Peanuts and Herbs and Spices May Positively Impact Gut Microbiome

Summary: Consuming one ounce of peanuts or adding one teaspoon of herbs and spices to your daily diet has a positive impact on the health of your gut bacteria and improves immune function.

Source: Penn State

Adding a daily ounce of peanuts or about a teaspoon of herbs and spices to your diet may affect the composition of gut bacteria, an indicator of overall health, according to new research from Penn State.

In two separate studies, nutritional scientists studied the effects of small changes to the average American diet and found improvements to the gut microbiome.

The human gut microbiome is a collection of trillions of microorganisms that live inside the intestinal tract. The bacteria there can affect nearly all systems of the body, including metabolism and the building and maintaining of the immune system.

“Research has shown that people who have a lot of different microbes have better health, and a better diet, than those who don’t have much bacterial diversity,” said Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences, Penn State.

For the peanut study, which published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, Kris-Etherton and her colleagues compared the effects of snacking on 28 grams (approx. 1 ounce) of peanuts per day, versus a higher carbohydrate snack—crackers and cheese.

At the end of six weeks, participants who ate the peanut snack showed an increased abundance of Ruminococcaceae, a group of bacteria linked to healthy liver metabolism and immune function.

In the herbs and spices study, which published in The Journal of Nutrition, scientists analyzed the impact of adding blends of herbs and spices — such as cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil and thyme — to the controlled diets of participants at risk for cardiovascular disease.

The team examined three doses — about 1/8 teaspoon per day, a little more than 3/4 teaspoon per day and about 1 1/2 teaspoon per day. At the end of four weeks, participants showed an increase in gut bacteria diversity, including an increase in Ruminococcaceae, most notably with the medium and high doses of herbs and spices.

This shows peanuts
In both studies, the increase in Ruminococcaceae and bacterial diversity was viewed positively, as scientists continue to learn more about the connection between the gut microbiota and a spectrum of health factors, from blood pressure to weight. Image is in the public domain

“It’s such a simple thing that people can do,” said Kris-Etherton. “The average American diet is far from ideal, so I think everyone could benefit by adding herbs and spices. It’s also a way of decreasing sodium in your diet but flavoring foods in a way that makes them palatable and, in fact, delicious! Taste is really a top criterion for why people choose the foods they do.”

In both studies, the increase in Ruminococcaceae and bacterial diversity was viewed positively, as scientists continue to learn more about the connection between the gut microbiota and a spectrum of health factors, from blood pressure to weight. However, Kris-Etherton is quick to point out that more research is needed to understand all of the implications.

She said, “We need a lot more research on the microbiome to see what its proper place is in terms of overall health.”

Funding:

Peanut Study: The work was supported by The Peanut Institute and Penn State’s Clinical & Translational Research Institute. This research was also supported by a grant to Juniata College from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education Program, as well as by the National Science Foundation.

Spice Study: This study was funded by the McCormick Science Institute. In addition, the study was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH. The study also received support for computational resources from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education Program, as well as the National Science Foundation.

About this diet and microbiome research news

Author: Sara LaJeunesse
Source: Penn State
Contact: Sara LaJeunesse – Penn State
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Open access.
Peanuts as a nighttime snack enrich butyrate-producing bacteria compared to an isocaloric lower-fat higher-carbohydrate snack in adults with elevated fasting glucose: A randomized crossover trial” by Philip A. Sapp et al. Clinical Nutrition

Open access.
Herbs and Spices Modulate Gut Bacterial Composition in Adults at Risk for CVD: Results of a Prespecified Exploratory Analysis from a Randomized, Crossover, Controlled-Feeding Study” by Kristina S. Peterson et al. Journal of Nutrition


Abstract

Peanuts as a nighttime snack enrich butyrate-producing bacteria compared to an isocaloric lower-fat higher-carbohydrate snack in adults with elevated fasting glucose: A randomized crossover trial

Background

Tree nuts have glucoregulatory effects and influence gut microbiota composition. The effect of peanuts on the microbiota has not been investigated.

Objectives

The aim was to examine the effect of 28 g/d of peanuts for 6-wks, compared to an isocaloric lower-fat higher-carbohydrate (LFHC) snack, on gut microbiota composition. A secondary aim was to identify functional and active compositional differences in a subset of participants using metatranscriptomics.

Methods

In a randomized, crossover trial, 50 adults (48% female; 42 ± 15 y; BMI 28.3 ± 5.6 kg/m2; plasma glucose 100 ± 8 mg/dL) consumed 28 g/d of dry roasted, unsalted, peanuts (164 kcal; 11% E carbohydrate, 17% E protein, 73% E fat, and 2.4 g fiber) or a LFHC snack (164 kcal; 53% E carbohydrate, 17% E protein, 33% E fat, and 3 g fiber) for 6-wk (4-wk washout period). Gut bacterial composition was measured using 16S rRNA sequencing in the whole cohort. Exploratory metatranscriptomic analyses were conducted on a random subset (n = 24) of samples from the Peanut condition.

Results

No between-condition differences in α- or β- diversity were observed. Following peanut intake, Ruminococcaceae were significantly more abundant [Linear discriminant analysis score (LDA) = 2.8; P = 0.027)] compared to LFHC. Metatranscriptomics showed increased expression of the K03518 (aerobic carbon-monoxide dehydrogenase small subunit) gene following peanut intake (LDA = 2.0; P = 0.004) and Roseburia intestinalis L1-82 was identified as a contributor to the increased expression.


Abstract

Herbs and Spices Modulate Gut Bacterial Composition in Adults at Risk for CVD: Results of a Prespecified Exploratory Analysis from a Randomized, Crossover, Controlled-Feeding Study

Background

Herbs and spices are rich in polyphenolic compounds that may influence gut bacterial composition. The effect of culinary doses of herbs and spices consumed as part of a well-defined dietary pattern on gut bacterial composition has not been previously studied.

Objectives

The aim of this prespecified exploratory analysis was to examine gut bacterial composition following an average American diet (carbohydrate: 50% kcal; protein: 17%; total fat: 33%; saturated fat: 11%) containing herbs and spices at 0.5, 3.3, and 6.6 g.d–1.2100 kcal–1 [low-, moderate-, and high-spice diets, respectively (LSD, MSD, and HSD)] in adults at risk for CVD.

Methods

Fifty-four adults (57% female; mean ± SD age: 45 ± 11 y; BMI: 29.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2; waist circumference: 102.8 ± 7.1 cm) were included in this 3-period, randomized, crossover, controlled-feeding study. Each diet was provided for 4 wk with a minimum 2-wk washout period. At baseline and the end of each diet period, participants provided a fecal sample for 16S rRNA gene (V4 region) sequencing. QIIME2 was used for data filtration, sequence clustering, taxonomy assignment, and statistical analysis.

Results

α-diversity assessed by the observed features metric ( P = 0.046) was significantly greater following the MSD as compared with the LSD; no other between-diet differences in α-diversity were detected. Differences in β-diversity were not observed between the diets ( P = 0.45). Compared with baseline, β-diversity differed following all diets ( P < .02). Enrichment of the Ruminococcaceae family was observed following the HSD as compared with the MSD (relative abundance = 22.14%, linear discriminant analysis = 4.22, P = 0.03) and the LSD (relative abundance  = 24.90%, linear discriminant analysis = 4.47, P = 0.004).

Conclusions

The addition of herbs and spices to an average American diet induced shifts in gut bacterial composition after 4 wk in adults at risk for CVD. The metabolic implications of these changes merit further investigation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03064932.

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