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Calder PC, Bach-Faig A, Bevacqua T, Caballero Lopez CG, Chen ZY, Connolly D, Koay WL, Meydani SN, Pinar AS, Ribas-Filho D, Pierre A. Vital role for primary healthcare providers: urgent need to educate the community about daily nutritional self-care to support immune function and maintain health. BMJ Nutr Prev Health 2023; 6:392-401. [PMID: 38618551 PMCID: PMC11009526 DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The importance of self-care to improve health and social well-being is well recognised. Nevertheless, there remains a need to encourage people to better understand how their body works, and how to keep it healthy. Because of its important role, part of this understanding should be based on why the immune system must be supported. This highly complex system is essential for defending against pathogens, but also for maintaining health throughout the body by preserving homeostasis and integrity. Accordingly, the immune system requires active management for optimal functioning and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. In addition to regular exercise, healthy sleeping patterns, cultivating mental resilience, adequate nutrition through healthy and diverse dietary habits is key to the daily support of immune function. Diet and the immune system are closely intertwined, and a poor diet will impair immunity and increase the risk of acute and chronic diseases. To help elucidate the roles of primary healthcare providers in supporting individuals to engage in self-care, an international group of experts reviewed the evidence for the roles of the immune system in maintaining health and for nutrition in daily immune support, and discussed implications for population health and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C Calder
- School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Reseaech Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Anna Bach-Faig
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
- Food and Nutrition Area, Barcelona Official College of Pharmacists, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Zheng-Yu Chen
- International Pharmaceutical Federation, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | - Simin N Meydani
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Durval Ribas-Filho
- Padre Albino Foundation, Faculty of Medicine, Catanduva, São Paulo, Brazil
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Guo W, Ortega EF, Wu D, Li L, Bronson RT, Boehm SK, Meydani SN. Life-long consumption of high level of fruits and vegetables reduces tumor incidence and extends median lifespan in mice. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1286792. [PMID: 38125727 PMCID: PMC10731956 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1286792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) is negatively associated with the incidence of certain cancers and mortality. However, a causal relationship has not been demonstrated. Thus, we investigated the effect of life-long consumption of high level of FV on median lifespan, key biological functions, and pathologies in mice fed low-fat (LF) or high-fat (HF) diets and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 5 weeks-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 60/group): LF (LF-C, 10% kcal fat), HF (HF-C, 45% kcal fat) or each supplemented with 15% (w/w) of a unique FV mixture (LF + FV and HF + FV, respectively). Mice were euthanized when one group reached 50% mortality. Body weight and composition, tumor incidence, and death were monitored. Blood levels of lipids and pro-inflammatory cytokines were assessed. Results After 21 months of feeding, HF-C group reached 50% mortality, at which time mice in all groups were terminated. HF-C had higher mortality (50.0%) compared to the LF-C group (18.3%, p = 0.0008). Notably, HF-FV had lower mortality (23.3%) compared to HF-C group (p = 0.008); there was no significant difference in mortality between HF-FV and LF-C groups. Tumors were found in all groups, and were predominantly present in the liver, followed by those of lung, intestine, and seminal vesicle. Tumor incidence in the HF-C group (73.3%) was higher than that in LF-C group (30.0%, p < 0.0001). HF + FV group had 23.3% lower tumor incidence compared to the HF-C group (p = 0.014). No significant difference in tumor incidence between the LF-C and LF + FV groups was observed. Long-term FV supplementation reduced systemic inflammation and blood lipids. Conclusion We provide the first causal evidence that life-long intake of a diet, containing a high level and large variety of FV, decreases tumor incidence and extends median lifespan in mice fed a western-style high-fat diet. These effects of FV are at least in part due to reduced blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improved dyslipidemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Guo
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Edwin F. Ortega
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dayong Wu
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lijun Li
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Roderick T. Bronson
- Rodent Histopathology Core, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sarah K. Boehm
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Simin Nikbin Meydani
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
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Bertoncini-Silva C, Zingg JM, Fassini PG, Suen VMM. Bioactive dietary components-Anti-obesity effects related to energy metabolism and inflammation. Biofactors 2022; 49:297-321. [PMID: 36468445 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is the result of the long-term energy imbalance between the excess calories consumed and the few calories expended. Reducing the intake of energy dense foods (fats, sugars), and strategies such as fasting and caloric restriction can promote body weight loss. Not only energy in terms of calories, but also the specific composition of the diet can affect the way the food is absorbed and how its energy is stored, used or dissipated. Recent research has shown that bioactive components of food, such as polyphenols and vitamins, can influence obesity and its pathologic complications such as insulin resistance, inflammation and metabolic syndrome. Individual micronutrients can influence lipid turnover but for long-term effects on weight stability, dietary patterns containing several micronutrients may be required. At the molecular level, these molecules modulate signaling and the expression of genes that are involved in the regulation of energy intake, lipid metabolism, adipogenesis into white, beige and brown adipose tissue, thermogenesis, lipotoxicity, adipo/cytokine synthesis, and inflammation. Higher concentrations of these molecules can be reached in the intestine, where they can modulate the composition and action of the microbiome. In this review, the molecular mechanisms by which bioactive compounds and vitamins modulate energy metabolism, inflammation and obesity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Bertoncini-Silva
