Caleigh M. Sawicki

MethodsWe included 911 participants from the San Juan Overweight Adult Longitudinal Study, a 3-year prospective cohort of overweight Puerto Ricans. At baseline, using LC-MS, we quantified metabolites from saliva (n= 635) and plasma (n= 1,051). We used elastic net regression with 10-fold cross-validation to identify features from saliva, plasma, and saliva and plasma (multi-fluid) that were predictive of BMI and WC. We used Cox-proportional hazard models to evaluate associations between metabolomic profiles and diabetes progression, adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, and medication use.ResultsFor BMI metabolomic profiles, we identified 207 metabolites in plasma, 118 metabolites in saliva, and 225 in the multi-fluid profile. For WC, we identified 157, 89, and 210 metabolites for saliva, plasma, and multi-fluid profiles, respectively. Highly positively weighted metabolites across all BMI and WC metabolomic profiles included those in pathways of alanine and aspartate metabolism, purine metabolism, and sphingomyelins. Each SD increase in saliva, but not plasma or multi-fluid, metabolic profile of BMI was significantly associated with all stages of diabetes progression. Saliva, but not plasma or multi-fluid, metabolomic profile of WC was significantly associated with progression from pre-diabetes to T2D. All associations became stronger after further adjustment for anthropometric measures of BMI and WC.ConclusionSaliva is an underexplored and easily accessible biofluid to measure metabolites that are reflective of adiposity measures. Validation in future studies will confirm our findings that saliva, plasma, and multi-fluid …

The overall aim of precision nutrition is to replace the ‘one size fits all’ approach to dietary advice with recommendations that are more specific to the individual in order to improve the prevention or management of chronic disease. Interest in precision nutrition has grown with advancements in technologies such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and measurement of the gut microbiome. Precision nutrition initiatives have three major applications in precision medicine. First, they aim to provide more ‘precision’ dietary assessments through artificial intelligence, wearable devices or by employing omic technologies to characterise diet more precisely. Secondly, precision nutrition allows us to understand the underlying mechanisms of how diet influences disease risk and identify individuals who are more susceptible to disease due to gene–diet or microbiota–diet interactions. Third, precision nutrition can be used …

Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that apple polyphenols and their metabolites could trap RCS to generate the corresponding RCS conjugates, suggesting daily intake of whole apples has the potential to keep the levels of the toxic RCS low and eventually combat and prevent the development of chronic diseases in humans.

Background: High-quality carbohydrate sources, such as whole grains, have been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), whereas low-quality carbohydrate sources, such as refined grains and added sugar, have been associated with a higher T2D risk. However, few studies have considered how replacing dietary carbohydrate with other macronutrients may influence T2D risk. Objective: We examined whether isocaloric substitution of high- or low-quality carbohydrate for fat, protein, and their subtypes is associated with T2D risk. Methods: We included 75,430 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2016), 85,630 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2017), and 40,261 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2016) who were free of T2D, CVD, and cancer at baseline. Dietary data were collected every 2-4 years using a validated, semi-quantitative food frequency …

Whole grains are consistently identified as an important part of a healthy diet. This article provides an overview of the definitions of whole grains and whole grain foods, recommendations for whole grain intake, and evidence for its health benefits. Specifically, the association between whole grain intake and lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer will be discussed. Additionally, the evidence for associations between whole grain intake and adiposity, blood pressure, inflammation, and the gut microbiota are described as potential mechanisms of action.

OBJECTIVE We examined whether intake of methyl donor nutrients, including vitamins B2, B6, and B12 and folate, from foods and/or supplements is associated with type 2 diabetes risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We included 203,644 women and men from the Nurses’ Health Study (1984–2016), Nurses’ Health Study 2 (1991–2017), and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2016). Dietary data were collected every 2–4 years with use of semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were used to evaluate associations between each nutrient and type 2 diabetes risk. We combined cohort-specific hazard ratios (HRs) using inverse variance–weighted fixed-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS During 4,900,181 person-years of follow-up, we documented 19,475 incident type 2 …

Purpose of ReviewCardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the top comorbidities associated with COVID-19—both pre- and post-infection. This review examines the relationships between COVID-19 infection and cardiovascular health, with a specific focus on diet as an important modifiable risk factor.Recent FindingsPandemic era studies of individuals battling and recovering from COVID-19 infection suggest a strong link between metabolic diseases, such as CVD, and SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility and severity. Other studies also demonstrate how COVID-19 lockdown policies and quarantine recommendations led to drastic lifestyle changes associated with increased CVD risk, such as reduced physical activity and lower diet quality. At the same time, new research is emerging that plant-based diets, which have previously been associated with lower CVD risk, may lower COVID-19 infection rates and severity …

BackgroundPlant-based diets are recommended for chronic disease prevention, yet there has been little focus on plant-based diet quality among participants of South Asian ancestry who consume a predominantly plant-based diet.ObjectivesWe evaluated cross-sectional and prospective associations between plant-based diet quality and cardiometabolic risks among participants of South Asian ancestry who are living in the United States.MethodsWe included 891 participants of South Asian ancestry who completed the baseline visit in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. The prospective analysis included 735 participants who completed exam 2 (∼5 years after baseline). The plant-based diet quality was assessed using 3 indices: an overall plant-based diet index (PDI) that summarizes the consumption of plant foods, a healthy PDI (hPDI) that measures consumption …

