Weight loss leads to reductions in inflammatory biomarkers after a very-low-carbohydrate diet and a low-fat diet in overweight men.

Abstract

In recent years, it has become apparent that low-grade vascular inflammation plays a key role in all stages of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Weight loss has been shown to improve blood inflammatory markers; however, it is unknown if weight-loss diets varying in macronutrient composition differentially affect inflammatory responses. The primary purpose of the present study was to compare a very-low-carbohydrate diet and a low-fat weight-loss diet on inflammatory biomarkers in overweight men. In a randomized cross-over design, 15 overweight men (body fat, >25%; body mass index, 34 kg/m2) consumed two experimental weight-loss diets for two consecutive 6-week periods: a very-low-carbohydrate diet (<10% energy via carbohydrate) and a low-fat diet (<30% energy via fat). Both the low-fat and the very-low-carbohydrate diets resulted in significant decreases in absolute concentrations of hsTNF-alpha (high-sensitivity tumour necrosis factor-alpha), hsIL-6 (high-sensitivity interleukin-6), hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and sICAM-1 (soluble intercellular cell-adhesion molecule-1). There was no significant change in absolute sP-selectin (soluble P-selectin) concentrations after either diet. Normalized inflammatory values represented as the delta change per 1 kg reduction in body mass showed a significant difference between the two diets only for sP-selectin (P<0.05). In summary, energy-restricted low-fat and very-low-carbohydrate diets both significantly decreased several biomarkers of inflammation. These data suggest that, in the short-term, weight loss is primarily the driving force underlying the reductions in most of the inflammatory biomarkers.

• Authors: Matthew J Sharman, Jeff S Volek
• Journal: Clinical science (London, England : 1979) (Clin Sci (Lond)) Vol. 107 Issue 4 Pg. 365-9 (Oct 2004) ISSN: 0143-5221 [Print] England
• PMID: 15265001 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Dietary Carbohydrates
• Interleukin-6
• P-Selectin
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
• C-Reactive Protein

Topics

• Adult
• Analysis of Variance
• Biomarkers (blood)
• C-Reactive Protein (analysis)
• Cross-Over Studies
• Diet, Fat-Restricted
• Dietary Carbohydrates (administration & dosage)
• Humans
• Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (blood)
• Interleukin-6 (blood)
• Male
• Obesity (diet therapy, immunology)
• P-Selectin (blood)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (analysis)
• Weight Loss