Low-cost anthropometric measurements along with key metabolites could signify lifestyle habits

The aim of a new cross-sectional study was to examine variations in the plasma metabolome between two adult groups of similar age but with significant differences in body composition, diet, and physical activity. 

The participants included 52 adults in the lifestyle group (LIFE) – 28 males and 24 females, and 52 in the control group (CON) – 27 males and 25 females. Utilizing an extensive untargeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) metabolomics analysis––10,535 metabolite peaks were analyzed––identifying 486 key metabolites (variable influence on projections scores of VIP ≥ 1) and 16 significantly enriched metabolic pathways that distinguished the LIFE and CON groups. 

A unique metabolite signature associated with positive lifestyle habits was identified – characterized by lower plasma levels of various bile acids, an amino acid profile with higher histidine, and lower levels of glutamic acid, glutamine, β-alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and proline. Additionally, the LIFE group showed elevated vitamin D status, higher levels of beneficial fatty acids, and metabolites from the gut microbiome catabolism of plant substrates, along with reduced levels of N-glycan degradation metabolites and environmental contaminants. 

The findings confirmed that the plasma metabolome is closely linked to body composition and lifestyle habits. The robust lifestyle metabolite signature found in this research aligns with improved life expectancy and a decreased risk of chronic diseases. The plasma metabolome reflects the combined impact of multiple lifestyle habits, genetics, clinical stressors, the gut microbiota, and other factors. The results of this untargeted UPLC-HRMS analysis, which identified numerous metabolites and 16 metabolic pathways, differentiate the LIFE and CON groups. 

The results also demonstrated that positive lifestyle habits are associated with an elevated vitamin D status, beneficial fatty acids, and metabolites from plant-based gut microbiome catabolism while reducing N-glycan degradation metabolites and environmental contaminants. The strong influence of body composition on the plasma metabolome was evident, with moderate effects from moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and fruit and vegetable intake. Thus, low-cost anthropometric measurements, combined with key metabolites identified in this analysis, could serve as precision nutrition indicators of a healthy versus unhealthy lifestyle. These metabolites may include lower plasma levels of glutamic acid, total bile acids, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and mannose, and higher levels of histidine, pipecolic acid, L-glutathione (reduced), succinic acid, γ-linolenic acid, DHA, EPA, hippuric acid, calcitriol, phosphorylcholine, uridine, 5-hydroxylysine, betaine, and lutein.

Source: Pathmasiri W, Rushing BR, McRitchie S, et al. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):13630.