A study in the journal Life Metabolism shows that the biomarker SPARC-1H can predict who will benefit most from a Mediterranean diet. The research, led by Dr. Jiqiu Wang and Dr. Guang Ning from Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Ruijin Hospital, offers new insights into precision nutrition.

In a six-month randomized controlled trial of 235 overweight or obese Chinese adults with prediabetes, three calorie-restricted diets were compared: Mediterranean diet, traditional Jiangnan diet, and a control diet. Participants were given meals with a calorie deficit of 25% five days a week. The researchers measured the SPARC level in the blood after fasting and one and two hours after glucose intake.

Only the SPARC-1H value at baseline predicted improvements in insulin resistance, fasting insulin and fasting glucose after six months in the Mediterranean diet group. Individuals with lower SPARC-1H benefited more. This pattern did not occur in the other diet groups, indicating a diet-specific effect. SPARC-1H also correlated with lipid changes, in particular a reduction in plasmalogens associated with red meat and inflammation.

The study emphasizes that different diets require specific biomarkers. While SPARC-1H was predictive for the Mediterranean diet, fasting SPARC showed benefits in the Jiangnan diet. The results pave the way for personalized dietary recommendations, especially for individuals at metabolic risk, and underscore the importance of nutrition-specific biomarkers.

Original Paper:

Predictive value of 1-hour postprandial SPARC levels on metabolic outcomes from mediterranean diet adherence: results from a randomized controlled feeding study | Life Metabolism | Oxford Academic

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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