Researchers Explore Blueberries As A Tool To Support Microbiota In Early Life

Feeding blueberry powder to infants during nan modulation to coagulated foods showed promising effects connected gut microbiota diversity, highlighting a imaginable caller strategy for supporting lifelong health.

Study: Introducing blueberry powder arsenic 1 of nan first complementary foods changes nan gut microbiota creation and diverseness successful U.S. quality milk-fed infants: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Image Credit: Radowitz / Shutterstock

In a caller study published successful nan journal Frontiers successful Nutrition, researchers successful nan United States investigated nan effect of regular blueberry powder intake during complementary feeding connected gut microbiota development.

Complementary feeding, i.e., nan modulation from liquid diets to coagulated foods, typically starts astir six months of age. It is simply a captious shape for babe development, characterized by accelerated changes successful nutrient needs and dietary intake. This move shape is besides pivotal for shaping nan creation of nan gut microbiota, which is susceptible to modulation and immature successful infancy.

Early gut microbiota manipulation could power immune strategy development, illness risks, and semipermanent wellness outcomes. Therefore, complementary feeding represents an opportune clip to beforehand a healthier microbiota development. While fare influences nan gut microbiota successful adults, really circumstantial complementary foods impact gut microbiota improvement is unclear.

About nan study

In nan coming study, researchers evaluated nan effects of blueberry powder arsenic 1 of nan first complementary foods connected nan improvement of nan gut microbiota successful infants. This randomized, placebo-controlled proceedings included quality milk-fed infants pinch full-term birth, minimal anterior complementary nutrient exposure, and nary erstwhile antibiotic exposure. Participants were randomized to nan blueberry aliases placebo group.

At nan baseline sojourn to nan investigation installation (at 5 aliases six months of age), participants’ caregivers completed a questionnaire connected family and feeding history, demographics, parental tallness and weight, medications during pregnancy, gestational weight gain, parity, maternal intoxicant and smoking status, allergy history, and stooling patterns. Baseline demographic analyses showed statistically important differences betwixt groups successful income and ethnicity.

Infant anthropometric measurements and stool and humor samples were besides collected astatine baseline. Home visits astatine seven, nine, and 11 months of property progressive babe stool sample collections, anthropometric measurements, and wellness and allergy questionnaires. Baseline procedures were repeated astatine nan last sojourn to nan investigation installation astatine 12 months of age. At each visit, participants received packets of their assigned powder.

Freeze-dried highbush blueberry powder, balanced to astir 2 ounces of blueberries, was provided to nan blueberry group. The placebo group received isocaloric powder. The powder was fed arsenic a puree that forms erstwhile mixed pinch liquid. Caregivers were asked to supply 1 packet regular from baseline to 12 months and complete a regular intake log. In addition, caregivers completed three-day fare records earlier each visit.

Stool samples were utilized for gut microbial profiling by a broad-range amplification and series study of 16S rRNA genes. Z-scores were calculated for babe length, weight, and caput circumference utilizing nan World Health Organization maturation floor plan standards. Chi-square and independent t-tests were utilized to comparison subordinate maturation z-scores and demographics. Linear mixed effects models were utilized for microbiota study pinch exploratory analyses prespecified astatine p = 0.1 and adjusted for mode of transportation and sequencing batch.

Findings

In total, 61 participants, 31 successful nan placebo group and 30 successful nan blueberry group, completed nan study. About 70% of infants had nary look intake from commencement until enrolment, and among those pinch look vulnerability earlier enrolment, it was little than a week for 70%. The proportionality of infants receiving quality beverage during nan study did not disagree betwixt groups.

There were nary important differences betwixt groups successful energy, fiber, and macronutrient intakes based connected coagulated foods and study powders; quality beverage and look were excluded from intake analyses by design. At 12 months, much infants successful nan blueberry group consumed look than successful nan placebo group; however, this quality was not statistically significant. Formula intake measurement was not different betwixt groups.

At each visit, magnitude for property (LAZ), weight for length, weight for property (WAZ), and caput circumference for property z-scores were not importantly different betwixt groups. While LAZ was greater successful nan blueberry group astatine 7 months, nan quality did not persist astatine consequent visits. Across nan cohort, WAZ and LAZ remained beneath organization medians passim nan study, pinch mean baseline values of LAZ = –0.96 and WAZ = –0.49. Notably, participants showed a little than organization median LAZ and WAZ passim nan study.

The mode of transportation and sequencing batch were importantly associated pinch baseline creation of nan gut microbiota. Alpha and beta diverseness measures showed important changes complete time. The 3 alpha diverseness indices: Shannon diversity, evenness, and richness, accrued pinch property successful some groups. Group×Age position trended toward greater alpha diverseness successful nan blueberry group (p ≈ 0.085–0.087), while beta diverseness showed nary important group effect.

The blueberry group showed accrued abundances of Subdoligranulum, Flavonifractor, Veillonaceae, and Butyricicoccus complete clip compared to nan placebo group. Conversely, 4 taxa showed reduced abundances successful nan blueberry group complete time: Romboutsia, Actinomyces, Escherichia, and Streptococcus. These represented trends complete time; only Actinomyces showed an FDR-adjusted p-value trending toward value (0.056).

Reported adherence to packet depletion was little successful nan blueberry compared pinch nan placebo group astatine 11 and 12 months, which whitethorn person attenuated detectable effects.

Conclusions

Taken together, introducing blueberry powder arsenic 1 of nan first complementary foods whitethorn exert additive benefits connected gut microbiota improvement successful quality milk-fed infants. The gut microbiota alpha diverseness accrued complete clip successful some groups. However, nan blueberry fare tended to summation alpha diverseness much than nan placebo diet, though findings were exploratory.

Key limitations see nan comparatively mini sample size, uncontrolled dietary intake beyond nan study powders, nan inability to quantify quality beverage intake, baseline demographic imbalances, and nan deficiency of semipermanent follow-up to measure wellness outcomes.

Trial registration: NCT05006989. Funding: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and nan U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.