Table 5

Plasma lipoproteins, glucose, insulin, folate and homocysteine concentrations during the dietary interventions1


Baseline
 Week 4
 Week 8
 Week 12
 Change3
Total Cholesterol mmol/L
 VLCARB
 5.92 ± 0.21
 5.38 ± 0.20
 5.68 ± 0.29
 5.82 ± 0.26
 -0.09 ± 0.20

VLF
 5.64 ± 0.23
 4.83 ± 0.20
 4.94 ± 0.23
 5.15 ± 0.26
 -0.49 ± 0.14

HUF
 6.09 ± 0.23
 5.11 ± 0.23
 5.27 ± 0.26
 5.62 ± 0.24
 -0.47 ± 0.15
LDL Cholesterol2 mmol/L
 VLCARB
 3.83 ± 0.18
 3.57 ± 0.21
 3.89 ± 0.28
 4.01 ± 0.26
 0.18 ± 0.18a

VLF
 3.65 ± 0.22
 3.05 ± 0.18
 3.16 ± 0.20
 3.25 ± 0.22
 -0.40 ± 0.11b

HUF
 4.12 ± 0.24
 3.38 ± 0.20
 3.54 ± 0.25
 3.78 ± 0.22
 -0.34 ± 0.14b
ApoB g/L
 VLCARB
 1.01 ± 0.05
0.94 ± 0.05
 1.00 ± 0.05
 -0.02 ± 0.05

VLF
 0.97 ± 0.05
0.85 ± 0.05
 0.89 ± 0.06
 -0.07 ± 0.02

HUF
 1.05 ± 0.06
0.93 ± 0.06
 0.99 ± 0.05
 -0.06 ± 0.02
HDL Cholesterol2 mmol/L
 VLCARB
 1.26 ± 0.05
 1.27 ± 0.05
 1.26 ± 0.05
 1.32 ± 0.05
 0.06 ± 0.03a

VLF
 1.31 ± 0.07
 1.18 ± 0.05
 1.15 ± 0.06
 1.25 ± 0.06
 -0.06 ± 0.04b

HUF
 1.26 ± 0.05
 1.15 ± 0.05
 1.15 ± 0.05
 1.19 ± 0.04
 -0.06 ± 0.03b
Triacylglycerols2 mmol/L
 VLCARB
 1.83 ± 0.19
 1.20 ± 0.12
 1.16 ± 0.10
 1.11 ± 0.10
 -0.73 ± 0.12a

VLF
 1.51 ± 0.13
 1.31 ± 0.10
 1.38 ± 0.12
 1.44 ± 0.13
 -0.06 ± 0.13b

HUF
 1.56 ± 0.11
 1.27 ± 0.12
 1.29 ± 0.11
 1.42 ± 0.12
 -0.15 ± 0.07b
Glucose mmol/L
 VLCARB
 5.3 ± 0.1
 5.2 ± 0.1
 5.3 ± 0.1
 5.3 ± 0.1
 -0.1 ± 0.1

VLF
 5.3 ± 0.1
 5.1 ± 0.1
 5.2 ± 0.1
 5.3 ± 0.1
 -0.1 ± 0.1

HUF
 5.4 ± 0.1
 5.4 ± 0.1
 5.2 ± 0.1
 5.2 ± 0.1
 -0.2 ± 0.1
Insulin2 mU/L
 VLCARB
 10.7 ± 1.1
 8.2 ± 0.8
 8.1 ± 1.0
 7.1 ± 0.8
 -3.6 ± 0.5a

VLF
 8.6 ± 0.7
 8.2 ± 0.7
 7.8 ± 0.8
 9.9 ± 1.9
 1.3 ± 1.7b,c

HUF
 9.1 ± 0.6
 9.0 ± 0.6
 7.9 ± 0.6
 7.4 ± 0.7
 -1.7 ± 0.5a,c
Folate nmol/L
 VLCARB
 23.13 ± 1.46

22.52 ± 1.03
 -0.61 ± 0.84

VLF
 23.99 ± 1.42

27.54 ± 1.10
 3.54 ± 1.30

HUF
 23.95 ± 1.32

24.83 ± 1.61
 0.88 ± 1.82
Homocysteine2 umol/L
 VLCARB
 7.28 ± 0.33

7.76 ± 0.39
 0.56 ± 0.27a

VLF
 7.30 ± 0.45

6.80 ± 0.34
 -0.50 ± 31b,c

HUF
 7.14 ± 0.32

7.19 ± 0.30
 -0.04 ± 0.22a,c
C reactive protein mg/L
 VLCARB
 5.27 ± 0.71
.
 4.51 ± 0.60
 -0.76 ± 0.56

VLF
 4.52 ± 0.78

3.42 ± 0.70
 -1.10 ± 0.50

HUF
 4.52 ± 0.70

4.17 ± 0.71
 -0.35 ± 0.71

1mean ± SEM

VLCARB = very low carbohydrate (n = 24) VLF = very low fat (n = 22) HUF = high unsaturated fat (n = 21)

2 Significant main effect of diet using repeated measures ANOVA with time as the within subject factor and diet as the between subject factor after adjustment for weight loss as a covariate (P < 0.05)

3 When significant main effect of diet detected, post hoc analysis was conducted using Tukeys test. Variables with the different superscripts are significantly different from one another (P < 0.05)

Noakes et al. Nutrition & Metabolism 2006 3:7   doi:10.1186/1743-7075-3-7