Variations in body composition and plasma lipids in response to a high-carbohydrate diet.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the extent to which variations in body composition modulate changes in the lipid profile in response to the ad libitum consumption of a diet rich in carbohydrates (CHOs) (high-CHO diet: 58% of energy as CHOs) or high in fat and in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) (high-MUFA diet: 40% of energy as fat, 23% as MUFAs).


METHODS
Sixty-three men were randomly assigned to one of the two diets that they consumed for 6 to 7 weeks. Body composition and fasting plasma lipid levels were measured at the beginning and the end of the dietary intervention.


RESULTS
The high-CHO and high-MUFA diets induced significant and comparable reductions in body weight and waist circumference. These changes were accompanied by significant and comparable (p < 0.01) reductions in total plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. However, the high-MUFA diet had more beneficial effects on plasma triglyceride concentrations (p < 0.01) and on plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p = 0.02) compared with the high-CHO diet. Diet-induced changes in waist circumference were significantly associated with changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the high-CHO group (r = 0.39, p = 0.03) but not in the high-MUFA group (r = 0.16, p = 0.38).


CONCLUSIONS
Improvements in plasma lipids induced by the ad libitum consumption of a high-CHO diet seem to be partly mediated by changes in body weight, whereas lipid changes induced by the high-MUFA diet seem to be independent of changes in body weight.
Archer
W Roodly
WR
Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Institute, Laval University, Pavillon Paul Comtois, Quebec, G1K 7P4 Canada.
Lamarche
Benoît
B
Dériaz
Olivier
O
Landry
Nancy
N
Corneau
Louise
L
Després
Jean-Pierre
JP
Bergeron
Jean
J
Couture
Patrick
P
Bergeron
Nathalie
N
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D014280:Triglycerides