23 Jun Individual Responses to Food May Lead to Precision Nutrition

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Valdes

Ana M Valdes MA PhD
Associate Professor and Reader in Musculoskeletal Genetics
Professor in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology from 1 August 2020
Deputy Head of Division, Rheumatology Orthopaedics and Dermatology
NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre – Research Area Lead
School of Medicine
University of Nottingham 

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Given the relevance of blood sugar and blood lipid levels, we wanted to be able to quantify how much meal content, time of day, sleep, gut microbiome, other individual characteristics contribute to glucose and to develop models to describe how the interactions between individual characteristics, meal composition, other sources of variation on postprandial glycemia.

We also wished to compare glucose data to other postrpandial metabolic responses, specifically c-peptide and triglyceride levels.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? 

Response: We found that although postprandial triglyceride and glucose responses were highly variable between individuals, a person’s response to the same meals was often similar and therefore to a large extent predictable. Any given individual generally responds comparably to different meals of the same macronutrient profile.  This suggests that once we understand an individual’s postprandial response to specific foods, their response to other foods can be predicted.

{view powerpoint of Zoe findings here: ZOE-Diagrams }

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: That there are strong differences in how people respond to the same meal, but it is not because of our DNA. It has to do with our gut microbes, where we are health-wise, how much we sleep, what time of the day we feed, and what other things we eat before. These are things that for the most part we can modify if we understand the relationship between these various factors and our metabolic responses to meals.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: We are currently carrying out in-depth analyses gut microbiome links to post-prandial responses and also exploring the relationship between postprandial glucose responses and appetite and postprandial energy intake. This will help us modulate a person’s diet if they want to reduce appetite for weight loss.  Our future research focuses on more thorough investigations of  triglyceride responses and crucial pathophysiological related to cardiovascular disease.

Any disclosures?

Response The work was funded in large part by Zoe Global Ltd for whom I am a consultant. Zoe is a personalized nutrition company who is using the information and data from this study to derive algorithms for individualised nutrition advice.

Citation: ADA 2020 Virtual Sessions

Oral Presentations: Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education, and Exercise

228-OR: Decoding Human Postprandial Responses to Food and Their Potential for Precision Nutrition: The PREDICT 1 Study
PAUL W. FRANKS, SARAH BERRY, ANA M. VALDES, DAVID A. DREW, RICHARD J. DAVIES, JORDI MERINO, ANDREW T. CHAN, NICOLA SEGATAandTIM D. SPECTOR

Diabetes 2020 Jun; 69(Supplement 1): -.https://doi.org/10.2337/db20-228-OR

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Last Updated on June 23, 2020 by Marie Benz MD FAAD