A Mendelian randomization research on the association between eating dried fruits and being overweight

Background Obesity is a prevalent metabolic disorder that imposes a significant burden worldwide. This research used via an MR design with two samples to look into the possibility that eating dried fruits could have a direct protective effect towards obesity. Methods From the UKB Open GWAS Project, we acquired summary-level data on the consumption of dried fruit (N = 421,764). A total of 43 independent genetic variants were identified that were closely associated with dried fruit intake. The information regarding obesity-related characteristics like body mass index (BMI) ae well as waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in particular, was acquired through the IEU task, which encompassed a total of 681,275 cases for BMI as well as 224,459 cases for WHR. In order to determine if eating dried fruit causes obesity, researchers used univariate two-sample MR analyses. To make sure our study was solid and consistent, we also used multivariate MR analysis to take things like vitamin C levels, quantity of time spent in school, cereal eating, and fresh fruit consumption into consideration. Results In univariable two-sample MR analyses, consuming dried fruit showed a significant correlation with lower obesity risk according to the IVW method. Consumption of dehydrated fruits was found to be significantly correlated with body mass index (0.802, 95% CI: 0.703–0.916, p-value = 0.001) and waist-to-hip ratio (0.761, 95% CI: 0.600-0.966, p-value = 0.025), according to the data. Meanwhile, in terms of BMI, similar results were shown when the weighted median and simple mean methods were used (95% CI: 0.724–0.965, P = 0.014 and 0,801, respectively; P = 0.042). Statistically significant findings were not obtained for waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) when weighted median analysis (OR = 0.868, 95% CI: 0.643–1.172, P = 0.355) and simple mode analysis (OR = 0.991, 95% CI: 0.584–1.683, P = 0.974) were analyzed. Neither BMI nor WHR were associated with any significant connections in the MR-Egger regression analysis (OR = 2.297, 95% CI: 0.271–19.466, p = 0.458; 95% CI: 0.510–5.793; p = 0.398). Similarly, neither BMI nor WHR were significantly associated using the weighted mode technique (95% CI: 0.533–0.985, p = 0.055). There was no indication of directional gene pleiotropy, according to the MR-Egger intercept (P > 0.05) and the MR-PRESSO approach (P > 0.05). Even after accounting for the consumption of fresh fruit and cereal in general, the multivariable MR method has shown over and again that dried fruit consumption is negatively associated with obesity. Conclusion Consumption of dried fruit may have a causative preventive impact against obesity, according to MR research. Therefore, changes to one's diet may have a major impact in the fight against obesity.