Different Blood Metabolomics Profiles in Infants Consuming a Meat- or Dairy-Based Complementary Diet

Minghua Tang,Audrey E Hendricks,Laura D Brown,Lillian M Berman,Nancy F Krebs,Nicholas E Weaver

doi:10.3390/nu13020388

Minghua Tang, Audrey E Hendricks + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020388

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Abstract

Background: Research is limited in evaluating the mechanisms responsible for infant growth in response to different protein-rich foods; Methods: Targeted and untargeted metabolomics analysis were conducted on serum samples collected from an infant controlled-feeding trial that participants consumed a meat- vs. dairy-based complementary diet from 5 to 12 months of age, and followed up at 24 months. Results: Isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine increased and threonine decreased over time among all participants; Although none of the individual essential amino acids had a significant impact on changes in growth Z scores from 5 to 12 months, principal component heavily weighted by BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine) and phenylalanine had a positive association with changes in length-for-age Z score from 5 to 12 months. Concentrations of acylcarnitine-C4, acylcarnitine-C5 and acylcarnitine-C5:1 significantly increased over time with the dietary intervention, but none of the acylcarnitines were associated with infant growth Z scores. Quantitative trimethylamine N-oxide increased in the meat group from 5 to 12 months; Conclusions: Our findings suggest that increasing total protein intake by providing protein-rich complementary foods was associated with increased concentrations of certain essential amino acids and short-chain acyl-carnitines. The sources of protein-rich foods (e.g., meat vs. dairy) did not appear to differentially impact serum metabolites, and comprehensive mechanistic investigations are needed to identify other contributors or mediators of the diet-induced infant growth trajectories.

Highlights

Evidence-based consensus holds that the first year of life is significant for obesity programming, and undesired growth patterns in infancy, namely excessive weight relative to length, are strongly associated with childhood obesity [1]
Most of these studies focused on the high-protein content of infant formula, and research is limited in the effect of protein source from complementary foods on infant growth, especially among different types of protein-rich foods
We discovered that length-for-age Z score (LAZ, linear growth parameter) increased in the meat group and decreased in the dairy group from 5 to 12 months, which resulted in a significant increase of overweight parameter weight-for-length Z score (WLZ) and increased risk of overweight in the dairy group [10]

Summary

Introduction

Evidence-based consensus holds that the first year of life is significant for obesity programming, and undesired growth patterns in infancy, namely excessive weight relative to length, are strongly associated with childhood obesity [1]. Some research showed that a high protein intake had been associated with increased overweight risks [2,3], while others showed no growth difference between high- and low protein intakes [4] Most of these studies focused on the high-protein content of infant formula, and research is limited in the effect of protein source from complementary foods on infant growth, especially among different types of protein-rich foods. Research is limited in evaluating the mechanisms responsible for infant growth in response to different protein-rich foods; Methods: Targeted and untargeted metabolomics analysis were conducted on serum samples collected from an infant controlled-feeding trial that participants consumed a meat- vs dairy-based complementary diet from 5 to 12 months of age, and followed up at 24 months.

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