Medicine
how diet affects your body's chemistry
a new study found changes in metabolites - tiny molecules in the blood - when people eat more or less fat than carbs.
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1 min read
In a controlled feeding trial involving 147 participants, researchers Angelidi and colleagues investigated the effects of carbohydrate-to-fat ratio on metabolomic profiles. The study aimed to uncover how varying dietary patterns influence metabolic changes.
The researchers used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure fasting plasma metabolites in three groups: those following a high-carbohydrate diet (n = 45), moderate-carbohydrate diet (n = 48), and low-carbohydrate diet (n = 54). Over five months, they identified significant associations between carbohydrate-to-fat ratio and changes in the levels of 479 metabolites at 20 weeks. Notably, nearly all these changes were consistent at both 10 and 20 weeks.
Analysis revealed that phosphatidylcholines plasmanyls/plasmalogens, phosphatidylethanolamines plasmanyls/plasmalogens, and sphingomyelins decreased with increasing carbohydrate-to-fat ratio, whereas lysophosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines, and triglycerides increased. Furthermore, eleven triglyceride species linked to type 2 diabetes risk rose with higher CFR. These findings suggest that varying dietary patterns can lead to distinct metabolomic changes.
By replicating these results in an independent feeding trial (Popular Diets Study), the researchers bolstered confidence in their conclusions. Their study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms behind carbohydrate-to-fat ratio effects on metabolism, offering potential avenues for targeted dietary intervention strategies. As we explore the intricacies of human nutrition, it becomes increasingly clear that even small variations in diet can have profound impacts on our metabolic profiles – a reminder of the intricate web of relationships between food, body, and universe.
1 min read
In a world where what we eat can shape our bodies and minds, researchers have been searching for the perfect balance. They've asked: "How does what's on our plate affect our overall health?" The answer lies in something as simple as carbohydrates to fats. A team of scientists found that changing this ratio can have significant effects on how our metabolites work.
Imagine your body is a complex machine, with many different parts working together in harmony. Metabolites are like the tiny tools inside us, helping our cells function properly. When we eat, these metabolites change to help our bodies process what we've consumed. The researchers measured these changes in 147 participants who followed three different diets: low-carbohydrate, moderate-carbohydrate, and high-carbohydrate. They found that certain metabolites changed more with higher carbohydrate-to-fat ratios.
These findings can have a big impact on how we approach our health. For instance, some triglyceride species linked to type 2 diabetes risk increase when the diet is higher in carbohydrates. This means that understanding how different diets affect our metabolites could lead to new strategies for managing diseases like diabetes. By studying what happens when we eat, researchers can help us make better choices about the food we put on our plates – and improve our overall health as a result.
1 min read
As we look at the food on our plates, we might wonder what happens when we mix different amounts of carbohydrates and fats. Researchers studied this question with a group of 147 people who followed three different diets for five months. They looked at how their bodies changed in response to these diets.
The results showed that certain things went up or down depending on the balance of carbs and fats in each diet. For example, some important molecules called phosphatidylcholines decreased when there was more fat in the diet, while others like triglycerides increased. This discovery could help us understand how different eating patterns might affect our health, and maybe even lead to new ways to prevent diseases like type 2 diabetes.
The people behind the work
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Angelidi AM et al.
Author
Published in Nature communications
Source: Nature communications
Sources & Verification
Every statement in this story is drawn from the facts below. Each is linked to a primary or reputable source — follow any citation to check it for yourself.
- Diet plays a crucial role in health, with low-carbohydrate diets often proposed to exert metabolic benefits. Nature communications
- We measure fasting plasma metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using samples from 147 participants who completed the study (n = 45, 48, and 54 in the high-, moderate-, and low-carbohydrate diet groups, respectively). Nature communications
- Significant associations (False Discovery Rate<0.05) are identified between carbohydrate-to-fat ratio (CFR) and diet-induced changes in 148 of 479 metabolites at 20 weeks, with nearly all showing consistent trends at 10 and 20 weeks. Nature communications
- Phosphatidylcholines plasmanyls/plasmalogens, phosphatidylethanolamines plasmanyls/plasmalogens, and sphingomyelins generally decrease with higher CFR, whereas lysophosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines, and triglycerides generally increase. Nature communications
- Our findings are largely reproducible in an independent feeding trial involving diets with similar CFR (Popular Diets Study, ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00315354). Nature communications
- Eleven triglyceride species (≤3 double bonds), linked to type 2 diabetes risk, increase with higher CFR. Nature communications
- Our findings demonstrate metabolomic changes caused by varying CFR dietary patterns, offering potential insights into mechanisms that could guide targeted dietary intervention strategies. Nature communications
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