Carbohydrate restricted diets are superior to calorie restricted diets in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Published in the Am J Clin Nutr March 2011 ajcn.007674

Short-term weight loss and hepatic triglyceride reduction: evidence of a metabolic advantage with dietary carbohydrate restriction1,2,3
Jeffrey D Browning, Jonathan A Baker, Thomas Rogers, Jeannie Davis, Santhosh Satapati, and Shawn C Burgess
1From the Departments of Internal Medicine (JDB), Pathology (JAB and TR), and Pharmacology (SCB), The Advanced Imaging Research Center (JDB, JD, SS, and SCB), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX.
2 Supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Award at The University of Texas Southwestern (UL1RR024982), the Task Force for Obesity Research (TORS) at The University of Texas Southwestern (5UL1DE019584), the TORS Human Biology Core (5PL1DK081183), the TORS Molecular and Metabolic Mouse Phenotyping Core (5PL1DK081182), and NIH grants 5RL1DK081187 (to JDB and SCB), 1K23DK074396 (to JDB), RR02584 (to SCB), R01DK078184 (to SCB), and DK082872 (to TR).
3 Address reprint requests and correspondence to JD Browning, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases and the Advanced Imaging Research Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-8568. E-mail: jeffrey.browning@utsouthwestern.edu.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/03/02/ajcn.110.007674.abstract

Browning notes that individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have excess liver triglycerides. This is due, in part, to the liver making fat from carbohydrates via lipogenesis. Although weight loss is currently recommended to treat NAFLD, little attention has been given to dietary carbohydrate restriction.

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of 2 weeks of either dietary carbohydrate restriction or calorie restriction at reducing liver triglycerides in subjects with NAFLD. Eighteen NAFLD subjects (5 men and 13 women) with an average age of 45years, consumed a carbohydrate-restricted (20 grams per day) or calorie-restricted (1200–1500 kcal per day) diet for 2 weeks.

The study revealed:
(a) The carbohydrate-restricted group lost slightly more weight 4.6kg - The calorie-restricted group lost 4.0kg.
(b)  Liver triglycerides decreased significantly more in carbohydrate-restricted subjects 55% - The calorie-restricted group liver triglycerides decreased by 28%.

The low carbohydrate diet was more effective than the calorie restricted diet in reducing NAFLD risk.

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Low carbohydrate diets may help in the treatment of liver disease

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the British Journal of Radiology (2006) 79, 712-715 and arecipe for leg steaks with warm cauliflower, tomato and toasted pine nut salad.

Study title and authors:

Books:

Low-carbohydrate diet induced reduction of hepatic lipid content observed with a rapid non-invasive MRI technique

K G Hollingsworth, PhD 1 M Z Abubacker, FRCR 1 I Joubert 1 M E D Allison, FRCP 2 and D J Lomas, FRCR 1
Departments of 1Radiology and 2Medicine University of Cambridge and Addenbrookes Hospital, Level 5, Box 219, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK

This paper can be accessed at: http://bjr.birjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/79/945/712
 
On a low carbohydrate diet all subjects demonstrated significant reductions in hepatic fat (fatty liver), and all subjects lost weight.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

Leg Steaks with Warm Cauliflower, Tomato and Toasted Pine Nut Salad

 

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Lamb

4 lamb leg steaks

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

30ml/2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 small red onions, peeled and finely sliced lengthways

50g/2oz butter

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

4 medium tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets and cooked until just tender

40g/1½oz lightly toasted pine nuts

1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

1.Place the steaks on a chopping board, season and brush with half the oil on both sides. Cook on a preheated grill or prepared barbecue for 8-10 minutes (for medium), turning occasionally or until any meat juices run clear. Transfer to a warm plate and cover loosely.

2.Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick frying pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until caramelised and partially softened. Add the tomatoes then transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

3.Return the pan to the hob and melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cauliflower. Cook until lightly caramelised tossing occasionally. Return the tomato mixture to the pan with the cauliflower, season and stir through the pine nuts and parsley.

Leg Steaks with Warm Cauliflower, Tomato and Toasted Pine Nut Salad

Low carbohydrate diets decrease risk of Non alcoholic fatty liver disease

Published in Diabetes Care May 2007 vol. 30 no. 5 1075-1080

Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Levels Decrease Further With Carbohydrate Than Fat Restriction in Insulin-Resistant Adults
Marno Celeste Ryan, MD1, Fahim Abbasi, MD1, Cindy Lamendola, MSN2, Susan Carter, MS, RD2 and Tracey Lynn McLaughlin, MD, MS2
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Falk Cardiovascular Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California
2Division of Endocrinology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California

This study can be accessed at: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/5/1075.abstract
 
Significantly elevated levels of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) often suggest the existence of other medical problems such as viral hepatitis, congestive heart failure, liver damage, bile duct problems, infectious mononucleosis, or myopathy.
 
The paper's data showed that in a population at high risk for Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a diet lower in carbohydrate decreased serum ALT concentrations to a greater degree than a higher-carbohydrate/low-fat diet.

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