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nutrology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jean-Marc Zingg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Priscila Giacomo Fassini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nutrology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vivian Marques Miguel Suen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nutrology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Fruit and Vegetable Supplemented Diet Modulates the Pig Transcriptome and Microbiome after a Two-Week Feeding Intervention. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13124350. [PMID: 34959902 PMCID: PMC8703502 DOI: 10.3390/nu13124350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the effects of a diet supplemented with fruits and vegetables (FV) on the host whole blood cell (WBC) transcriptome and the composition and function of the intestinal microbiome. Nine six-week-old pigs were fed a pig grower diet alone or supplemented with lyophilized FV equivalent to half the daily recommended amount prescribed for humans by the Dietary Guideline for Americans (DGA) for two weeks. Host transcriptome changes in the WBC were evaluated by RNA sequencing. Isolated DNA from the fecal microbiome was used for 16S rDNA taxonomic analysis and prediction of metabolomic function. Feeding an FV-supplemented diet to pigs induced differential expression of several genes associated with an increase in B-cell development and differentiation and the regulation of cellular movement, inflammatory response, and cell-to-cell signaling. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) in fecal microbiome samples showed differential increases in genera from Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families within the order Clostridiales and Erysipelotrichaceae family with a predicted reduction in rgpE-glucosyltransferase protein associated with lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis in pigs fed the FV-supplemented diet. These results suggest that feeding an FV-supplemented diet for two weeks modulated markers of cellular inflammatory and immune function in the WBC transcriptome and the composition of the intestinal microbiome by increasing the abundance of bacterial taxa that have been associated with improved intestinal health.
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Guo W, Kim SH, Wu D, Li L, Ortega EF, Thomas M, Meydani SN, Meydani M. Dietary Fruit and Vegetable Supplementation Suppresses Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in LDL Receptor Knockout Mice. J Nutr 2021; 151:902-910. [PMID: 33561256 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies suggest that fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is inversely associated with incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, evidence for causality is lacking, and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine whether there is a causal relation between consuming high levels of F&V and prevention of atherosclerosis, the hallmark of CVD pathogenesis. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms were determined. METHODS Six-week-old male LDL receptor-knockout mice were randomly assigned to 3 diet groups (12 mice/group) for 20 wk: control (CON, 10% kcal fat, 0.20 g/kg cholesterol), atherogenic (Ath, 27% kcal fat, 0.55 g/kg cholesterol), and Ath supplemented with 15% F&V (Ath + FV) (equivalent to 8-9 servings/d in humans). F&V was added as a freeze-dried powder that was prepared from the 24 most commonly consumed F&Vs in the United States. Body weight, aortic atherosclerotic lesion area, hepatic steatosis area, serum lipid profile and proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α concentrations, gut microbiota, and liver TNF-α and fatty acid synthase (Fasn) mRNA concentrations were assessed. RESULTS F&V supplementation did not affect weight gain. Mice fed the Ath + FV diet had a smaller aortic atherosclerotic lesion area (71.7% less) and hepatic steatosis area (80.7% less) than those fed the Ath diet (both P < 0.001) independent of impact on weight, whereas no difference was found between Ath + FV and CON groups in these 2 pathologic markers. Furthermore, F&V supplementation prevented Ath diet-induced dyslipidemia (high concentrations of serum TG and VLDL cholesterol and lower concentrations of HDL cholesterol), reduced serum TNF-α concentration (by 21.5%), suppressed mRNA expression of liver TNF-α and Fasn, and ameliorated Ath-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that consuming a large quantity and variety of F&Vs causally attenuates diet-induced atherosclerosis and hepatic steatosis in mice. These effects of F&Vs are associated with, and may be mediated through, improved atherogenic dyslipidemia, alleviated gut dysbiosis, and suppressed inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Guo
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sharon H Kim
- Vascular Biology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dayong Wu
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lijun Li
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edwin Frank Ortega
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Thomas
- Vascular Biology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simin Nikbin Meydani
- Nutritional Immunology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohsen Meydani
- Vascular Biology Laboratories, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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