Vitamin and mineral supplementation effect on blood lipids
Research Article
Multi-micronutrient supplementation influences levels of phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and cholesterol esters in blood plasma.
About the author
Olga (Olya) Vvedenskaya
Sci. Communications Officer
Dr. Dr. Olya Vvedenskaya studied medicine, and further obtained her PhD in the field of molecular oncology. She loves to deliver scientific messages in a clear and accessible manner.
• Vitamins and minerals are essential for lipid metabolism
• Their effect on lipid metabolism is both short- and long-term
• Fat-soluble vitamins affect SE, PC, TAG, DAG, and PI lipids
Olga (Olya) Vvedenskaya
Sci. Communications Officer
Dr. Dr. Olya Vvedenskaya studied medicine, and further obtained her PhD in the field of molecular oncology. She loves to deliver scientific messages in a clear and accessible manner.
VITAMINS and minerals, or multi-micronutrients, play important roles in our health during the course of our lives. Not getting enough of these nutrients can affect how we grow and stay healthy overall. While adults often take vitamin supplements to help prevent certain illnesses, it’s also important for kids and teenagers to eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals, that support healthy growth.
Fat-soluble vitamins like A and E function as free radical scavengers and are part of the antioxidant system, along with copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn). After intestinal absorption into the bloodstream, vitamins A and E are packaged into chylomicrons and later incorporated into very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). Altered lipid metabolism can affect processes dependent on these vitamins. Many vitamins play key roles in lipid metabolism. Studies on multi-micronutrient intake and blood plasma lipid profiles in children and adults have focused on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol levels, but not specific lipid species. This approach limits insights into changes in lipid metabolism under the influence of multi-micronutrient supplementation.
In this study, the impact of vitamins and minerals on lipid metabolism was studied by analyzing blood plasma lipid profiles following supplementation, exploring the cause-effect relationship on circulating lipids. Chakrabarti and colleagues examined the effects of a multi-micronutrient intervention in Brazilian children and adolescents and its association with lipid metabolism. In this study, plasma lipidome and proteome were analyzed from samples collected after a 6-week multi-micronutrient supplement intervention in 9–13-year-olds.
The studied supplement containing approximately 100% of the daily recommended dose, but below the upper tolerable limits for 12 vitamins and five minerals in the form of a chocolate bar, was used 5 days a week over 6 weeks with the monitoring for compliance.
The effectiveness was assessed by comparing changes in clinical and blood plasma lipidomics parameters at baseline (Visit 1), after the intervention with mineral and vitamin supplementation (Visit 2), and following a 6-week washout period (Visit 3), designed to exclude any residual effects of the treatment. The results of the clinical analyses were available at the end of the intervention, allowing for the evaluation of its effectiveness. The study followed an n-of-1 design without a control group, which helped to detect individual responses.
Responses to the intervention were assessed as blood plasma vitamin levels, clinical parameters, plasma lipidomics, and genetic profiles. Participants with comparable baseline characteristics or responses were categorized based on these correlations. The research employed community-based participatory methods to improve the application of findings, ensuring that the knowledge gained was accessible and beneficial to the participants and their families.
The multi-micronutrient supplementation used in the study had a significant and reproducible effect on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, glucose levels, and certain circulating forms of vitamins. However, there was no significant change in plasma levels of circulating 25-hydroxy vitamin D3. The observed decrease in average blood lipid and glucose levels indicated that one or more components of the supplement may have impacted lipid metabolism. The authors further explored how the intervention affected lipid metabolism in greater detail.
A total of 119 participants remained for the blood plasma lipidomic analysis. Significant differences were observed in steryl esters (SEs), triglycerides (TAGs), free cholesterol, lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs), and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) across between visits. The intervention led to a statistically significant reduction in lipid levels, which continued during the washout phase as well. Specifically, fifteen lipids showed significant reductions between Visits 1 and 2, indicating a direct and rapid effect of the intervention. Additionally, seventeen different lipids showed significant changes between Visits 2 and 3, suggesting a slower but lasting impact of the intervention and a new steady state established between Visits 1 and 3.
Statistically significant changes in lipid profiles. Changes in lipid levels across visit comparisons are colored with dark blue for decrease, and grey for no change. Phosphatidylcholine, PC; phosphatidylinositol, PI; lysophosphatidylethanolamine, LPE; lysophosphatidic acid, LPA; lysophosphatidylcholine, LPC; cholesterol, Chol; triacylglycerol, TAG, steryl ester, SE; diacylglycerol, DAG.
Chakrabarti et al., Clinical Nutrition, 39(7), 2211–2219, (2020), 1016/j.clnu.2019.09.010
According to the clinical parameters, the intervention reduced LDL cholesterol levels but had no effect on HDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, or triglycerides. However, total cholesterol and free cholesterol in blood plasma were lower when assessed with mass spectrometry-based lipidomics. Changes in diglycerides (DAG) and TAG composition align with previous findings on lipoprotein particles: VLDL showed higher TAG levels, while HDL had increased phospholipids. During the washout phase, HDL cholesterol levels were negatively correlated with DAGs. At Visit 3, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels were correlated with SE 18:2.
Overall, this study indicates that multi-micronutrient supplementation has both short- and long-term effects on lipid metabolism, significantly influencing levels of phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and cholesterol esters in blood plasma. Phospholipid levels shifted, and the incorporation of various fatty acids changed after the intervention. Additionally, fat-soluble vitamins (A, E) appeared to play a greater role than water-soluble vitamins (B, C) in interacting with lipid classes like SEs, PCs, TAGs, DAGs, and PIs.
Lipotype Lipidomics technology can help in this research by providing a detailed, high-throughput analysis of lipid species and their changes in response to the intervention. It provides absolute quantification of various lipid classes and species, allowing to measure the effects of micronutrient supplementation on lipid metabolism and identifying specific lipid alterations.
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