Background Prospective studies examining the relationship between whole (WG) and refined grain (RG) consumption and changes in abdominal fat depots are scarce. Such studies are needed given the association between visceral abdominal adiposity and cardiometabolic disease. We examined the prospective relationship between changes in WG and RG consumption and changes in abdominal visceral (VAT) versus subcutaneous (SAT) adipose tissues over a median 6-year follow-up period. Methods Quantity (volume, cm 3) of abdominal VAT and SAT was assessed using computed tomography in 972 Framingham Heart Study Third Generation participants (mean baseline age 45.4±6.2 years, 45% female) at exam 1 (2002-2005) and exam 2 (2008-211). Dietary information was assessed using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Change in energy-adjusted WG and RG intake was grouped into …

BackgroundGreater whole grain (WG) consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, few prospective studies have examined WG or refined grain (RG) intake and intermediate cardiometabolic risk factors.ObjectivesWe examined the longitudinal association between WG and RG intake on changes in waist circumference (WC); fasting HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose concentrations; and blood pressure.MethodsSubjects were participants in the Framingham Offspring cohort study [n = 3121; mean ± SD baseline age: 54.9 ± 0.2 y; BMI (kg/m2) 27.2 ± 0.1]. FFQ, health, and lifestyle data were collected approximately every 4 y over a median 18-y follow-up. Repeated measure mixed models were used to estimate adjusted mean changes per 4-y interval in risk factors across increasing categories of WG or RG intake.ResultsGreater WG intake was associated with smaller …

The long-term impact of carbohydrate quality on abdominal weight gain is not fully understood. We aimed to examine the prospective relation of a carbohydrate quality index (CQI; defined by four criteria: dietary fiber, glycemic index, whole grain-to-total grain ratio, and solid-to-total carbohydrate ratio), total, cereal grain, vegetable, and fruit fiber, carbohydrate-to-total fiber ratio, and carbohydrate-to-cereal fiber ratio with changes in waist circumference (WC). Subjects were middle-aged to older, mostly white, participants in the Framingham Offspring cohort (n = 3101 subjects), with mean baseline age 54.9 ± 0.2 years (mean ± SE) and body mass index (BMI) 27.2 ± 0.1 kg/m2. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), health, and lifestyle data were collected approximately every four years over a median total follow-up of 18 years. Repeated measure mixed models were used to estimate adjusted mean change in WC per four-year interval across quartiles of carbohydrate variables. In the most adjusted model, a higher CQI was marginally associated with a smaller increase in WC (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 2.4 ± 0.1 cm in highest vs. lowest quartile, p-trend = 0.04). Higher ratios of carbohydrate-to-fiber and carbohydrate-to-cereal fiber were associated with greater increases in WC per four-year interval (2.6 ± 0.1 vs. 2.0 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend < 0.001, and 2.5 ± 0.1 vs. 2.1 ± 0.1 cm in highest versus lowest categories, p-trend = 0.007, respectively); whereas higher intake of total fiber (1.8 ± 0.1 vs. 2.7 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend < 0.001), cereal fiber (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 2.5 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend = 0.001), and fruit fiber (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 2.7 ± 0.1 cm, p-trend < 0.001) were associated with smaller increases in …

证据图是一种非常实用的证据总结方法,通过证据图可以全面检 索所关注问题的相关研究,准确展示该领域科学文章存在的问题.利 用证据图,可实现文献的系统检索,提取研究关键信息,形成信息数 据库.塔夫茨大学和国际生命科学学会(ILSI)北美分会创建了膳食 纤维和人类健康证据数据库,并公开,每年都会定期更新.该数据库 汇编了膳食纤维干预研究,包括10 种预先设定的生理健康结局指标, 包括体重/肥胖,血压,肠道微生物群和骨骼健康.根据美国食品和药 品监督管理局(FDA)颁布的新版食品标签要求,只有在有足够证据 支持膳食纤维与某种生理健康益处相关时,才能在标签上标识“膳食 纤维”.因此,该数据库和证据图的应用潜力就显得特别重要.基于膳 食纤维数据库的成功案例,塔夫茨大学和通用磨坊贝尔健康与营养研 究所又合作开发了一个全谷物数据库和证据图.该项工作强调了所报 告的全谷物数据一致性的重要性,包括全谷物的消费量和类型以及干 预的依从性.

Evidence mapping is a useful methodology for characterizing existing research on a broad topic and identifying gaps in the scientific literature. Evidence mapping entails conducting a systematic literature search and extracting information on study details, often in the form of a database. Researchers at Tufts University and the North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute created the Diet-Related Fibers & Human Health Outcomes Database, which is publicly available and updated annually. The database captures intervention studies examining dietary fiber and 10 predefined physiological health outcomes, including weight/adiposity, blood pressure, gut microbiota, and bone health. The database and subsequent potential for evidence mapping may be particularly useful in light of new food labeling requirements by the US Food and Drug Administration that require fibers to have accepted …

Background: Dietary carbohydrates have a diverse range of sources and physical properties that may differentially influence cardiometabolic health. Grains are a major source of carbohydrates and few prospective studies have compared whole grain (WG), refined grain (RG), or alternate indices of carbohydrate quality in relation to changes in cardiometabolic risk factors over time.Objectives: The aims of this research were to examine (Aim 1) habitual WG and RG intake and changes in cardiometabolic risk factors;(Aim 2) novel dietary indices of carbohydrate quality and changes in waste circumference (WC); and (Aim 3) changes in WG and RG intake and changes in visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) abdominal adipose tissue.Methods: Data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring (FOS)(1991–2014) and Third Generation (Gen 3)(2002–2011) cohorts were used to address the aims of this …