PT37. - NON-SUGAR SWEETENED BEVERAGES INTAKE AND GUT MICROBIOME COMPOSITION: THE HELIUS STUDY

PT37.

NON-SUGAR SWEETENED BEVERAGES INTAKE AND GUT MICROBIOME COMPOSITION: THE HELIUS STUDY

H. Raeisidehkordi^1,*, A. Chatelan², A. H. Alizadeh Bahmani³, M. Nicolaou⁴, A. Salehi-Abargouei⁵, Y. T. van der Schouw¹, T. Muka⁶, E. P. Moll Van Charante⁴, B.-J. H. van den Born³, H. Galenkamp⁴, M. Nieuwdorp³, O. H. Franco¹

¹Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Utrecht, Netherlands, ²Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Geneva School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland, ³Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Internal and Vascular Medicine, The Netherlands, ⁴Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Netherlands, ⁵Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , 89151-73160 Yazd, Iran, Yazd, Iran, Islamic Republic Of, ⁶Epistudia, Bern, Switzerland, Bern, Switzerland

Rationale: Non-sugar sweetened beverages (NSSB) are widely consumed as substitutes for sugary drinks. Emerging evidence suggests that NSSB consumption may influence gut microbiome composition, potentially affecting the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, observational data linking NSSB intake and the gut microbiome remain limited.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Healthy Life In an Urban Setting (HELIUS) multi-ethnic cohort from 929 participants with dietary intake and microbiome data (mean (SD) age: 52.7 (7.7) years, 53% women). Dietary intake was assessed using an ethnic-specific food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The gut microbiota was profiled using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. To investigate the associations between NSSB intake and gut microbiota, we first examined associations between NSSB intake (ever-consumers (285) vs. non-consumers (644)) and alpha-diversity (Shannon index and richness) and beta-diversity (measured by weighted UniFrac distance) using multivariable linear regression and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), respectively. Second, we examined associations between NSSB intake and gut microbial genera abundance using ANCOM-BC2. These analyses were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, total energy intake, diabetes status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and probiotic supplement use.

Results: No significant differences were observed in alpha-diversity indices. However, beta-diversity was statistically significant, with PCo1 (13.8%) and PCo2 (3.6%) (P = 0.001). ANCOM-BC analysis identified 17 genera significantly associated with NSSB intake.

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Conclusion: NSSB intake might be associated with differences in gut microbiome composition. While causality cannot be established, our findings support the need for longitudinal studies to explore how these microbial differences may influence chronic disease risk, including T2D.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared