Table 1.
Characteristics of participants
| Parameter (unit) | T1 median (range) | T2 median (range) | T3 median (range) | p val | p val T1 versus T2 | adj. p val T1 versus T2 | p val T1 versus T3 | adj. p val T1 versus T3 | p val T2 versus T3 | adj. p val T2 versus T3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (year) | 46 (29–68) | |||||||||
| A. Adherence to diet | ||||||||||
| The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index | 5.5 (1–9) | 7 (5–9) | 8 (4–10) | 0.001 | 0.006 | 0.019 | 0.003 | 0.008 | 0.100 | 0.299 |
| B. Elements supplied with the diet (based on FFQ and 24-h dietary diary) | ||||||||||
| Energy (kcal/day) | 2096.6 (1565–2851) | 2018.79 (1650.1–2338.2) | 1926.59 (1641.6–2413) | 0.084 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Fat (g/day) | 97.11 (59–173.57) | 56.52 (38.7–87.8) | 55.9 (31.6–104.6) | 8.63E−04 | 7.97E−04 | 0.002 | 0.001 | 0.003 | 0.744 | 1 |
| Carbohydrates (g/day) | 221.19 (177.5–378.37) | 167.2 (95–280.9) | 155.27 (91.8–283.8) | 2.63E−05 | 0.003 | 0.010 | 1.62E−04 | 4.85E−04 | 0.090 | 0.269 |
| Cholesterol (mg/day) | 368.78 (122.3–641.8) | 323.17 (181–617.1) | 257.8 (140.1–541.5) | 0.015 | 0.360 | 1 | 0.041 | 0.122 | 0.029 | 0.088 |
| Protein (g/day) | 74.82 (58.23–120.36) | 81 (50.3–113.6) | 77.1 (57.1–101.7) | 0.667 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Fibre (g/day) | 16.54 (8.6–33.48) | 32.44 (16–50.3) | 32.57 (21.2–56.8) | 1.74E−08 | 2.74E−06 | 8.22E−06 | 4.71E−06 | 1.41E−05 | 0.739 | 1 |
| Folates (µg/day) | 295.27 (146.3–580.82) | 486.84 (295.5–750) | 369.75 (192.9–794.7) | 0.001 | 0.004 | 0.012 | 0.021 | 0.063 | 0.037 | 0.110 |
| Methionine (mg/day) | 1480.76 (1343–1758.5) | 2031.59 (1319.8–2744.8) | 1928.07 (1360.6–2793.1) | 5.99E−05 | 7.97E−04 | 0.002 | 3.00E−04 | 9.01E−04 | 0.433 | 1 |
| Magnesium (mg/day) | 233.01 (109.4–310.7) | 290.11 (188.2–395.2) | 277.47 (146.3–461.1) | 0.012 | 0.006 | 0.018 | 0.061 | 0.184 | 0.401 | 1 |
| Vitamin B12 (mg/day) | 3.41 (1.11–7.2) | 6.7 (2.5–31.5) | 3.75 (1.6–14.3) | 0.016 | 0.006 | 0.018 | 0.257 | 0.772 | 0.010 | 0.031 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg/day) | 2.34 (0.9–6.6) | 2.15 (1.4–2.8) | 2.01 (1–3.2) | 0.424 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vitamin C (mg/day) | 121.77 (13.7–313.9) | 114.7 (47–297.6) | 116.72 (17–377.2) | 0.678 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) (mg/day) | 17.51 (8.38–39.57) | 21.01 (11.2–28.6) | 18.91 (6.4–32.2) | 0.244 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Riboflavin (vitamin B2) (mg/day) | 1.4 (0.76–2.5) | 1.86 (1–2.9) | 1.3 (0.9–2.6) | 0.004 | 0.016 | 0.047 | 1 | 1 | 0.049 | 0.148 |
| Zinc (mg/day) | 7.94 (4.06–13.43) | 8.31 (4.6–10.5) | 7.59 (5.7–10.9) | 0.655 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| C. Body parameters (Anthropometric) | ||||||||||
| Body weight (kg) | 88.25 (62.9–106.4) | 87.2 (61.9–104.9) | 86.75 (62–103.8) | 0.030 | 0.027 | 0.081 | 0.072 | 0.217 | 0.637 | 1 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 30.63 (22.25–35.69) | 29.66 (22.19–34.45) | 29.16 (22.19–34.64) | 0.033 | 0.029 | 0.088 | 0.075 | 0.226 | 0.641 | 1 |
| Fat mass (%) | 30.52 (18.5–43.8) | 28.65 (18.6–43.3) | 27.2 (17.7–43.6) | 0.589 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Muscle mass (kg) | 54.7 (42.1–76.7) | 53.4 (45.1–73.9) | 53.55 (46.7–76) | 0.358 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total body water (%) | 50.55 (41.9–58.7) | 51.25 (42.2–58.3) | 51.3 (42–63.2) | 0.242 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| D. Liver depending biochemical parameters analysed in blood | ||||||||||
