The potential of a high protein-low carbohydrate diet to preserve intrahepatic triglyceride content in healthy humans

• Published in: PloS one 2014-10, Vol.9 (10), p.e109617-e109617
• Main Authors: Martens, Eveline A, Gatta-Cherifi, Blandine, Gonnissen, Hanne K, Westerterp-Plantenga, Margriet S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol; Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Body mass; Body weight; Body Weight - drug effects; Carbohydrates; Data analysis; Diet; Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; Diet, Protein-Restricted; Dietary Proteins - metabolism; Dietary supplements; Energy; Energy measurement; Energy requirements; Fatty acids; Female; Fructose; Healthy Volunteers; High carbohydrate diet; High fat diet; High protein diet; High-performance liquid chromatography; Humans; Insulin resistance; Intervention; Lipids; Liquid chromatography; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Low carbohydrate diet; Low protein diet; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal system; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Nutrient deficiency; Nutritional requirements; Obesity; Proteins; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Studies; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - metabolism; Weight control
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109617

Protein supplementation has been shown to reduce the increases in intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content induced by acute hypercaloric high-fat and high-fructose diets in humans. To assess the effect of a 12-wk iso-energetic high protein-low carbohydrate (HPLC) diet compared with an iso-energetic high carbohydrate-low protein (HCLP) diet on IHTG content in healthy non-obese subjects, at a constant body weight. Seven men and nine women [mean ± SD age: 24 ± 5 y; BMI: 22.9 ± 2.1 kg/m2] were randomly allocated to a HPLC [30/35/35% of energy (En%) from protein/carbohydrate/fat] or a HCLP (5/60/35 En%) diet by stratification on sex, age and BMI. Dietary guidelines were prescribed based on individual daily energy requirements. IHTG content was measured by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after the dietary intervention. IHTG content changed in different directions with the HPLC (CH2H2O: 0.23 ± 0.17 to 0.20 ± 0.10; IHTG%: 0.25 ± 0.20% to 0.22 ± 0.11%) compared with the HCLP diet (CH2H2O: 0.34 ± 0.20 vs. 0.38 ± 0.21; IHTG%: 0.38 ± 0.22% vs. 0.43 ± 0.24%), which resulted in a lower IHTG content in the HPLC compared with the HCLP diet group after 12 weeks, which almost reached statistical significance (P = 0.055). A HPLC vs. a HCLP diet has the potential to preserve vs. enlarge IHTG content in healthy non-obese subjects at a constant body weight. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01551238.