Blackcurrants shape gut microbiota profile and reduce risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis via the gut-bone axis: Evidence from a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2024
Original Citation
Nosal B,
Thornton S,
Darooghegi Mofrad M,
Sakaki J,
Mahoney K,
Macdonald Z,
Daddi L,
Tran T,
Weinstock GM,
Zhou Y,
Lee E,
Chun O.
Blackcurrants shape gut microbiota profile and reduce risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis via the gut-bone axis: Evidence from a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Nutr Biochem. 2024;133:109701.
Keywords
JGM, Humans, Female, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Middle Aged, Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal, Bone Density, Pilot Projects, Double-Blind Method, Ribes, Dietary Supplements, Bone and Bones, RANK Ligand, Biomarkers, Interleukin-1beta
JAX Source
J Nutr Biochem. 2024;133:109701.
ISSN
1873-4847
PMID
39019119
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2024.109701
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of blackcurrant (BC) on gut microbiota abundance and composition, inflammatory and immune responses, and their relationship with bone mass changes. The effects of BC on bone mineral density (BMD), gut microbiota, and blood inflammatory and immune biomarkers were evaluated using DXA, stool and fasting blood collected from a pilot three-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Fifty-one peri- and early postmenopausal women aged 45–60 years were randomly assigned into one of three treatment groups for 6 months: control, low BC (392 mg/day) and high BC (784 mg/day); and 40 women completed the trial. BC supplementation for 6 months effectively mitigated the loss of whole-body BMD (P<.05). Six-month changes (%) in peripheral IL-1β (P=.056) and RANKL (P=.052) for the high BC group were marginally significantly lower than the control group. Six-month changes in whole-body BMD were inversely correlated with changes in RANKL (P<.01). In proteome analysis, four plasma proteins showed increased expression in the high BC group: IGFBP4, tetranectin, fetuin-B, and vitamin K-dependent protein S. BC dose-dependently increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcus 2 (P<.05), one of six bacteria correlated with BMD changes in the high BC group (P<.05), suggesting it might be the key bacteria that drove bone protective effects. Daily BC consumption for 6 months mitigated bone loss in this population potentially through modulating the gut microbiota composition and suppressing osteoclastogenic cytokines. Larger-scale clinical trials on the potential benefits of BC and connection of Ruminococcus 2 with BMD maintenance in postmenopausal women are warranted.