Journal Article

Alleviation of Dyslipidemia via a Traditional Balanced Korean Diet Represented by a Low Glycemic and Low Cholesterol Diet in Obese Women in a Randomized Controlled Trial

Myung-Sunny Kim, Phil-Kyung Shin, Seon-Joo Park, Kyun-Hee Lee, Moonju Hong, Hye Jeong Yang, Haeng Jeon Hur, Jin Hee Kim, Min Jung Kim, Hae-Jeung Lee, Sang-Woon Choi, Sunmin Park

2022

Overview

A traditional balanced Korean diet (K-diet) may improve energy, glucose, and lipid metabolism. To evaluate this, we conducted a randomized crossover clinical trial, involving participants aged 30–40 years, who were randomly assigned to two groups—a K-diet or westernized Korean control diet daily, with an estimated energy requirement (EER) of 1900 kcal. After a 4-week washout period, they switched the diet and followed it for 4 weeks. The carbohydrate, protein, and fat ratios based on energy intake were close to the target values for the K-diet (65:15:20) and control diet (60:15:25). The glycemic index of the control diet and the K-diet was 50.3 ± 3.6 and 68.1 ± 2.9, respectively, and daily cholesterol contents in the control diet and K-diet were 280 and 150 mg, respectively. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters involved in energy, glucose, and lipid metabolism were measured while plasma metabolites were determined using UPLC-QTOF-MS before and after the 4-week intervention. After the four-week intervention, both diets improved anthropometric and biochemical variables, but the K-diet significantly reduced them compared to the control diet. Serum total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in the K-diet group than in the control diet group. The waist circumference (p = 0.108) and insulin resistance index (QUICKI, p = 0.089) tended to be lower in the K-diet group than in the control diet group. Plasma metabolites indicated that participants in the K-diet group tended to reduce insulin resistance compared to those in the control diet group. Amino acids, especially branched-chain amino acids, tyrosine, tryptophan, and glutamate, and L-homocysteine concentrations were considerably lower in the K-diet group than in the control diet group (p < 0.05). Plasma glutathione concentrations, an index of antioxidant status, and 3-hydroxybutyric acid concentrations, were higher in the K-diet group than in the control diet group. In conclusion, a K-diet with adequate calories to meet EER alleviated dyslipidemia by decreasing insulin resistance-related amino acids and increasing ketones in the circulation of obese women.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: 3-hydroxybutyric acid / Adult / antioxidants / blood serum / Body fat / Body mass index / Cholesterol / Cholesterol - blood / Clinical trials / Diabetes / Diet / Diet, Diabetic / Diet, Diabetic - ethnology / Diet, Diabetic - methods / Diet, Fat-Restricted / Diet, Fat-Restricted - ethnology / Diet, Fat-Restricted - methods / Diet, Healthy / Diet, Healthy - ethnology / Diet, Healthy - methods / Dyslipidemias / Dyslipidemias - blood / Dyslipidemias - diet therapy / Dyslipidemias - etiology / Energy / Energy Intake / Female / Food / Fruits / glucose / glutamic acid / glutathione / Glycemic Index / Grain / Humans / hyperlipidemia / Hypotheses / insulin / Insulin Resistance / lipid metabolism / lipoproteins / low cholesterol diet / Meat / Metabolic disorders / Metabolic syndrome / metabolites / Nutrition research / Obesity / Obesity - blood / Obesity - complications / Obesity - diet therapy / Overweight / randomized clinical trials / Republic of Korea / Rice / School dropouts / Soybeans / traditional balanced Korean diet; dyslipidemia; insulin sensitivity; cholesterol; metabolites / Treatment Outcome / triacylglycerols / Triglycerides / Triglycerides - blood / tryptophan / tyrosine / Vegetables / waist circumference / Weight control / White people / Womens health