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Workplace food purchases, dietary intake, and gut microbial metabolites in a secondary analysis of the ChooseWell 365 study

Varun M. Bhave, Z. Ament, Douglas E. Levy, A. Thorndike, W. T. Kimberly

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2024

470 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Dietary choices can affect human health through alterations in gut microbial metabolism, and gut microbial metabolites could serve as biomarkers for disease risk conferred by dietary intake. However, self-reported dietary intake may not reflect true intake.

OBJECTIVE

We identified circulating metabolites, including gut microbiome-related metabolites, associated with adherence to a healthy diet in the ChooseWell 365 study. In this randomized clinical trial, the dietary choices of hospital employees were assessed over 24 months using not only 24-hour dietary recalls, but also electronic records of hospital cafeteria purchases.

METHODS

Plasma metabolites were profiled from 470 participants. Two targeted metabolomics methods were developed and implemented to expand detection coverage for metabolites related to gut microbial activity. Linear regression models were used to associate metabolites with Healthy Purchasing Scores (HPS) derived from cafeteria purchases and Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-15) scores derived from dietary recalls.

RESULTS

Fourteen metabolites were concordantly associated with the HPS and HEI-15 scores in multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, and race, including the gut microbiome-related metabolites indole-3-propionic acid (HPS, β=0.16, 95% CI [0.07, 0.26], p=7.32x10-4; HEI-15, β=0.16, 95% CI [0.07, 0.25], p=6.79x10-4), hippuric acid (HPS, β=0.11, 95% CI [0.02, 0.21], p=1.97x10-2; HEI-15, β=0.10, 95% CI [0.01, 0.19], p=3.14x10-2), and…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 470 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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