Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38218318›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of clinical nutrition2024

Plant-based diets and the gut microbiome: findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Xinyi Shen, Curtis Tilves, Hyunju Kim, Toshiko Tanaka, Adam P Spira, Chee W Chia, Sameera A Talegawkar, Luigi Ferrucci, Noel T Mueller

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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  7. Nutrients · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Xinyi ShenDepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States.
Curtis TilvesDepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States.
Hyunju KimDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, United States.
Toshiko TanakaIntramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Adam P SpiraDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Chee W ChiaIntramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Sameera A TalegawkarDepartments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Luigi FerrucciIntramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Noel T MuellerDepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States. Electronic address: noel.mueller@cuanschutz.edu.

Funding

Research Education ComponentP30AG066507 · NIA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Abhay Moghekar · 2020 to 2026
$29.3M
Microbiome Projects in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of AgingZIAAG000997 · NIA · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING · PI FERRUCCI, LUIGI · 2015 to 2025
$3.8M
Effects of Dietary Patterns and Sodium Intake on the Gut Microbiome and MetabolomeR01HL166473 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI NOEL T MUELLER · 2023 to 2026
$2.4M
Johns Hopkins HIV and Heart, Lung, Blood & Sleep Disorders Training Program (H3TP)K12HL143957 · NHLBI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BROWN, TODD T, KIRK, GREGORY D · 2018 to 2022
$1.8M
Associations of diet trajectories over the adult life course with cardiovascular risk factors, age-related functional declines and mortalityR01AG051752 · NIA · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI TALEGAWKAR, SAMEERA A · 2016 to 2018
$886k
The Effects of Diet on the Gut Microbiome and Short Chain Fatty AcidsK01HL141589 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI MUELLER, NOEL T · 2018 to 2022
$845k
Proteomic and epigenetic alterations associated with plant-based diets and CVDK01HL168232 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI Hyunju Kim · 2023 to 2026
$683k
Employing smart underwear to measure gut microbial hydrogen sulfide productionR21DK132310 · NIDDK · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · PI GHODSSI, REZA, HALL, ANDREW BRANTLEY · 2022 to 2023
$418k
NHLBI NIH HHS K01 HL141589NHLBI NIH HHS K01 HL168232NHLBI NIH HHS K12 HL143957NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL166473NIA NIH HHS P30 AG066507NIA NIH HHS R01 AG051752
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMounting evidence indicates that although some plant-based diets are healthful, others are not. Changes in the gut microbiome and microbiome-dependent metabolites, such as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), may explain differential health effects of plant-based diets. However, human data are sparse on whether qualitatively distinct types of plant-based diets differentially affect gut microbiome diversity, composition, particularly at the species level, and/or metabolites.

objectivesWe aimed to examine cross-sectional associations of different plant-based indices with adult gut microbiome diversity, composition, and the metabolite TMAO.

methodsWe studied 705 adults in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging with data for diet, fecal microbiome (shotgun metagenomic sequencing), and key covariates. We derived healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI) using data from food frequency questionnaires. We examined plant-based diet indices with microbiome α-diversity (richness and evenness measures), β-diversity (Bray-Curtis and UniFrac measures), composition (species level), and plasma TMAO. We used regression models to determine associations before and after adjustment for age, sex, education, physical activity, smoking status, body mass index, and total energy intake.

resultsThe analytic sample (mean age, 71.0 years, SD = 12.8 years) comprised 55.6% female and 67.5% non-Hispanic White participants. hPDI was positively and uPDI negatively associated with microbiome α-diversity, driven by microbial evenness (Pielou P < 0.05). hPDI was also positively associated with relative abundance of 3 polysaccharide-degrading bacterial species (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Eubacterium eligens, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron) and inversely associated with 6 species (Blautia hydrogenotrophica, Doreasp CAG 317, Eisenbergiella massiliensis, Sellimonas intestinalis, Blautia wexlerae, and Alistipes shahii). Furthermore, hPDI was inversely associated with TMAO. Associations did not differ by age, sex, or race.

conclusionsGreater adherence to a healthful plant-based diet is associated with microbiome features that have been linked to positive health; adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet has opposing or null associations with these features.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal MicrobiomeMethylaminesAdultAgedAgingBaltimoreCross-Sectional StudiesDietDiet, Plant-BasedDiet, VegetarianFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedMethylaminestrimethyloxaminedietdietary patterngut microbiomehealthful plant-based diet indexoverall plant-based diet indexunhealthful plant-based diet index

Identifiers

PMID38218318
PMCPMC10972708

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.