Dietary Acid Load Correlates with Serum Amino Acid Concentrations after a Four-Week Intervention with Vegan vs. Meat-Rich Diets: A Secondary Data Analysis

Chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis is now a common phenomenon in the Western world. The high dietary intake of sulfur-containing amino acids in the form of processed meats results in an excessive release of acid in the form of protons and non-metabolizable acidic anions. The kidneys produce increasing amounts of ammonia to excrete this acid. This process requires the breakdown of the nitrogenous amino acid glutamine, which the body provides by breaking down muscle tissue. Hitherto not examined, we hypothesized that a high dietary acid load (DAL) could alter the serum concentrations of selected amino acids. Using secondary data from a 4-week dietary intervention study conducted in 2017, we examined the associations between various amino acids and DAL in n = 42 individuals who either consumed a meat-rich or vegan diet. Results from this secondary data analysis suggested that DAL (as measured by the potential renal acid load and net endogenous acid production) is positively correlated with higher serum concentrations of lysine and 1-methyl-histidine (r = 0.50 and 0.43, respectively) and negatively correlated with glutamine and glycine (r = -0.43 and -0.47, respectively). The inverse association with glycine and glutamine warrants special attention, as both play an important role in many metabolic disorders and the immune system.

Automated summary

Chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis is a common occurrence in the Western world due to high intake of sulfur-containing amino acids from processed meats. This excess acid release leads to increased ammonia production by the kidneys, resulting in the breakdown of muscle tissue. A secondary data analysis from a dietary intervention study suggests that high dietary acid load is associated with higher serum concentrations of lysine and 1-methyl-histidine, while glutamine and glycine levels are reduced.