Renate Luzía Barbosa-Yañez, Ulrike Dambeck, Linna Li, Jürgen Machann, Stefan Kabisch, Andreas F H Pfeiffer
Journal: Nutrients 2019;10(12):1859
PMID: 30513768
The control of type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a global challenge. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality in type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study is to examine and compare the effect of a hypocaloric very low carbohydrate diet versus hypocaloric low-fat diet on vascular function and visceral adipose tissue in type 2 diabetic patients. The study is a randomised parallel group intervention study with adult type 2 diabetes patients with an age range between 42 and 76 years. Results show that both dietary strategies effectively reduced body weight, total adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue and lipid accumulation in the liver. However, participants following the low-fat diet experienced greater vascular function enhancements. Authors conclude that low-fat diet elicited advantageous effects on vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major cause of mortality in type 2 diabetes patients (T2DM). The causes are embedded in a complex interplay between excess body fat, insulin resistance and serum lipid anomalies. Endothelial homeostasis is strongly affected by this pathogenic network. Even though metabolic changes and weight loss improve vascular endothelial function, the effect of different dietary approaches is still uncertain for type 2 diabetes patients.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to compare the acute effects of a hypocaloric very low carbohydrate (VLC) diet versus a hypocaloric low fat (LF) diet on flow mediated dilation (FMD), intrahepatic lipid (IHL) accumulation and visceral adipose tissue as independent risk factors of CVD in T2DM patients.
DESIGN
36 T2DM patients (age 63 ± 8 years, 60% females) were randomly assigned to the VLC diet (4⁻10% of total energy intake (E)) or to the LF diet (<30% E) for 3 weeks. Endothelial function was assessed by the flow mediated dilation (FMD) method. Adipose tissue depots and IHL were determined by magnetic resonance.
RESULTS
Both dietary strategies reduced body weight, body fat content and IHL. Unexpectedly, the LF group experienced significantly greater enhancement of FMD, compared to the VLC group. The FMD showed a positive correlation with protein intake and fat intake in the LF group, while it revealed a negative correlation with protein intake in the VLC diet group.
CONCLUSIONS
Reduction of total and hepatic adiposity was shown to be successful using either the VLC or LF hypocaloric diets, however, improvements in FMD may be related to the interplay of fat and protein intake.
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