Professor Kazuyuki Kasahara, Assistant Professor of Metabolic, Nutritional and Microbiological Medicine at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, highlighted the above during his presentation on the second day of the Global Growth Summit. Asia which was held in Singapore from September 26 to 28.
He presented the topic “Impact of Diet and the Gut Microbiome on Cardiometabolic Health,” where he highlighted research findings from his lab on how protein and fiber intake might affect the gut microbiome and, hence, cardiometabolic health.
Indeed, studies have shown that microbiome metabolites from food are responsible for disorders.
“WWe know that there are many diseases associated with the gut microbiome, including intestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer or infectious intestinal diseases.
“But more interestingly, there are other systemic diseases, such as liver disease, obesity, diabetes, neurogenerative diseases or cardiometabolic diseases, which are also linked to the gut microbiome.
“This suggests that what happens in our gut does not stay in our gut, that the gut microbiome can influence distant organs, such as the liver, heart or even the brain,” said the qualified cardiologist.
His research carried out at the Kasahara Lab showed that a diet rich in dietary fiber could protect against atherosclerosis by promoting the colonization of Intestinal roseburia – a Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria that breaks down dietary fiber and produces butyrate in the colon.
Additionally, there was a lower level of the short-chain fatty acid acetate, but a higher level of butyrate in the high-fiber food group.
This is based on a study in mice comparing the effects of a high-fiber diet and a low-fiber diet.
“In mice fed a high-fiber diet, roseburia made up approximately 25% of the community, suggesting that a high-fiber diet allows for high levels of Roseburia colonization.
“In In mice on a low-fiber diet, there were no differences in short-chain fatty acids, including acetate, butyrate, and propionate.
“However, in mice fed a high-fiber diet, there was a reduction in acetate and an increase in butyrate, suggesting that Roseburia uses acetate as an energy substrate and produces butyrate as a product.”he explained.
The results also echo those of previous studies published in 2012 by Fredrik H and others and 2017, which showed that patients with atherosclerosis have a lower proportion of butyrate-producing bacteria.
“The interaction between dietary fiber and butyrate-producing bacteria is important for protection against atherosclerosis. This concept is called symbiotics, the combination of pre- and probiotics. In this case, prebiotics are the dietary fiber and probiotics are the butyrate-producing bacteria.»
Based on this discovery, he believes that the next generation of probiotics could explore the benefits of butyrate-producing strains.
“We believe that this type of butyrate-producing bacteria could be the next generation of probiotics in the future. »
Microbes, proteins and gout
Besides fiber, the types of proteins consumed could also affect microbe-diet interactions and cardiometabolic health.
A study published in the European Journal of the Heart in 2019 showed that chronic consumption of red meat in a diet could increase the metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).
This metabolite is considered an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Building on existing knowledge, he conducted a mouse study exploring the effects of a high-protein, purine diet on uric acid and gout.
Sources of purine protein include liver, beer and meat.
Mice fed anaerobic purine-degrading bacteria were found to have lower uric acid levels.
“Certain microbes are able to break down uric acid in the intestine, which affects the level of uric acid in the body,”he said.
