• Chiu-Fen Yang, Tsung-Jen Lin, Chin-Hung Liu, Yu-Chih Chen, Sheau-Chung Tang, Jen-Hung Yang, Tzu-Ching Meng, and Ching-Feng Cheng.
• Department of Cardiology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan; Doctoral Degree Program in Translational Medicine, Tzu Chi University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
• Nutrition. 2020 Oct 1; 78: 110892.

ObjectivesDiets may alter an individual's metabolism and inflammation, collectively leading to the modulation of cardiovascular health and disease process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of diets and diet-associated metabolites on metabolic profiles, inflammatory status, and severity of atherosclerosis.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with 81 healthy adults in Taiwan. A food frequency questionnaire was obtained for evaluating dietary intake. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a relevant marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, was measured by ultrasound.ResultsConsumption of instant noodles and sugary beverages was associated with worse metabolic profiles. In contrast, the intake of fresh fruit and green vegetables was correlated with better metabolic parameters. Sugary beverages were dose-dependently correlated with higher expressions of toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and TLR4 on monocytes, whereas fresh fruit intake was associated with lower TLRs. Furthermore, consumption of green vegetables, brown rice, and >2000 mL/d of water was inversely correlated with CIMT. The diet-associated metabolites including trimethylamine N-oxide and S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, were positively associated with CIMT, whereas l-lysine and l-carnitine were associated with decreased CIMT. Interestingly, intake of strict vegetarian foods resulted in lower serum total cholesterol levels without a detectable effect on inflammatory status or CIMT.ConclusionsIndependent of the pattern of strict vegetarian foods, individuals who consumed more vegetables, fresh fruit, and water showed better cardiovascular health as evidenced by their metabolic and inflammatory status and CIMT results.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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