About this Research Topic

Background

Phospholipids and sphingolipids are biologically active lipids often referred to as polar lipids that play an important role in maintaining membrane integrity and function. They also play a considerable role in the cellular signaling processes as second messengers and precursors for bioactive lipids such as prostaglandins and platelet-activating factors, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and cardiometabolic diseases.

Over the past two decades, there has been considerable interest on the role of dietary phospholipids and sphingolipids in health and disease. Consuming foods that are rich sources of phospholipids and sphingolipids such as dairy, eggs, and fish have been investigated for and associated with various health benefits. Sphingolipids have been associated with protective effects against dyslipidemia and phospholipids have been associated with anti-inflammatory effects upon consumption. However, consuming animal-based foods that are characterized by a high phospholipid and sphingolipid content were previously thought to contribute to the development of cardiometabolic diseases. There is a need for nutrition researchers to get to the root of many of these conflicting and dichotomous findings in order to provide dietary guidance in the future. The use of animal models and dietary intervention studies are some of the many ways researchers are investigating the effects of dietary phospholipids and sphingolipids on human health.

The main objective of this Research Topic is to understand the recent advances in in relation to the role of dietary phospholipids and sphingolipids in metabolism and health. This Research Topic will cover topics including: cardiometabolic diseases, inflammation, dietary intervention trials, animal models, mechanisms of disease, and preventative nutrition.

This Research Topic welcomes articles that look to understand the role of dietary phospholipids and sphingolipids in nutrition, metabolism, and health. Specifically, we welcome submissions of original research (including meta-analyses) and review articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following terms:
1. The impact of consuming foods abundant in phospholipids and sphingolipids on metabolism, health and disease prevention
2. Mechanistic studies involving the role of nutrition in the metabolism of phospholipids and sphingolipids and their impact on health.
3. Reviews focused on the state-of-the-art of dietary phospholipids and sphingolipids in metabolism and disease.

Christopher Blesso - Funded by the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center and the National Dairy Council.

Keywords: Dietary Intervention, Supplementation, Endogenous Lipid Metabolism, Chronic Disease, Inflammation, Polar Lipids, Dietary Guidance, Cardiometabolic Diseases

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