Eating live foods rich in microbes can improve heart health

In a recent study published in Frontiers of nutritionResearchers are investigating the relationship between dietary intake of live microorganisms and cardiovascular health (CVH) outcomes in U.S. adults.

study: Association between dietary live microbial intake and Life's Essential 8 in US adults: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2005-2018. Image credit: FOTOGRIN / Shutterstock.com

Effect of diet on CVH

Despite advances in the development of lipid-lowering drugs, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains an important cause of death worldwide, impacting economic and social development.

Dietary patterns are associated with lower CVH, as the gut microbiota converts many nutrients into metabolites. This relationship led to the introduction of Life's Essential 8 (LE8) by the American Heart Association to improve CVH and reduce CVD.

LE8 covers four health components including blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), blood sugar, and blood lipids, and four health behaviors: sleep health, nicotine exposure, physical activity (PA), and diet . However, the relationship between live microorganisms in the diet and her LE8 is poorly understood.

About research

Data for the current study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and included seven surveys from 2005 to 2018. All study participants were over 20 years of age and provided information on dietary live microorganism intake, LE8, and samples. weights and other relevant covariates.

The amount of live microorganisms per gram was quantified from 9,388 food items, and study participants provided detailed dietary intake information during in-person interviews and follow-up phone calls. This information was then used to categorize study participants with low, medium, and high live microbial content.

The LE8 score is calculated as an unweighted average of eight indicators and ranges from 0 to 100. Based on this score, individuals ranging from 80 to 100 points are classified as having high CVH, 50 to 79 points are considered moderate CVH, and 50 to 79 points are considered moderate CVH . Scores from 0 to 49 were classified as low-moderate.

Race and ethnicity, gender, age, education, marital status, socioeconomic status, health insurance, alcohol intake, obesity status, daily nutrient intake, and medical history were included as additional covariates. Data sets were analyzed using chi-square tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression models.

research result

After applying exclusion criteria, 10,531 individuals were included in the final analysis. Women made up more than half of the study cohort, and the average age was approximately 48 years.

Non-Hispanic whites were the predominant ethnicity. Most study participants had at least a college education, had health insurance, drank alcohol, and reported being married or in a cohabiting relationship.

Most of the study participants were obese. Nearly 9% had CVD, 14% had diabetes, approximately 37% had hypertension, and more than 70% had hyperlipidemia. Approximately 66% of the study cohort reported moderate CVH. Across CVH levels, participants were similar in their daily carbohydrate intake, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, but differed significantly in other aspects.

Significant associations between dietary live microorganism groups and LE8 scores were observed both in the crude model and after adjusting for multiple covariates. For all components of LE8, higher intakes of live microorganisms were associated with better health behavior and health factor scores.

High and moderate microbial communities had lower CVD risk, with odds ratios of 0.65 and 0.73, respectively. Of note, in the low intake group, there was a linear negative correlation between LE8 score and food intake, whereas this association was positive in the high intake group. The moderate microbial intake group showed an inverted “U” shape regarding the relationship between LE8 and food intake.

conclusion

Probiotic supplements may help maintain CVH by reducing oxidative stress, improving immunity, and lowering blood sugar and blood pressure levels. The current study extends previous work that used self-reported medical history to characterize CVD. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence to support consuming more foods rich in live microorganisms to improve CVH outcomes.

Future research is needed to identify individuals who may respond differently to microbial ingestion based on gender and ethnicity. For example, non-Hispanic blacks showed no significant association between live microbial intake and CVH.

Additional studies are also needed to elucidate the mechanisms of these associations and include more diverse cohorts. This type of study has the potential to overcome the limitations of cross-sectional studies based on dietary recall data to establish causal relationships.