Personalized diet programs outperform generic recommendations for better heart health

soon Nature Medicine In the study, researchers compare the effectiveness of personalized dietary programs (PDP) and general recommendations for cardiometabolic health.

To work: Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: A randomized controlled trial.. Image Credit: Inside the Creative House / Shutterstock.com

The role of diet in disease risk

Diet and lifestyle interventions are effective non-drug approaches that can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Although many studies have emphasized the importance of adequate nutrition, a significant increase in nutrition-related diseases has been observed and this increase has been attributed to inadequate adherence to nutritional rules.

In fact, a recent study found that less than 1% of the UK population adheres to all dietary recommendations; Similarly poor compliance was reported in the United States. Many factors influence variability in health responses to food; Therefore, effective personalized nutritional programs based on lifestyle and phenotypic biological factors may increase adherence rates to dietary guidelines.

Previously conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed to evaluate the effectiveness of personalized nutrition programs have shown an overall positive outcome. Some benefits associated with this approach include improved blood parameters, glycemic index, eating habits, gut health, physical activity and anthropometric measurements. However, additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of PDP in terms of compliance with recommendations and health outcomes.

About the study

The ZOE Measuring Effectiveness Through Diet Outcomes (METHOD) study suggested that diet customization, which encompasses multiple factors that contribute to intra- and intra-individual variability in nutritional responses to diet, will increase adherence to recommendations and improve health outcomes. The ZOE METHOD study, which included a parallel-design eighteen-week RCT, compared the effectiveness of PDP with standard-of-care dietary advice in the US adult population.

Standard of care dietary recommendations are taken from the United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025; PDP nutrition guidelines are based on the ZOE 2022 algorithm. PDP recommendations were based on the individual’s health history, gut microbiome composition, glucose and postprandial triglyceride (TG) levels. Diet and lifestyle recommendations for PDP were delivered remotely via a phone app called ZOE.

The current study included male and female participants aged 40 to 70 years. All participants were U.S. residents, reported daily fruit and vegetable intake below 450 grams, and had waist circumference measurements higher by ethnicity and gender.^This percentage values. Selected participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups.

Study findings

A total of 177 and 170 participants were assigned to the PDP and control groups, respectively. The PDP intervention produced more significant health improvements than following the US standard of care dietary recommendation, as evidenced by greater reductions in weight, TG levels, waist circumference, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the PDP group. However, no change in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels was observed in the PDP group.

A greater change in food intake and individual foods compared to the control group was associated with PDP. An improved and sustained gut microbial composition was observed in the PDP group compared to the control; these microbiome changes were more predictive of weight loss and reduction in hip circumference than the control diet.

Study participants in the PDP group also exhibited positive feelings of hunger, mood, and energy. Compared with standard dietary advice, customized dietary advice was more effective in reducing central adiposity and TG levels in healthy populations.

Although overall LDL-C levels were similar in both groups after eighteen weeks of dietary intervention, a significant reduction was observed in healthy participants who met PDP guidelines. When participants were further stratified by baseline unhealthy levels, reductions in LDL-C levels were observed across all adherence groups.

Consistent with previous studies, the current study observed that TG levels were sensitive to nutritional interventions. Importantly, LDL-C levels do not change with weight loss caused by diet change.

Additionally, the current study reported greater improvements in body weight and waist circumference in participants in the PDP group compared to those who followed general guidance.

Results

The potential benefit of PDP supersedes standard dietary advice, as individuals with the poorest diets have been found to derive the greatest benefits from a personalized nutritional intervention. Interestingly, the current study did not observe any significant health benefits in participants who followed a generally healthy lifestyle from baseline.

Study findings show that a personalized nutrition program is highly beneficial in improving cardiometabolic health.