| Gastrointestinal health is modulated by dietary intake and may have a profound impact on systemic health. Whether specific dietary components are related to markers of gut and systemic health, in particular, intestinal permeability, is currently unknown. Urine samples acquired from seven obese (BMI, mean +/-SD: 35.5 +/- 3.7 kg/m2) participants were analyzed for intestinal permeability. Participants ingested a sugar cocktail of mannitol, a marker of small intestine permeability, lactulose, a marker of paracellular permeability, and sucralose, a marker of whole gut permeability. Permeability was expressed as percent oral dose of sugar excreted in the urine. Three-day food records were completed and averaged to estimate dietary intakes. Median (IQR) age was 54 (43, 58) years, and the majority of participants were African American (57%) and female (86%). Participants median (IQR) body weight was 216.0 (207.0, 220.0) lbs. Daily intakes were as follows: 2054 +/- 644 kcal, 11.4 +/- 4.1% energy from saturated fat, 15.0 g (13.3,19.7) fiber, and 99.8 g (54.1, 104.4) sugar. Based on these data, we conclude that participants consumed a Western diet that was high in fat and sugar, but low in fiber. There was an inverse correlation between intestinal permeability and the following parameters: disaccharide (&rgr; =-0.93, p=0.003), calcium (&rgr; =-0.86, p=0.01), carotene (&rgr; =-0.79, p=0.04), and Vitamin B1 (&rgr; =-0.79, p=0.04). On the contrary, there was a positive correlation between intestinal permeability and the following parameters: chromium (&rgr; =0.88, p=0.01), protein (g) (&rgr; =0.93, p=0.003), total calories (&rgr; =0.79, p=0.04), Vitamin B6 (&rgr; =0.82, p=0.02), manganese (&rgr; =0.86, p=0.01), and magnesium (&rgr; =0.79, p=0.04). When these nutrients are examined in the context of food, these findings suggest dietary components from sources such as fortified cereals may beneficially impact the GI barrier, while components from high-fat meats may negatively alter the GI barrier and increase intestinal permeability. |
