intake, as captured through long-term food pairing patterns, are independently linked to cardiometabolic traits and can influence gut microbial functionalities.

Long-Term Food Pairing Patterns

The study introduced the concept of long-term food pairing patterns, consisting of additive food pairing patterns (AFPs) and subtractive food pairing patterns (SFPs). AFPs suggest synergistic effects between two foods, while SFPs imply antagonistic effects. By utilizing normalized monthly consumption frequencies of individual foods, the researchers identified 1759 and 306 cardiometabolic-related long-term food pairing patterns from the NHANES and GGMP cohorts, respectively, with a false discovery rate (FDR) of less than 0.05. Interestingly, around 80.8%/82.5% of these food pairings were not individually associated with cardiometabolic traits, emphasizing the importance of considering the combined effects of food pairings on health outcomes.

Unique Insights

The study revealed that long-term food pairing patterns showed weak correlations with single food intake frequencies and various dietary indices, such as the Healthy Eating Index 2020 (HEI2020) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) index. This indicates that food pairing patterns offer distinct insights beyond traditional dietary indicators. Additionally, the associations between food pairing patterns and cardiometabolic traits were consistent across Eastern and Western populations, highlighting the significance of these patterns in influencing health outcomes.

Role of Gut Microbiome

The research also explored the mediating role of the gut microbiome in the relationship between long-term food pairing patterns and cardiometabolic traits. Mediation analysis revealed that 72.7% of these patterns affected cardiometabolic traits through 31 microbial genera, with Clostridium sensu stricto 1 playing a key role. The impact of long-term food pairing patterns on cardiometabolic traits was primarily mediated by microbial metabolic pathways, such as pyruvate fermentation to propanoate and ergothioneine biosynthesis pathways.

Implications for Dietary Strategies

The findings underscore the importance of considering the balance and imbalance of food intake in dietary approaches aimed at enhancing cardiometabolic health. Personalized dietary recommendations could be enhanced by integrating long-term food pairing patterns, offering a more comprehensive understanding of how diet influences health compared to focusing solely on individual foods or dietary indices.

Future Directions

While the study acknowledges limitations such as its observational nature and potential recall bias in food frequency questionnaires, future research could delve into the causal relationships between food pairing patterns, gut microbiome, and cardiometabolic health through longitudinal studies or controlled trials. Nevertheless, the study provides valuable insights into the potential impact of long-term food pairing patterns on human health, paving the way for the development of precision nutritional strategies.

Source: News-Medical