(PTFS10-04-25) Metabolomic Signature of Cereal Fiber Intake Favorably Associated With Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among US Adults

Objectives: Although the cardiometabolic benefits of high fiber diets are well established, fiber from different food sources may differentially impact individual risk factors. We aimed to investigate circulating metabolites associated with fiber intake from different food sources and their relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods: A total of 217 plasma metabolites were measured in 1,863 participants in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. We identified plasma metabolite signatures predicting self-reported total, cereal, fruit, vegetable, and nut and legume fiber intake using Food Frequency Questionnaire data and an elastic net regression model. We examined the association between baseline metabolomic signatures and longitudinal changes in cardiometabolic risk factors [waist circumference (WC, in), diastolic blood pressure (DBP, mmHg), systolic blood pressure (SBP, mmHg), fasting plasma HDL cholesterol (HDL-C, mg/dL), fasting plasma triglycerides (mg/dL), fasting serum glucose (mg/dL), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, %)] over four years. A Bonferroni corrected p-value was used to account for multiple testing of the different fiber sources (p-value*4).

Results: We identified metabolomic signatures that significantly predicted intakes of total fiber (r = 0.39; p-value < 0.001), cereal fiber (r = 0.33; p-value < 0.001), fruit fiber (r = 0.32; p-value < 0.001), vegetable fiber (r = 0.20; p-value < 0.001), and nut and legume fiber (r = 0.12; p-value < 0.001). After adjustment for dietary and lifestyle factors, cereal fiber and its metabolomic signature were associated with more favorable changes (β [SE]) in fasting serum glucose (-1.01 [0.31] mg/dL, P = 0.005; and -0.80 [0.17] mg/dL, P<sub>adj < 0.001), HbA1c (-0.05 [0.02] %, P<sub>adj = 0.005; and -0.03 [0.01] %, P= 0.01), and HDL-C levels (0.98 [0.26] mg/dL, P<sub>adj < 0.001; and 0.37 [0.15] mg/dL, P<sub>adj= 0.04). Total and cereal fiber metabolomic signatures were associated with favorable triglyceride changes (-2.35 [0.91], P<sub>adj = 0.04; and -2.75 [0.89], P<sub>adj = 0.008). Fruit fiber signature showed nominal associations with improved fasting glucose and triglycerides.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher cereal fiber intake and its associated metabolites were more strongly related to favorable cardiometabolic risk profiles compared to the other dietary fibers.

Funding Sources: AND
NIH/NIDDK