Effects of Adding Lean Red Meat to a US-Style Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern on Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Young Adults: a Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Limited research evidence exists on the effects of red meat on gut microbiota in human adults.Objective: We aim to assess the effects of consuming a Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern (HDP), without or with unprocessed or processed lean red meats, on gut microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in healthy young adults. Secondary outcomes are cardiovascular disease risk factors.Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled, crossover trial with 3 3-wk dietary interventions, each separated by a 5-wk washout period with habitual dietary intake. Nineteen participants (8 females, age 26 & PLUSMN; 4 y old, BMI 23 & PLUSMN; 3 kg/m2) consumed 3 study diets in random order: 1) healthy lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (LOV); 2) LOV plus 3 ounces/d of cooked unprocessed lean red meat (URM); and 3) LOV plus 3 ounces/d of cooked processed lean red meat (PRM). Fecal and fasting blood samples were collected before and during the last 2 wk of each intervention. We measured fecal bacterial community structure using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V4 region, primers 515F-806R). Community diversity, structure, and taxonomic composition were computed using Mothur v.1.44.3.Results: The addition of unprocessed or processed lean red meats to a LOV HDP did not influence short-term changes in bacterial taxonomic composition. Independent of red meat intake, the HDP led to changes in 23 bacteria; reductions in serum total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C concentrations; but no changes in fecal SCFA, serum triglycerides, HDL-C concentrations, TC/HDL-C ratio, or blood pressures. With data from all 3 diet interventions combined, changes in some bacteria were associated with improvements in TC, LDL-C, triglycerides, and HDL-C concentrations, and TC/HDL-C ratio.Conclusions: Healthy young adults who adopt an HDP that may be vegetarian or omnivorous, including lean red meat, experience shortterm changes in gut microbial composition, which associate with improvements in multiple lipid-related cardiovascular risk factors. NCT03885544, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03885544?cond=NCT03885544 & draw=2 & rank=1