Abstract
Objective: To compare effects of a high carbohydrate (high-CHO) and a monounsaturated fat diet (high-MUFA) on body fat distribution and sex hormones in post-menopausal women with Type 2 diabetes.
Design: Randomised cross-over with no washout.
Setting: Geelong Hospital outpatient.
Subjects: Thirty four women were recruited, 30 completed the study, and data are presented for 21 women compliant to the high-CHO diet.
Interventions: Women followed a high-CHO diet (20% energy (%E) from fat, 60%E from carbohydrate and a high-MUFA diet (40%E from fat, half as monounsaturated fat, 40%E from carbohydrate) in random order for 12 weeks each.
Main outcome measures: Dietary compliance was measured by change in linoleic acid (C18:2, ω-6) in plasma cholesteryl esters. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fasting concentrations of glucose and insulin were measured in plasma. Steroid hormones and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured in serum.
Results: On the high-CHO diet C18:2, ω-6 in plasma cholesteryl esters declined by 5.4% (95% confidence intervals (CI), −2.5% to −8.4%, P=0.0015). Fat was lost mainly from the lower body (lower body loss −0.71 kg, 95% CI, −0.43 to −1.00 kg, P=0.001; upper body loss −0.15 kg, 95% CI, −0.76 to +0.46 kg, P=0.6). Yet on the high-MUFA diet, lower body fat loss was minimal (−0.22 kg, 95%CI, +0.11 to −0.55 kg, P=0.2). By general linear modelling (GLM), differences in lower body fat loss were significantly related to diet (P=0.04). After adjustment for age, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) concentrations after the high-CHO diet were related to levels of lower body fat (r=0.394, P=0.04).
Conclusions: In women with Type 2 diabetes following a high-CHO diet for 12 weeks the disproportionate loss of lower body fat is related to a decline in DHEAS.
Sponsorship: Supported by grant 950921 from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Contibutors: KZW and KOD initiated the study and wrote the paper. KZW gave dietetic advice to subjects, took DXA scans and blood samples, and analysed data. GCN who runs the Diabetes Clinic at the Geelong Hospital, referred possible subjects and also contributed to the paper.
Guarantor: Prof K O’Dea.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Walker, K., O’Dea, K. & Nicholson, G. Dietary composition affects regional body fat distribution and levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) in post-menopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr 53, 700–705 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600835
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600835
