Psychophysiologische Untersuchungen zum Essverhalten

Introduction. Malnutrition is a global challenge with mortality rates caused by obesity surpassing those of undernutrition. Excessive and low quality food intake detrimentally impacts human and planetary health likewise. In contrast, high fiber diets are beneficial for host metabolism and for the environment. Yet, diet-related behaviour change remains challenging, both on the systemic and the individual level. It remains largely unclear how high fiber diets act on the host in detail, to what extent gut-brain communication is involved, and by which mechanisms eating behaviour may be modulated and maintained. To this end, I investigated underlying mechanisms of eating related psychophysiological markers in humans in three studies. Methods. I examined changes in brain connectivity networks as proxies for reward and selfreflective processing induced by severe weight loss through bariatric surgery in a clinical sample of obese compared to waiting list control patients (n = 48, Study 1). I combined data from two independent cross-sectional studies: overweight adults (n = 27) and post-bariatric surgery groups with age-, sex- and BMI-matched control groups (n = 40). Primary measures of interest were eating behaviour, microbial genera abundance, and fiber intake or weight loss success, respectively, next to short-chain fatty acids in feces and serum (Study 2). I analysed data from the LIFE-Adult cohort study (n = 8,943) relating habitual diet to weight status, depressive symptoms and personality traits (Study 3). Additionally, I conducted a withinsubject cross-over dietary intervention study (n = 60) including brain imaging, cognitive tasks and biomarkers, and a series of large-scale online studies (n = 16,379). Results. In Study 1, we found no significant post-surgery changes in brain connectivity in confirmatory analyses. Exploratory results showed increased connectivity between the reward network to medial posterior frontal regions relating to treatment success. In Study 2, eating behaviour linked differentially to two groups of microbial genera. Indeed, those linked to unhealthier eating were found to be informative of treatment success post-bariatric surgery, in terms of higher weight loss and improved eating traits. In Study 3, less frequent animal-based food intake was significantly related to lower BMI and to lower extraversion, not to depressive symptoms. Conclusion. These results propose a complex cross-talk between eating behaviour and psychophysiological markers and i) indicate a link between therapy-induced weight loss and reward-related brain processes, ii) provide first evidence for links between eating behaviour and gut microbiota and iii) replicate known associations of high fiber diets and weight status, as well as add new insights on diet-related differences in personality traits. Future interventional studies need to investigate causality of gut-brain communication and its mechanistic pathways related to fiber.Einleitung. Mangelernährung ist ein globales Problem, wobei die durch Adipositas verursachte Sterblichkeitsrate die der Unterernährung übersteigt. Eine übermäßige, minderwertige Ernährung wirkt sich gleichermaßen negativ auf die menschliche und planetare Gesundheit aus. Im Gegensatz dazu ist eine ballaststoffreiche Ernährung vorteilhaft für den Stoffwechsel und die Umwelt. Das Ernährungsverhalten zu verändern, bleibt jedoch eine Herausforderung, sowohl auf systemischer als auch auf individueller Ebene. Es ist weitestgehend unklar, wie eine ballaststoffreiche Ernährung auf den Wirt wirkt, inwieweit Darm-Hirn-Kommunikation beteiligt ist und durch welche Mechanismen das Essverhalten moduliert und beibehalten werden kann. Methoden. Ich untersuchte Veränderungen von Gehirnkonnektivität, die mit Belohnung und Selbst-Reflexion assoziiert sind, nach bariatrischer Operation in einer klinischen Stichprobe im Vergleich zu Wartelisten-Patient:innen (n = 48) (Studie 1). In zwei unabhängigen Querschnittsstudien mit übergewichtigen Erwachsenen (n = 27) und solchen nach bariatrischer Operation sowie Kontrollgruppen (n = 40), betrachtete ich Essverhalten, die Abundanz mikrobieller Gattungen und Ballaststoffzufuhr bzw. therapeutischen Erfolg, sowie kurzkettige Fettsäuren in Feces und Serum (Studie 2). Ich analysierte den Zusammenhang zwischen Ernährung mit Gewicht, Depressivität und Persönlichkeit (n = 8,943, Studie 3). Auch führte ich eine randomisierte Ernährungsintervention (n = 60) mit Bildgebung des Gehirns, kognitiven Aufgaben und Biomarkern, sowie eine Serie von Online-Studien (n = 16,379) durch. Ergebnisse. In Studie 1 wiesen konfirmative Analysen auf keine signifikanten Veränderungen der Gehirnkonnektivität nach bariatrischer Chirurgie hin. Explorative Ergebnisse zeigten eine erhöhte Konnektivität zwischen dem Belohnungsnetzwerk und einer medial-posterioren frontalen Region in Verbindung mit dem Therapieerfolg. In Studie 2 war Essverhalten unterschiedlich mit zwei Gruppen von Bakterien verbunden. Diejenigen, die mit ungesundem Essen in Verbindung standen, waren ebenso mit dem Therapieerfolg nach bariatrischer Operation assoziiert. In Studie 3 stand die seltenere Aufnahme von tierischen Lebensmitteln in signifikantem Zusammenhang mit einem niedrigeren BMI und geringerer Extraversion, nicht aber mit Depressivität. Schlussfolgerungen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen ein komplexes Zusammenspiel zwischen Essverhalten und psychophysiologischen Markern und i) weisen auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen therapiebedingter Gewichtsabnahme und belohnungsbezogenen Gehirnprozessen hin, ii) liefern erste Belege für Zusammenhänge zwischen Essverhalten und Darmmikrobiota und iii) replizieren Assoziationen zwischen ballaststoffreicher Ernährung und Gewicht, und bringen neue Erkenntnisse über ernährungsassoziierte Persönlichkeitsunterschiede. Interventionsstudien sollten die Kausalität der Darm-Hirn-Kommunikation und ihre mechanistischen Wege im Zusammenhang mit Ballaststoffen untersuchen

The Effect of Polyphenols on Working and Episodic Memory in Non-pathological and Pathological Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Life expectancy steadily increases, and so do age-associated diseases, leading to a growing population suffering from cognitive decline and dementia. Impairments in working memory (WM) and episodic memory (EM) are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. While there are no effective pharmacological therapies to preserve or enhance cognition and to slow down the progression from mild memory complaints to dementia so far, plant-based nutrients including polyphenols have been suggested to exert beneficial effects on brain aging. This review studies whether supplementary polyphenols are effective in preserving or enhancing memory in both non-pathological and pathological aging, and whether there are polyphenol efficiency differences between WM and EM. A systematic literature search was conducted and 66 out of 294 randomized clinical trials with 20 participants or more per group, aged 40 years or older were included. These covered a daily intake of 35–1,600 mg polyphenols, e.g., flavonols, flavonoids, isoflovones, anthocyanins, and/or stilbenes, over the course of 2 weeks to 6.5 years duration. In total, around half of the studies reported a significantly improved performance after polyphenol administration compared to control, while three studies reported a worsening of performance, and the remainder did not observe any effects. According to pooled WM and EM meta-analysis of all memory outcomes reported in 49 studies, overall effect size for WM and EM indicated a significant small positive effect on EM and WM with similar estimates (b ~ 0.24, p < 0.001), with large study heterogeneity and significant Funnel asymmetry tests suggesting a positivity bias. These results remained similar when excluding studies reporting extremely large positive effect sizes from the meta-analyses. While Ginkgo biloba and isoflavones did not show benefits in subgroup meta-analyses, those suggested some effects in extracts containing anthocyanins, other flavonoids and resveratrol, again potentially resulting from publication bias. To conclude, a systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that short- to moderate-term polyphenol interventions might improve WM and EM in middle-to older aged adults, however, publication bias in favor of positive results seems likely, rendering definite conclusions difficult. Future studies with larger, more diverse samples and sensitive monitoring of cardiovascular, metabolic and beginning brain pathologies as well as longer follow-up are needed to better understand the impact of age, (beginning) pathologies, gender, and long-term use on polyphenol action.Peer Reviewe

