| Increased intestinal permeability allows for translocation of inflammatory microbiota products into the host system. It is unknown how permeability relates to dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the differences in intestinal permeability between those with and without MetS, and to determine if accordance to a Mediterranean-type dietary (MedDiet) pattern is indicative of differences in intestinal permeability. In this cross-sectional study, urine was collected after a sugar challenge (mannitol, sucrose, sucralose, lactulose) in 42 obese (BMI, mean +/- SD; 38.3 +/- 6.6 kg/m2) adults aged 46.1 +/- 11.1 yrs; 62% were African American and 81% were female. Thirty one percent had MetS sand those with MetS had higher whole gut permeability. All completed a 16-component MedDiet screener and VioscreenTM FFQ. Differences in permeability (% oral sugar dose excreted; Mann Whitney U) observed between those accordant to the green leafy vegetable, berries, and fish components had lower permeability than those not accordant; most notably, small bowel (5-hr sucralose:lactulose; 0.15 [0.01, 0.40] vs 0.53 [0.25, 0.76], and whole gut permeability (24-hr sucralose; 0.14 [0.05, 0.26] vs 0.29 [0.14, 0.45]) was lower in those accordant vs. those not accordant to the green leafy vegetable component. Interestingly, those who reported eating nuts compared to those who ate none from the FFQ had higher small intestine permeability (5-hr sucralose:lactulose; 0.42 [0.15, 0.65] vs. 0.18 [0.06, 0.38]). While exploratory, these data suggest that specific components of a MedDiet may be influential to the intestinal barrier and differences intestinal permeability may be related to MetS status. |
