Location: Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research
2023 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Determine postprandial lipoprotein and lipidomic responses to time restricted meal patterns in overweight-obese humans and explore variables that modulate these responses.
Objective 2: Define the impact of dietary fats of differing fatty acid composition upon postprandial lipoprotein type and concentrations in healthy humans in response to multiple meals and explore variables that modulate these responses.
Objective 3: Determine the effects of specific foods with differing fatty acid compositions on the lipidomic signatures of postprandial lipoproteins in healthy humans.
Objective 4: Determine the impact of soil management practices on nutritional quality of plant and animal foods produced in the Northern Great Plains.
Objective 5: Investigate whether agricultural production practices of crops important to the Northern Great Plains (e.g. pulses, animals fed local feedstuffs) alter nutritional outcomes important to humans such as (but not limited to) nutrient bioavailability, modulation and connection of soil and animal/human microbiomes, epigenetic alterations, satiety, food reinforcement, and/or alteration of clinical parameters.
Approach
The overarching theme of this project is to investigate determinants of postprandial (PP) metabolism with the goal reducing chronic disease risk. Although many aspects of diet and lifestyle influence metabolic status and disease trajectory during the lifespan, emerging findings suggest that there may be considerable influence of meal frequency and meal timing in disease prevention. Moreover, abundant data point to the role of dietary fat type as a major influence upon cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk trajectory.
PP lipemia, a risk factor for CVD, is a common underpinning mechanism linking meal timing and dietary fat type. Most evaluations of the effect of dietary fats on CVD disease risk rely on measures obtained in the fasting state, but people exist primarily in a PP state. Recently, time restricted eating has gained substantial attention; however, we do not know how this form of meal patterning impacts PP lipemia. As well, few data have examined the compounding effect of multiple meals and fats of different fatty acid composition on PP lipemia. In this work, we will identify the role of dietary patterning and specified dietary fats on PP lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. The novel results of these innovative investigations will provide enhanced understanding of the influence of meal timing and dietary fatty acid composition in optimizing health and will inform evidence-based dietary recommendations. These studies take advantage of our demonstrated expertise in the successful completion of clinical trials combined with our expertise in cutting edge lipidomic analysis.
Progress Report
Objective 3: Scientists were determining the impact of eating saturated fats versus polyunsaturated fats upon plasma lipoproteins such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This research in this objective included a clinical study coupled with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry analysis of isolated lipoproteins. The clinical study protocol was developed, the Institutional Review Board approval obtained, and the study initiated with two participants out of the 16 needed completing the required treatments. Due to COVID19, recruiting for the study was halted and not restarted due to retirement of scientists.
ARS researchers in Grand Forks, North Dakota, participated in the ARS Grand Synergy project Dairy Agriculture for People and Planet. Scientists analyzed hundreds of samples from research projects to evaluate how breed and management strategies impact the nutritional quality of milk. Scientists developed a novel method for the analysis of a class of lipid termed sphingomyelins (SM). Data suggest that SM has anti-inflammatory properties for the gut. Due the large amount of dairy produced annually in the United States, SM has the potential to be added to foods for health benefit.
ARS scientists in Grand Forks, North Dakota, completed a clinical study investigating the impact of egg intake upon CVD risk markers in people eating a Mediterranean diet (Med Diet). A Med Diet decreases plaque causing lipoproteins and CVD risk. It is unknown how high cholesterol intake within a Med Diet will affect these parameters. The objective of this project was to evaluate the daily inclusion of whole eggs, a high cholesterol food, in the Med Diet on lipid and lipoprotein profiles. The data showed that responses varied widely between people, and subsequent machine learning techniques identified that three main response types, related to lipoprotein metabolism, to the diets occurred. These findings demonstrate the need for personalized diets. These data have been accepted for publication.
ARS scientists at Grand Forks, North Dakota, collaborated with scientists from the USDA-ARS Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center of Aging at Tufts University (Boston, Massachusetts) to determine how a person’s individual genetic background influences the response to diet. These scientists investigated the impact of APOAII gene differences upon lipid metabolites in the blood.
ARS scientists in Grand Forks, North Dakota, collaborated with ARS scientists in East Lansing, Michigan, to determine whether grinding dry beans into a flour provides additional health benefits over the consumption of the typically consumed whole bean. In these studies, rodents were provided an obesity-causing diet (that induces high blood sugar, high blood lipids, and fatty liver – hallmarks of metabolic disease), the same diet made with whole beans, or the same diet made with beans that were ground as a flour. Samples and data are being analyzed.
Accomplishments
