The inverse associations of glycine and histidine in diet with hyperlipidemia and hypertension

Abstract Background Amino acids are crucial for nutrition and metabolism, regulating metabolic pathways and activities vital to organismal health and stability. Glycine and histidine act as potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents; however, limited knowledge exists regarding the associations between these amino acids and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between dietary glycine and histidine, and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Methods This population-based cross-sectional study evaluated the influence of dietary glycine and histidine, as well as their combined effect, on hyperlipidemia and hypertension in Chinese adults participating in the Nutrition Health Atlas Project (NHAP). General characteristics were acquired using a verified Internet-based Dietary Questionnaire for the Chinese. Binary logistic regression, along with gender, age groups, and median energy intake subgroup analyses, was employed to investigate the associations between dietary glycine and histidine and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of excluding individuals who smoke and consume alcohol on the results. Results Based on the study’s findings, 418 out of 1091 cases had hyperlipidemia, whereas 673 had hypertension. A significant inverse relationship was found between dietary glycine, histidine, and glycine + histidine and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Compared with the 1st and 2nd tertiles, the multivariable-adjusted odd ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals) (CIs) of the 3rd tertile of dietary glycine for hyperlipidemia and hypertension were 0.64 (0.49–0.84) ( p < 0.01) and 0.70 (0.56–0.88) ( p < 0.001); histidine was 0.63 (0.49–0.82) ( p < 0.01) and 0.80 (0.64–0.99) ( p < 0.01); and glycine + histidine was 0.64 (0.49–0.83) ( p < 0.01) and 0.74 (0.59–0.92) ( p < 0.001), respectively. High glycine and high histidine (HGHH) intake were negatively associated with hyperlipidemia and hypertension OR (95% CIs) were: 0.71 (0.58–0.88) ( p < 0.01) and 0.73 (0.61–0.87) ( p < 0.01), respectively. Conclusions Dietary glycine and histidine, as well as their HGHH group, revealed an inverse relationship with hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Further investigations are needed to validate these findings.