Dietary habits and plasma lipid concentrations in a general Japanese population

Introduction Accumulating data on the associations between food consumption and lipid composition in the body is essential for understanding the effects of dietary habits on health. Objectives As part of omics research in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Community-Based Cohort Study, this study sought to reveal the dietary impact on plasma lipid concentration in a Japanese population. Methods We conducted a correlation analysis of food consumption and plasma lipid concentrations measured using mass spectrometry, for 4032 participants in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Results Our analysis revealed 83 marked correlations between six food categories and the concentrations of plasma lipids in nine subclasses. Previously reported associations, including those between seafood consumption and omega-3 fatty acids, were validated, while those between dairy product consumption and odd-carbon-number fatty acids (odd-FAs) were validated for the first time in an Asian population. Further analysis suggested that dairy product consumption is associated with odd-FAs via sphingomyelin (SM), which suggests that SM is a carrier of odd-FAs. These results are important for understanding odd-FA metabolism with regards to dairy product consumption. Conclusion This study provides insight into the dietary impact on plasma lipid concentration in a Japanese population.