Habitual intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages associated with gut microbiota-related metabolites and metabolic health outcomes in young Chinese adults
Journal article, 2023

Background and aims: Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a global public health priority because of their limited nutritional value and associations with increased risk of obesity and metabolic diseases. Gut microbiota-related metabolites emerged as quintessential effectors that may mediate impacts of dietary exposures on the modulation of host commensal microbiome and physiological status. Methods and results: This study assessed the associations among SSBs, circulating microbial metabolites, and gut microbiota–host co-metabolites, as well as metabolic health outcomes in young Chinese adults (n = 86), from the Carbohydrate Alternatives and Metabolic Phenotypes study in Shaanxi Province. Five principal component analysis-derived beverage drinking patterns were determined on self-reported SSB intakes, which were to a varying degree associated with 143 plasma levels of gut microbiota-related metabolites profiled by untargeted metabolomics. Moreover, carbonated beverages, fruit juice, energy drinks, and bubble tea exhibited positive associations with obesity-related markers and blood lipids, which were further validated in an independent cohort of 16,851 participants from the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China in Shaanxi Province. In contrast, presweetened coffee was negatively associated with the obesity-related traits. A total of 79 metabolites were associated with both SSBs and metabolic markers, particularly obesity markers. Pathway enrichment analysis identified the branched-chain amino acid catabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis as linking SSB intake with metabolic health outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the associations between habitual intakes of SSBs and several metabolic markers relevant to noncommunicable diseases, and highlight the critical involvement of gut microbiota-related metabolites in mediating such associations.

Sugar-sweetened beverage

Metabolic health outcomes

Plasma metabolome

Gut microbiota

Author

Tao Yan

Shaanxi Normal University

Lin Shi

Shaanxi Normal University

Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science

Kun Xu

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Jinyu Bai

Shaanxi Normal University

Ruixue Wen

Shaanxi Normal University

Xia Liao

Xi'an Jiaotong University

Xiaoshuang Dai

BGI Institute of Applied Agriculture

Qian Wu

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Lingxia Zeng

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Wen Peng

Qinghai University

Youfa Wang

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Hong Yan

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Shaonong Dang

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Xin Liu

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

0939-4753 (ISSN) 1590-3729 (eISSN)

Vol. 33 2 359-368

Subject Categories

Environmental Health and Occupational Health

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

Nutrition and Dietetics

DOI

10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.016

PubMed

36577637

More information

Latest update

10/9/2023