Nutrient scoring for the DEGS1-FFQ – from food intake to nutrient intake

Background: While necessary for studying dietary decision-making or public health, estimates of nutrient supply based on self-reported food intake are barely accessible or fully lacking and remain a challenge in human research. In particular, detailed information on dietary fiber is limited. In this study we introduce an automated openly available approach to assess self-reported nutrient intake for research purposes for a popular, validated German food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Methods: To this end, we i) developed and shared a code for assessing nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein, sugar, fiber...) for 53 items of the quantitative, validated German DEGS1-FFQ questionnaire implementing expert-guided nutritional values of diverse sources with several raters. In a sample of individuals (nGUT-BRAIN = 61 (21 female) overweight, omnivorous), we ii) cross-validated nutrient intake of the last 7 days and the last 24 hours and iii) computed test-retest reliability across two timepoints. Further, iv) we report newly computed nutrient intake for two independent cross-sectional cohorts with continuous weight status and different dietary habits (nMensa= 134 (79 female, 1 diverse), nGREADT = 76 male). Exploratively, we correlated computed nutrient intake with v) anthropometric and vi) blood-based biomarkers. Results: In overweight adults (n= 61 (21 female), mean age 28.2±6.5 years, BMI 27.4±1.6 kg/m2) nutrient intakes were mostly normally distributed and within or surpassing recommended reference nutrient ranges for both last 7 days and last 24 hours. Reliability between last 7 days and 24 hours per visit was moderate (Pearson’s rall≥ 0.34, pall 0.40, pall 0.08, pall < 0.001). Associations of dietary components to anthropometric markers showed distinct sex differences, with overall higher intake by males compared to females and opposite associations of fiber intake and BMI in males compared to females. Links between nutrient intake relative to calorie intake and anthropometrics as well as serum markers remain inconclusive. Conclusion: We provide an openly available tool to systematically assess nutrient intake, including fiber, based on self-report by a common German FFQ. The computed nutrient scores resembled overall plausible and reliable measures of nutrient intake given the known limitations of FFQs regarding over- or underreporting. Our open code nutrient scoring can help to examine dietary intake in experimental studies, including dietary fiber and its subclasses, and can be readily adapted to other FFQs. Further validation of computed nutrients with biomarkers and nutrient-specific metabolites in serum, urine or feces will help to interpret self-reported dietary intake.Peer reviewe

Less Animal-Based Food, Better Weight Status: Associations of the Restriction of Animal-Based Product Intake with Body-Mass-Index, Depressive Symptoms and Personality in the General Population

Restricting animal-based products from diet may exert beneficial effects on weight status; however, less is known about such a diet and emotional health. Moreover, personality traits, for example high neuroticism, may contribute to restrictive eating habits and potentially confound diet-health associations. We aim to systematically assess if restrictive dietary intake of animal-based products relates to lower weight and higher depressive symptoms, and if differences in personality traits play a significant role. Cross-sectional data from the baseline LIFE-Adult study were collected from 2011–2014 in Leipzig, Germany (n = 8943). Main outcomes of interest were dietary frequency of animal-derived products in the last year measured using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), body-mass-index (BMI) (kg/m2), and the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Personality traits were assessed in a subsample of n = 7906 using the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Higher restriction of animal-based product intake was associated with a lower BMI, but not with depression scores. Personality, i.e., lower extraversion, was related to higher frequency of animal product intake. Moreover, personality traits were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, i.e., higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, and with higher BMI. These findings encourage future longitudinal studies to test the efficacy of restricting animal-based products as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for overweight and obesity

Metabolic Profile and Metabolite Analyses in Extreme Weight Responders to Gastric Bypass Surgery

Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery belongs to the most frequently performed surgical therapeutic strategies against adiposity and its comorbidities. However, outcome is limited in a substantial cohort of patients with inadequate primary weight loss or considerable weight regain. In this study, gut microbiota composition and systemically released metabolites were analyzed in a cohort of extreme weight responders after RYGB. Methods: Patients (n = 23) were categorized based on excess weight loss (EWL) at a minimum of two years after RYGB in a good responder (EWL 93 ± 4.3%) or a bad responder group (EWL 19.5 ± 13.3%) for evaluation of differences in metabolic outcome, eating behavior and gut microbiota taxonomy and metabolic activity. Results: Mean BMI was 47.2 ± 6.4 kg/m2 in the bad vs. 26.6 ± 1.2 kg/m2 in the good responder group (p = 0.0001). We found no difference in hunger and satiety sensation, in fasting or postprandial gut hormone release, or in gut microbiota composition between both groups. Differences in weight loss did not reflect in metabolic outcome after RYGB. While fecal and circulating metabolite analyses showed higher levels of propionate (p = 0.0001) in good and valerate (p = 0.04) in bad responders, respectively, conjugated primary and secondary bile acids were higher in good responders in the fasted (p = 0.03) and postprandial state (GCA, p = 0.02; GCDCA, p = 0.02; TCA, p = 0.01; TCDCA, p = 0.02; GDCA, p = 0.05; GUDCA, p = 0.04; TLCA, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Heterogenous weight loss response to RYGB surgery separates from patients’ metabolic outcome, and is linked to unique serum metabolite signatures post intervention. These findings suggest that the level of adiposity reduction alone is insufficient to assess the metabolic success of RYGB surgery, and that longitudinal metabolite profiling may eventually help us to identify markers that could predict individual adiposity response to surgery and guide patient selection and counseling.Peer reviewe

