Journal Article

effect of a low-fat, high-protein or high-carbohydrate ad libitum diet on weight loss maintenance and metabolic risk factors

Claessens, M, Monsheimer, S, Saris, W.H.M, Baak, M.A. van

2009

Overview

Background: High-protein (HP) diets are often advocated for weight reduction and weight loss maintenance. Objective: The aim was to compare the effect of low-fat, high-carbohydrate (HC) and low-fat, HP ad libitum diets on weight maintenance after weight loss induced by a very low-calorie diet, and on metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy obese subjects. Design: Forty-eight subjects completed the study that consisted of an energy restriction period of 5-6 weeks followed by a weight maintenance period of 12 weeks. During weight maintenance subjects received maltodextrin (HC group) or protein (HP group) (casein (HPC subgroup) or whey (HPW subgroup)) supplements (2 x 25 g per day), respectively and consumed a low-fat diet. Results: Subjects in the HP diet group showed significantly better weight maintenance after weight loss (2.3 kg difference, P=0.04) and fat mass reduction (2.2 kg difference, P=0.02) than subjects in the HC group. Triglyceride (0.6 mM difference, P=0.01) and glucagon (9.6 pg ml-1 difference, P=0.02) concentrations increased more in the HC diet group, while glucose (0.3 mM difference, P=0.02) concentration increased more in the HP diet group. Changes in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, insulin, HOMAir index, HbA1c, leptin and adiponectin concentrations did not differ between the diets. No differences were found between the casein- or whey-supplemented HP groups. Conclusions: These results show that low-fat, high-casein or whey protein weight maintenance diets are more effective for weight control than low-fat, HC diets and do not adversely affect metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in weight-reduced moderately obese subjects without metabolic or cardiovascular complications.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: administration & dosage / Adult / adults / adverse effects / Biological and medical sciences / Biomarkers / Biomarkers - blood / blood / Blood Glucose / Blood Glucose - metabolism / body weight / Cardiovascular Diseases / Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control / Cholesterol / complications / Diabetic Angiopathies / Diabetic Angiopathies - blood / Diabetic Angiopathies - diet therapy / Diabetic Angiopathies - prevention & control / Diet / diet therapy / Diet, Fat-Restricted / Diet, Fat-Restricted - adverse effects / Diet, Reducing / Diet, Reducing - adverse effects / Dietary Carbohydrates / Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage / Dietary Carbohydrates - adverse effects / Dietary Proteins / Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage / Dietary Proteins - adverse effects / Epidemiology / Female / General aspects / Health aspects / Health Promotion and Disease Prevention / Health risks / high carbohydrate diet / High-protein diet / Humans / Insulin / Internal Medicine / Lipid metabolism / low fat diet / Male / Medical sciences / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / men / Metabolic Diseases / Metabolic Syndrome / Metabolic Syndrome - prevention & control / metabolism / Middle Aged / Obesity / Obesity - blood / Obesity - complications / Obesity - diet therapy / original-article / Physiological aspects / physiology / Polysaccharides / Polysaccharides - administration & dosage / Polysaccharides - adverse effects / Prevention / prevention & control / Public Health / Public health. Hygiene / Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine / Risk Factors / Triglycerides / Triglycerides - blood / weight control / Weight loss / Weight Loss - physiology / women