One-year comparison of a high-monounsaturated fat diet with a high-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of high-monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and high-carbohydrate (CHO) diets on body weight and glycemic control in men and women with type 2 diabetes.

Overweight/obese participants with type 2 diabetes (n = 124, age = 56.5 +/- 0.8 years, BMI = 35.9 +/- 0.3 kg/m2, and A1C = 7.3 +/- 0.1%) were randomly assigned to 1 year of a high-MUFA or high-CHO diet. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters were assessed at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 months of dieting.

Baseline characteristics were similar between the treatment groups. The overall retention rate for 1 year was 77% (69% for the high-MUFA group and 84% for the high-CHO group; P = 0.06). Based on food records, both groups had similar energy intake but a significant difference in MUFA intake. Both groups had similar weight loss over 1 year (-4.0 +/- 0.8 vs. -3.8 +/- 0.6 kg) and comparable improvement in body fat, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, A1C, and fasting glucose and insulin. There were no differences in these parameters between the groups. A follow-up assessment of a subset of participants (n = 36) was conducted 18 months after completion of the 52-week diet. These participants maintained their weight loss and A1C during the follow-up period.

In individuals with type 2 diabetes, high-MUFA diets are an alternative to conventional lower-fat, high-CHO diets with comparable beneficial effects on body weight, body composition, cardiovascular risk factors, and glycemic control.