Indirect effects of serum metabolites in the influence of the DASH diet on systolic blood pressure: The Taizhou imaging study

The DASH dietary pattern has been shown to decrease systolic blood pressure (SBP), whereas the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to ascertain whether serum metabolites mediated the association between the DASH diet and SBP utilizing non-targeted metabolomic techniques in the Taizhou Imaging Study. The DASH score was calculated using data collected by food frequency questionnaires. Adherence to the DASH diet was linked to lower SBP (β = −2.61; 95 % CI: −4.12, −1.20). It was observed that lipid and lipoprotein metabolites suppressed the relationship between the DASH score and SBP (The ratio of suppressing effect was 0.059). Moreover, acetic acid and glucose demonstrated significant mediation effects in the parallel mediation model (The proportion of mediation effect was 22.87 %). Among the components of the DASH diet, we revealed that 2 subfractions of very low-density lipoprotein had suppression effects, while acetic acid mediated the association between vegetable intake and SBP. These findings provide evidence for indirect effects of serum metabolites in the influence of DASH diet on SBP. • Serum metabolites mediate the DASH diet's beneficial impact on SBP. • Lipid markers could guide personalized dietary interventions for SBP. • Glucose mediates fruit's impact on SBP, highlighting dietary glucose management.