Association between carbohydrate intake and serum lipids.
BACKGROUND
The effect of dietary carbohydrate on blood lipids has received considerable attention in light of the current trend in lowering carbohydrate intake for weight loss.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between carbohydrate intake and serum lipids.


METHODS
Blood samples and 24-hour dietary and physical activity recall interviews were obtained from each subject at quarterly intervals for five consecutive quarters between 1994 and 1998 from 574 healthy adults in Central Massachusetts. Relationships between serum lipids and dietary carbohydrate factors were assessed using linear mixed models and adjusting for other risk factors known to be related to blood lipids. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal results were reported.


RESULTS
Cross-sectional analysis results from this study suggest that higher total carbohydrate intake, percentage of calories from carbohydrate, glycemic index (GI) and/or glycemic load (GL) are related to lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and higher serum triacylglycerol levels, while higher total carbohydrate intake and/or GL are related to lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. In a one-year longitudinal analysis, GL was positively associated with total and LDL-C levels, and there was an inverse association between percentage of calories from carbohydrate and HDL-C levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that there is a complex and predominantly unfavorable effect of increased intake of highly processed carbohydrate on lipid profile, which may have implications for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Further studies in the form of randomized controlled trials are required to investigate these associations and determine the implications for lipid management.
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. Yunsheng.Ma@umassmed.edu
Yunsheng
Y
Ma
Youfu
Y
Li
David E
DE
Chiriboga
Barbara C
BC
Olendzki
James R
JR
Hebert
Wenjun
W
Li
Katherine
K
Leung
Andrea R
AR
Hafner
Ira S
IS
Ockene
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005006:Ethnicity; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol