Redox state is similar in subjects following omnivorous, vegan, vegetarian, and low-carbohydrate high-fat diet
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: • Total antioxidative potential (TAC) was higher in vegan than in vegetarian group. • Vegan group had higher NAD + /NADH ratio than vegetarian group. • Omnivorous group had higher bilirubin than low-carbohydate high-fat group. • Sirtuin 1 concentration and NAD + /NADH positively correlate with Healthy Eating Index. • Dietary factors moderately predict TAC, NAD + /NADH ratio sirtuin 1 concentration. Age-related noncommunicable diseases are a major health burden in developed countries, with oxidative stress being a key contributing factor. This cross-sectional study aimed to test the hypothesis that redox status among 88 participants with a particular interest in nutrition and habitually following four popular dietary patterns: vegan, vegetarian, low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF), and omnivorous, is similar, but correlates with the diet quality. Dietary intake was assessed using food diaries, and venous blood samples were collected to measure serum total antioxidative capacity (TAC), bilirubin, NAD⁺/NADH ratio, and sirtuin 1 concentration, and the expression of antioxidative enzymes in leukocytes. TAC and the NAD⁺/NADH ratio were higher in the vegan group compared with the vegetarian group, while bilirubin concentration were higher in omnivorous compared with the LCHF group. Other differences between dietary groups were not significant. NAD + /NADH ratio and sirtuin 1 were positively correlated with diet quality, assessed with Healthy Eating Index. Correlation analysis between dietary variables and redox markers revealed only few weak to moderate associations. However, a hierarchical regression model including age, gender, and dietary variables explained 19.8% of the variance in TAC, 21.2% of the variance in the NAD⁺/NADH ratio and 44.3% of the variance in sirtuin 1 concentration. Therefore, in healthy, relatively young participants with appropriate energy intakes, endogenous mechanisms are able to compensate oxidative stress to a similar extent, regardless of the dietary pattern. Nonetheless, overall diet quality and food selection appear to play a meaningful role in redox balance. In healthy adult participants habitually following four dietary patterns without expert supervision TAC and NAD⁺/NADH were higher in vegan group than in vegetarian and bilirubin concentration was higher in omnivorous than in LCHF. Correlations between redox markers and HEI or HEI components were significant, but weak to modest. LCFH – low-carbohydrate high-fat, TAC – total antioxidative capacity, HEI – Healthy Eating Index, SFA - saturated fatty acids.
Source: Nutrition Research
Institution: University of Primorska
Language: English
Topic: Nutritional Studies and Diet
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,090
OpenAlex ID: W4415979298