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Weight-loss with low or high carbohydrate diet?
A Golay1, C Eigenheer, Y Morel
1Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Geneva.
Summary
Comparing low (25%) and high (45%) carbohydrate hypocaloric diets, neither showed a significant advantage in weight loss or metabolic parameters over 12 weeks. However, the low carbohydrate diet may be more favorable long-term due to improved insulin sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Metabolic Health
- Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Background:
- Obesity is a significant cardiovascular risk factor.
- Optimal hypocaloric diets are crucial for risk reduction.
- Comparing varying carbohydrate levels in diets is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of two hypocaloric diets with different carbohydrate content (25% vs. 45%).
- To assess weight loss and metabolic parameter changes over 12 weeks.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-eight outpatients were divided into two groups.
- One group received a low carbohydrate (25% CHO) hypocaloric diet.
- The other group received a high carbohydrate (45% CHO) hypocaloric diet (1200 Kcal/d).
Main Results:
- Both diets resulted in similar weight and adipose tissue loss.
- Lean body mass was lost in both groups, with slightly more in the 25% CHO group.
- Waist/hip ratio, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels decreased significantly in both groups.
- Fasting blood insulin decreased more markedly with the 25% CHO diet.
- The glucose/insulin ratio improved significantly with both diets.
Conclusions:
- Neither diet demonstrated a significant advantage in weight loss or most metabolic parameters over 12 weeks.
- The low carbohydrate (25%) diet showed greater improvement in fasting blood insulin and glucose/insulin ratio.
- The 25% CHO diet may be more beneficial long-term, potentially due to monounsaturated fat content.