effect of a low-fat, high-protein or high-carbohydrate ad libitum diet on weight loss maintenance and metabolic risk factors

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2009-03, Vol.33 (3), p.296-304
• Main Authors: Claessens, M, Baak, M.A. van, Monsheimer, S, Saris, W.H.M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; adults; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Glucose - metabolism; body weight; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Cholesterol; Diabetic Angiopathies - blood; Diabetic Angiopathies - diet therapy; Diabetic Angiopathies - prevention & control; Diet; Diet, Fat-Restricted - adverse effects; Diet, Reducing - adverse effects; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Dietary Carbohydrates - adverse effects; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Dietary Proteins - adverse effects; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health risks; high carbohydrate diet; High-protein diet; Humans; Insulin; Internal Medicine; Lipid metabolism; low fat diet; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic Syndrome - prevention & control; metabolism; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diet therapy; original-article; Physiological aspects; Polysaccharides - administration & dosage; Polysaccharides - adverse effects; Prevention; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Triglycerides - blood; weight control; Weight loss; Weight Loss - physiology; women
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2008.278

Background: High-protein (HP) diets are often advocated for weight reduction and weight loss maintenance. Objective: The aim was to compare the effect of low-fat, high-carbohydrate (HC) and low-fat, HP ad libitum diets on weight maintenance after weight loss induced by a very low-calorie diet, and on metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy obese subjects. Design: Forty-eight subjects completed the study that consisted of an energy restriction period of 5-6 weeks followed by a weight maintenance period of 12 weeks. During weight maintenance subjects received maltodextrin (HC group) or protein (HP group) (casein (HPC subgroup) or whey (HPW subgroup)) supplements (2 x 25 g per day), respectively and consumed a low-fat diet. Results: Subjects in the HP diet group showed significantly better weight maintenance after weight loss (2.3 kg difference, P=0.04) and fat mass reduction (2.2 kg difference, P=0.02) than subjects in the HC group. Triglyceride (0.6 mM difference, P=0.01) and glucagon (9.6 pg ml-1 difference, P=0.02) concentrations increased more in the HC diet group, while glucose (0.3 mM difference, P=0.02) concentration increased more in the HP diet group. Changes in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, insulin, HOMAir index, HbA1c, leptin and adiponectin concentrations did not differ between the diets. No differences were found between the casein- or whey-supplemented HP groups. Conclusions: These results show that low-fat, high-casein or whey protein weight maintenance diets are more effective for weight control than low-fat, HC diets and do not adversely affect metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in weight-reduced moderately obese subjects without metabolic or cardiovascular complications.