Ward Susan J, Hill Alison M, Buckley Jonathan D, Banks Siobhan, Dhillon Varinderpal S, Holman Stacey L, Morrison Janna L, Coates Alison M
Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide 5001, SA, Australia.
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Br J Nutr. 2022 Mar 28;127(6):872-884. doi: 10.1017/S0007114521001549. Epub 2021 May 11.
Diet is a modifiable risk factor for chronic disease and a potential modulator of telomere length (TL). The study aim was to investigate associations between diet quality and TL in Australian adults after a 12-week dietary intervention with an almond-enriched diet (AED). Participants (overweight/obese, 50-80 years) were randomised to an AED (n 62) or isoenergetic nut-free diet (NFD, n 62) for 12 weeks. Diet quality was assessed using a Dietary Guideline Index (DGI), applied to weighed food records, that consists of ten components reflecting adequacy, variety and quality of core food components and discretionary choices within the diet. TL was measured by quantitative PCR in samples of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and whole blood. There were no significant associations between DGI scores and TL at baseline. Diet quality improved with AED and decreased with NFD after 12 weeks (change from baseline AED + 9·8 %, NFD - 14·3 %; P < 0·001). TL increased in neutrophils (+9·6 bp, P = 0·009) and decreased in whole blood, to a trivial extent (-12·1 bp, P = 0·001), and was unchanged in lymphocytes. Changes did not differ between intervention groups. There were no significant relationships between changes in diet quality scores and changes in lymphocyte, neutrophil or whole blood TL. The inclusion of almonds in the diet improved diet quality scores but had no impact on TL mid-age to older Australian adults. Future studies should investigate the impact of more substantial dietary changes over longer periods of time.
饮食是慢性病的一个可改变的风险因素，也是端粒长度（TL）的一个潜在调节因素。本研究的目的是在一项为期12周的富含杏仁饮食（AED）的饮食干预后，调查澳大利亚成年人的饮食质量与端粒长度之间的关联。参与者（超重/肥胖，50 - 80岁）被随机分为AED组（n = 62）或等能量无坚果饮食（NFD，n = 62），为期12周。饮食质量使用饮食指南指数（DGI）进行评估，该指数应用于称重食物记录，由十个反映核心食物成分的充足性、多样性和质量以及饮食中自由选择食物的成分组成。通过定量PCR在淋巴细胞、中性粒细胞和全血样本中测量端粒长度。基线时DGI评分与端粒长度之间无显著关联。12周后，AED组饮食质量改善，NFD组饮食质量下降（与基线相比，AED组变化 + 9·8%，NFD组变化 - 14·3%；P < 0·001）。中性粒细胞中端粒长度增加（+9·6 bp，P = 0·009），全血中端粒长度有轻微下降（-12·1 bp，P = 0·001），淋巴细胞中端粒长度无变化。干预组之间的变化无差异。饮食质量评分的变化与淋巴细胞、中性粒细胞或全血端粒长度的变化之间无显著关系。在饮食中添加杏仁可改善饮食质量评分，但对澳大利亚中年至老年成年人的端粒长度没有影响。未来的研究应调查更长时间内更大量饮食变化的影响。