LIFE-DIET

Less Animal-Based Food, Better Weight Status: Associations of the Restriction of Animal-Based Product Intake with Body-Mass-Index, Depressive Symptoms and Personality in the General Population Abstract Restricting animal-based products from diet may exert beneficial effects on weight status; however, less is known about such a diet and emotional health. Moreover, personality traits, for example high neuroticism, may contribute to restrictive eating habits and potentially confound diet-health associations. We aim to systematically assess if restrictive dietary intake of animal-based products relates to lower weight and higher depressive symptoms, and if differences in personality traits play a significant role. Cross-sectional data from the baseline LIFE-Adult study were collected from 2011–2014 in Leipzig, Germany (n = 8943). Main outcomes of interest were dietary frequency of animal-derived products in the last year measured using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), body-mass-index (BMI) (kg/m2), and the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Personality traits were assessed in a subsample of n = 7906 using the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Higher restriction of animal-based product intake was associated with a lower BMI, but not with depression scores. Personality, i.e., lower extraversion, was related to lower frequency of animal product intake. Moreover, personality traits were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, i.e., higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, and with higher BMI. These findings encourage future longitudinal studies to test the efficacy of restricting animal-based products as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for overweight and obesity. Keywords: body weight; diet; plant-based; meat; depression; personality; population-based; cross-sectional Original Publication: Medawar, E., Enzenbach, C., Roehr, S., Villringer, A., Riedel-Heller, S. G., &amp; Witte, A. V. (2020). Less animal-based food, better weight status: Associations of the restriction of animal-based product intake with body-mass-index, depressive symptoms and personality in the general population. Nutrients, 12(5), 1492. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1492/ht

FFQ Nutrient Scoring

Aim: This project aims to convert raw self-reported dietary intake data for DEGS-1 FFQ into mean daily portion of food items and then into nutrient intake per day

art.pics

art.pics database: an open access database for art stimuli for experimental research We provide a large database of novel artificial art stimuli (n = 2332) for use in experimental research on the perception and valuation of art as a secondary reward. The database comprises eight different art styles (based on known and unknown art paintings) and three image categories (objects, plants, animals). Pictures were taken from two large food-related image databases, namely the food-pics_extended database (Blechert et al. 2019) and the FoodCast research image database (FRiDa) (Foroni et al. 2013). Original images were provided on the basis of a license agreement with the authors and are available at their respective online resources for food-pics and FRiDa. For use of the database, please fill out the license agreement PDF and send it to Veronica Witte (mailto:[email protected]

Plant-based diet and brain aging in the LIFE-Adult study

To understand the effect of adherence to a plant-based diet on markers of brain agin

Less Animal-Based Food, Better Weight Status: Associations of the Restriction of Animal-Based Product Intake with Body-Mass-Index, Depressive Symptoms and Personality in the General Population

Restricting animal-based products from diet may exert beneficial effects on weight status; however, less is known about such a diet and emotional health. Moreover, personality traits, for example high neuroticism, may contribute to restrictive eating habits and potentially confound diet-health associations. We aim to systematically assess if restrictive dietary intake of animal-based products relates to lower weight and higher depressive symptoms, and if differences in personality traits play a significant role. Cross-sectional data from the baseline LIFE-Adult study were collected from 2011–2014 in Leipzig, Germany (n = 8943). Main outcomes of interest were dietary frequency of animal-derived products in the last year measured using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), body-mass-index (BMI) (kg/m2), and the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Personality traits were assessed in a subsample of n = 7906 using the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Higher restriction of animal-based product intake was associated with a lower BMI, but not with depression scores. Personality, i.e., lower extraversion, was related to higher frequency of animal product intake. Moreover, personality traits were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, i.e., higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, and with higher BMI. These findings encourage future longitudinal studies to test the efficacy of restricting animal-based products as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for overweight and obesity