Animal and plant protein intake association with mental health, tryptophan metabolites pathways, and gut microbiota in healthy women: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMC microbiology Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 390 - 16
• Main Authors: Soveid, Neda, Barkhidarian, Bahareh, Samadi, Mahsa, Hatami, Mahsa, Gholami, Fatemeh, Yekaninejad, Mir Saeid, Saedisomeolia, Ahmad, Karbasian, Maryam, Siadat, Seyed Davar, Mirzaei, Khadijeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 07.10.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Amino acids; Analysis; Animal protein; Animal Proteins, Dietary; Animals; Anxiety; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; Biochemical tests; Care and treatment; Chronic illnesses; Confounding (Statistics); Consumption; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - metabolism; Depression - microbiology; Depression, Mental; Diet; Dietary intake; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzymes; Female; Firmicutes; Food intake; Food sources; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gut microbiota; Health aspects; Health surveys; Healthy Volunteers; High protein diet; Homeostasis; Humans; Intestinal microflora; Marital status; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental Health; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Microorganisms; Middle Aged; Physiological aspects; Plant proteins; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Polymerase chain reaction; Potassium; Protein source; Protein turnover; Proteins; Proteins in human nutrition; Psychological aspects; Psychological stress; Publishing industry; Regression models; Serotonin; Sorbents; Stress; Tryptophan; Tryptophan - metabolism; Vitamin C; Vitamin E; Women; Womens health; Young Adult; Iran; United States; Gut microbiota; Depression; Anxiety; Protein source; Stress; Mental health
• ISSN: 1471-2180; 1471-2180
• DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03534-8

Mental health is affected by tryptophane (TRP) metabolism regulation. Diet-influenced gut microbiome regulates TRP metabolism. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between type of dietary protein intake, gut microbiota, TRP metabolites homeostasis, and mental well-being in healthy women. 91 healthy females aged 18-50 were recruited based on the study protocol. Validate and reliable questionnaires assessed dietary intake and mental health. Biochemical tests and gut microbiota composition were analyzed following the manufacturer's instructions for each enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kit and Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods respectively. Regression methods were used to estimate the considered associations. The results show that in the fully adjusted model, plant protein consumption was partially inversely associated with depression risk (OR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.06, 1.09; P = 0.06). Higher dietary animal protein intake was marginally associated with psychological distress (OR = 2.59; 95% CI: 0.91, 7.34; P = 0.07). KYN to serotonin ratio was inversely associated with animal protein consumption (ß = 1.10; 95% CI: -0.13, 2.33; P = 0.07). Firmicutes/Bacteriodetes ratio (β = -1.27 × 103, SE = 5.99 × 102, P = 0.03) was lower in the top tertile of plant protein. A partially negative correlation was found between dietary animal protein and Prevotella abundance (β = -9.20 × 1018, SE = 5.04 × 1018, P = 0.06). Overall, significant inverse associations were found between a diet high in plant protein with mental disorders, KYN levels, and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio while adhering to higher animal protein could predispose women to psychological stress.