Identification of plasma lipid metabolites associated with nut consumption in US men and women

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Vasanti S. Malik
  • Guasch Ferre, Marta
  • Frank B. Hu
  • Mary K. Townsend
  • Oana A. Zeleznik
  • A. Heather Eliassen
  • Shelley S. Tworoger
  • Elizabeth W. Karlson
  • Karen H. Costenbader
  • Alberto Ascherio
  • Kathryn M. Wilson
  • Lorelei A. Mucci
  • Edward L. Giovannucci
  • Charles S. Fuchs
  • Ying Bao

Background: Intake of nuts has been inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, partly through inducing a healthy lipid profile. How nut intake may affect lipid metabolites remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the plasma lipid metabolites associated with habitual nut consumption in US men and women. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1099 participants in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Metabolic profiling was conducted on plasma by LC-mass spectrometry. Nut intake was estimated from food-frequency questionnaires. We included 144 known lipid metabolites that had CVs <25%. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the associations of nut consumption with individual plasma lipid metabolites. Results: We identified 17 lipid metabolites that were significantly associated with nut intake, based on a 1 serving (28 g)/d increment in multivariate models [false discovery rate (FDR) P value <0.05]. Among these species, 8 were positively associated with nut intake [C24:0 sphingomyelin (SM), C36:3 phosphatidylcholine (PC) plasmalogen-A, C36:2 PC plasmalogen, C24:0 ceramide, C36:1 PC plasmalogen, C22:0 SM, C34:1 PC plasmalogen, and C36:2 phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen], with changes in relative metabolite level (expressed in number of SDs on the log scale) ranging from 0.36 to 0.46 for 1 serving/d of nuts. The other 9 metabolites were inversely associated with nut intake with changes in relative metabolite level ranging from -0.34 to -0.44. In stratified analysis, 3 metabolites were positively associated with both peanuts and peanut butter (C24:0 SM, C24:0 ceramide, and C22:0 SM), whereas 6 metabolites were inversely associated with other nuts (FDR P value <0.05). Conclusions: A panel of lipid metabolites was associated with intake of nuts, which may provide insight into biological mechanisms underlying associations between nuts and cardiometabolic health. Metabolites that were positively associated with intake of nuts may be helpful in identifying potential biomarkers of nut intake.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Nutrition
Volume149
Issue number7
Pages (from-to)1215-1221
Number of pages7
ISSN0022-3166
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Society for Nutrition. All rights reserved.

    Research areas

  • Lipid metabolites, Lipidomics, Metabolites, Metabolomics, Nuts, Peanuts

ID: 357993895