| ALT (U/I) | 43.5 (11–136) | 41.5 (9–95) | 38 (11–86) | 0.656 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| AST (U/I) | 28 (11–52) | 26.5 (10–59) | 27.5 (13–40) | 0.500 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| GGTP (U/L) | 28.5 (12–114) | 23.5 (12–98) | 23.5 (11–118) | 0.013 | 0.003 | 0.010 | 0.433 | 1 | 0.023 | 0.069 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 207.45 (146.9–394.4) | 181.6 (109–330.5) | 189.1 (103.9–340.2) | 0.006 | 4.20E−04 | 0.001 | 0.010 | 0.031 | 0.027 | 0.081 |
| LDL (mg/dl) | 139.55 (87.6–282.2) | 113 (62.4–251.2) | 124.9 (58.9–258.3) | 0.005 | 0.002 | 0.006 | 0.060 | 0.180 | 0.014 | 0.042 |
| HDL (mg/dl) | 47.5 (32.8–67.1) | 44.7 (32.2–62.9) | 45.9 (32.5–63.7) | 0.155 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| HDL (mg/dl) Female (n = 10) | 46.6 (32.8–67.1) | 45.45 (32.2–62.9) | 43.6 (32.5–63.7) | 0.69 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| HDL (mg/dl) Male (n = 8) | 48.25 (40.9–52.3) | 44.7 (38.9–51.5) | 47.4 (41.6–51.6) | 0.04 | 0.065 | 0.195 | 0.97 | 1 | 0.02 | 0.065 |
| Glucose (mg/dL) | 91.2 (79.6–174.5) | 94.1 (83.9–143.3) | 91.55 (76.3–125.2) | 0.546 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Insulin (mU/ml) | 18.55 (6.7–152) | 23.05 (4.2–91.8) | 18.4 (4.3–86.7) | 0.412 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 168.9 (76.1–517.6) | 153.7 (68.1–432.8) | 155.1 (73.1–334.7) | 0.206 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| E. SCFAs in stool | ||||||||||
| Acetic acid (mmol/l) | 2.25 (0.87–5.1) | 2.72 (2.18–8) | 3.55 (2.06–4.94) | 0.047 | 0.148 | 0.444 | 0.010 | 0.031 | 0.496 | 1 |
| Propionic acid (mmol/l) | 0.72 (0.31–2.12) | 0.79 (0.29–2.4) | 1.09 (0.6–1.61) | 0.161 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Isobutyric acid (mmol/l) | 0.02 (0–0.17) | 0.01 (0–0.11) | 0.05 (0–0.28) | 0.104 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Butyric acid (mmol/l) | 0.48 (0.12–2.07) | 0.55 (0.3–3.55) | 1.09 (0.25–1.95) | 0.002 | 0.468 | 1 | 0.007 | 0.020 | 0.009 | 0.027 |
| Isovaleric acid (mmol/l) | 0.01 (0–0.19) | 0.01 (0–0.15) | 0.04 (0–0.3) | 0.349 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Valeric acid (mmol/l) | 0 (0–0.13) | 0 (0–0.3) | 0 (0–0.25) | 0.231 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| F. SCFAs in plasma | ||||||||||
| Acetic acid (µM/L) | 26.51 (10.38–52.33) | 21.13 (8.76–48.97) | 23.35 (10.74–52.14) | 0.464 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Propionic acid (µM/L) | 1.1 (0.41–2.1) | 0.76 (0.4–3.73) | 0.81 (0.53–2.38) | 0.846 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Isobutyric acid (µM/L) | 0.11 (0–0.19) | 0.08 (0–0.18) | 0.09 (0.05–0.19) | 0.132 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Butyric acid (µM/L) | 0.39 (0.14–1.67) | 0.4 (0.12–2.11) | 0.41 (0.09–2.01) | 0.223 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2-Methylbutyric acid (µM/L) | 0.11 (0–0.53) | 0 (0–0.29) | 0 (0–0.1) | 0.015 | 0.011 | 0.033 | 0.009 | 0.027 | 0.845 | 1 |
| Isovaleric acid (µM/L) | 0.49 (0–1.53) | 0.24 (0.1–0.82) | 0.29 (0–0.7) | 0.069 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Valeric acid (µM/L) | 0 (0–0.28) | 0 (0–0.19) | 0 (0–0.18) | 0.009 | 0.151 | 0.452 | 0.022 | 0.067 | 1 | 1 |
| Isocaproic acid (µM/L) | 0.08 (0–0.26) | 0 (0–0.13) | 0 (0–0.15) | 0.014 | 0.009 | 0.026 | 0.011 | 0.032 | 0.675 | 1 |
| Caproic acid (µM/L) | 0.47 (0.33–1.18) | 0.44 (0.24–0.78) | 0.52 (0.34–0.83) | 0.234 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| G. Liver steatosis and stiffness status | ||||||||||
| Liver steatosis–CAP (dB/m) | 310 (242–400) | – | 279.5 (228–371) | 0.035 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Liver stiffness–VCTE (kPa) | 6.05 (3.9–9.4) | – | 5.4 (4–9.6) | 0.200 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
*T1 Timepoint 1; T2 Timepoint 2; T3 Timepoint 3; p val p value