Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on weight loss and metabolic risk factors in obese/overweight individuals with impaired glucose regulation: A randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) versus low-fat diet (LFD) on weight loss, glycemic control and metabolic risk factors in individuals with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) after 10-week intervention. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: In this 10-week randomized controlled trial, 90 obese/overweight adults with IGR were randomly assigned to consume either low-carbohydrate diet (20%-25% energy from carbohydrates, 30%-45% energy from fat, 40%-45% en-ergy from protein), or low-fat diet (40%-55% energy from carbohydrates, 20%-30% energy from fat, 20%-30% energy from protein), or heath education (HE) group. The anthropometry and body composition were collected at baseline, week 4, week 8 and week 10. The glycemia and metabolic indicators were assessed at baseline and week 10. RESULTS: A total of 69 participants (mean±SE age 39.2±1.0 years, 72.5% women) completed the intervention and were included in the final analysis. At week 10, all three groups presented similar mean reduction in weight (LCD 5.80±0.6 kg; LFD 6.36±0.57 kg; HE 4.49±0.98 kg), and fasting blood glucose (LCD 0.73±0.13 mmol/L; LFD 0.84±0.17 mmol/L; HE 0.58±0.14 mmol/L). Additionally, there were no differences in the improvements of TG and liver function markers between diets, the low-fat diet exhibited more favorable effects on TC level. CONCLUSIONS: Both diets achieved similar weight loss, fasting glucose, and insulin reduction in short-term, suggesting each diet pattern could be an effective strategy for the prediabetes management.