Meal-Induced Inflammation

A UK single-arm dietary intervention study suggests that postprandial inflammation is largely driven by acute elevations in circulating triglyceride (TG). Glycoprotein acetylation (GlycA) after mixed meals may be a promising candidate biomarker for assessing the food-induced inflammatory response within typical dietary habits. The study included 1002 healthy adults aged 18–65 years. The postprandial changes in GlycA and IL-6 concentrations were highly variable between individuals. Participants eliciting an increase in GlycA and IL-6 (60% and 94% of the total participants, respectively) had mean 6-h increases of 11% and 190%, respectively. Peak postprandial TG and glucose concentrations were significantly associated with 6-h GlycA (r = 0.83 and r = 0.24, respectively) but not with 6-h IL-6. A random forest model revealed the maximum TG concentration was the strongest postprandial TG predictor of postprandial GlycA and structural equation modeling revealed that visceral fat mass (VFM) and fasting TG were most strongly associated with fasting and postprandial GlycA. Network Mendelian randomization demonstrated a causal link between VFM and fasting GlycA, mediated (28%) by fasting TG. Individuals eliciting enhanced GlycA responses had higher predicted cardiovascular disease risk (using the atherosclerotic disease risk score) than the rest of the cohort. Person-specific factors, such as gut microbiome, had a greater influence than did meal macronutrients for postprandial lipemia, but not for postprandial glycemia. The large interindividual variability in postprandial inflammation, partly mediated by adiposity, suggests personalized approaches to health. Source: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn