Effect of macronutrient composition of
weight loss diets on reduction of the inflammatory marker hsCRP
Published
on 12th June 2012
Purpose
High
sensitivity CRP (hsCRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, is associated with
obesity and is an independent predictor for cardiovascular disease. Although
practitioners may prescribe weight loss
and/or special diets to treat systemic inflammation, little is known about how
diets differing in fat, protein, or carbohydrate composition affect hsCRP.
Methods
In
the two-year POUNDS (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) LOST
trial, overweight and obese adults were randomly allocated to one of four weight
loss diets with targeted percentages of energy derived from
fat/protein/carbohydrates (20/15/65%; 20/25/55%; 40/15/45%; 40/25/35%,
respectively). All participants received tailored diet prescriptions
with a 750-kilocalorie
deficit from energy expenditure, and an intensive behavioral program
accompanied all diet assignments. hsCRP as well as cardiovascular
and metabolic factors were measured at baseline, 6, and 24 months among 710
participants.
Results
There
was a 25% (IQR +7%, -50%) decrease in hsCRP at 6 months in all trial
participants, as well as 7% (IQR -3%, -11%) weight loss and a reduction in
waist circumference by 6% (IQR -3%, -10%) (all p <.002), with no significant
differences observed according to randomized dietary composition. Irrespective
of diet composition, the percent change in hsCRP at 6 and 24 months correlated
modestly with change in weight, waist circumference, fasting insulin, fasting
glucose, HOMA (homeostasis model assessment of insulin sensitivity), and most
lipid levels. Reductions in hsCRP persisted throughout the study period despite
an approximate 50% regain of weight by 24 months.
Conclusion
hsCRP
decreased equally on all four weight loss diets, and was associated with
improvements in lipids and metabolic factors. Findings from this study suggest
that macronutrient
composition is not an important component of weight loss diets designed to
reduce inflammation.
I have always felt
that the reason for the failure of so many “medical nutritional therapies” is
due to overemphasis on micronutrients and not on the quality of the food. Not
all calories are the same, the calories in a Regular Coca Cola sweetened with
High Fructose Corn Syrup enters a different metabolic pathway than the calories
, the same amount, given as Vegetables or Fruits or A slice of Salmon.. Long
ago in Australia they had demonstrated that not all carbohydrates are the same,
since carbohydrates in the European form created more damage than the
carbohydrate in the aboriginal form, when fed to the aboriginal people.
So the First Nation
or the Indigenous People of this world have the added burden of INAPPROPRIATE
macronutrient as well as BAD QUALITY of food. This now can be extended to the
newly emerging economies of the Asian Continent as well. India, China, Indonesia,
Malaysia are all on a path to grand temples of Diabetes and Obesity.
I have designed my
own ADVICE ON FOOD LABEL READING. It was designed for the North American
Indians but I get the feeling that it is
also good for people of Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi and Beijing and the
countries these cities represent..
LOOK AT INGREDIENTS
FIRST BEFORE LOOKING AT
How much
Carbohydrate? How many Calories? How much Fat? Cholesterol etc..
AVOID ANY INGREDIENT
THAT BEGINS WITH ..
HIGH……
LOW….
NON
UN…
PARTIALLY… THIS
USUALLY FOLLOWS BY HYDROGENATED
CORN IS A FOUR-LETTER
WORD. IT HAS NO ROLE IN THE FOOD YOU BUY SUCH AS BREAD, TOMATO SAUCE .. FRESH
CORN IS FINE.
MALTODEXTRIN DEXTROSE, THESE ARE CHILDREN OF HIGH FRUCTOSE
CORN SYRUP. THEY ARE ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU,
NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IT SAYS IN MANY FOOD PRODUCTS NOW.. BUT IT HAS
MALTODEXTRIN, DEXTROSE..
CORN is a four-letter
word, avoid anything starting with or containing the word CORN, such as corn
solids, cornstarch or corn syrup or corn oil.
Then look at the
label and put it down if it says
LOW low in cholesterol in a fruit product is
deceiving statement of an obvious fact
100% (except in fruit juice) such as 100 per cent Vitamin C, some of the
sugar sweetened drinks would say they contain 100 % vitamin C
ONLY as in only 80 calories per serving, but there
are 10 servings in the container
NATURAL then why is it in a plastic bottle?
ORIGINAL then where are the imitators?
Then proceed to
select the food you want to take home. And all of a sudden you realize how
difficult is to find good food in supermarkets in USA.. In more than one
supermarket that I have scrutinized, except for the fruits and vegetable, 8 out
of 10 edible items sold are not fit for consumption.
