Abstract
Background: The impact of low-fat diets on the plasma lipoprotein profile is incompletely understood. Methods: We conducted two 16-week dietary studies to compare the effects of a moderate-fat (mod-FAT) baseline diet with isocaloric and ad libitum low-fat diets rich in either carbohydrates (high-CHO, n = 16) or protein (high-PRO, n = 19) on plasma lipids, postYheparin lipase activities, cholesteryl ester transfer protein, and phospholipid transfer protein. Results: Switching from the mod-FAT to the isocaloric high-CHO diet lowered plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001) and tended to increase triglyceride levels (P = 0.087). Cholesterol content in the larger, buoyant low-density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions decreased, whereas those of the very-low-density lipoprotein, intermediate-density lipoprotein, and smaller, denser LDL fractions tended to increase. These changes were largely reversed when subjects lost weight by consuming this high-CHO diet ad libitum. Switching from the mod-FAT diet to the isocaloric high-PRO diet did not increase cholesterol content in the small-dense LDL fraction and led to decreases in both LDL and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma (P < 0.001 for both) Consumption of the high-protein ad libitum diet accompanied by weight loss did not change plasma lipids further, except for a shift of cholesterol from dense low-density lipoprotein fractions to more buoyant low-density lipoprotein fractions. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein concentrations decreased with high-cholesterol feeding, whereas cholesteryl ester transfer protein concentrations and hepatic lipase and phospholipid transfer protein activities all decreased during high-protein feeding. Conclusions: Both high-CHO and high-PRO diets improve plasma lipidYrelated risk of cardiovascular disease when consumed ad libitum.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 711-719 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Investigative Medicine |
Volume | 58 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2010 |
Keywords
- Carbohydrate
- Cardiovascular disease
- Fat
- Lipids
- Lipoproteins
- Protein
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology