Gut Microbes · Apr 28, 2025

Role of insulinemic and inflammatory dietary patterns on gut microbial composition and circulating biomarkers of metabolic health among older American men

By Nepal S, Shi N, Hoyd R et al.

Chronic low-grade inflammation and hyperinsulinemia are linked with metabolic dysfunction and dysbiosis. This study investigated the role of dietary inflammatory and insulinemic potential on gut microbiome and circulating health biomarkers in older men. Data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study were analyzed. Reversed Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (rEDIP), Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (rEDIH), and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 scores were computed from food frequency questionnaire data. Stool samples were profiled using 16S rRNA sequencing. Elastic net regression identified diet-associated microbial profiles and multivariable-adjusted linear regression assessed diet-biomarker associations. Higher rEDIP, rEDIH, and HEI-2020 scores were positively associated with gut microbiota alpha diversity. Specific genera, including Intestinibacter and Lachnospira, associated positively, while Dielma, Peptococcus, Feacalitalea, and Negativibaccilus associated inversely with healthier dietary patterns. When evaluating changes in dietary patterns between baseline and visit 4 ( ~ 14 years), these genera tended to define rEDIP, rEDIH more than HEI-2020. In addition, higher dietary quality was linked to better biomarker profiles, including lower creatinine, sodium, triglycerides, and insulin resistance. Beneficial effects of higher dietary quality on health may be mediated by the ability of diet to regulate gut microbial composition and metabolic biomarker profiles.

doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2025.2497400Open accessPubMed 40296253Populations