High-fat diets: healthy or unhealthy?
In the current dietary recommendations for the treatment and prevention of Type 2 diabetes and its related complications, there is flexibility in the proportion of energy derived from monounsaturated fat and carbohydrate as a replacement for saturated fat. Over the last few years, several population studies have shown that subjects eating a lot of refined grains and processed foods have a much larger increase in waist circumference than those following a diet higher in monounsaturated fat, protein and carbohydrates rich in fibre and whole grain. In the present issue of Clinical Science, Sinitskaya and co-workers have demonstrated that, in normal-weight rodents categorized into groups of high-fat and medium-carbohydrate [53%/30% of energy as fat/carbohydrate; 19.66 kJ/g (4.7 kcal/g)], high-fat and low-carbohydrate [67%/9% of energy as fat/carbohydrate; 21.76 kJ/g (5.2 kcal/g)] and high-fat and carbohydrate-free [75%/0% of energy as fat/carbohydrate; 24.69 kJ/g (5.9 kcal/g)] diets, the high-fat diets containing carbohydrates were both obesogenic and diabetogenic, whereas the very-high-fat and carbohydrate-free diet was not obesogenic but led to insulin resistance and higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This finding may indicate that high-fat diets could easily give rise to an unhealthy diet when combined with carbohydrates, highlighting the significance of macronutrient composition, rather than caloric content, in high-fat diets.
Guldstrand
Marie C
MC
Obesity Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital, SE-182 88 Stockholm, Sweden. marie.guldstrand@ds.se
Simberg
Caroline L
CL
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D012306:Risk
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins