Decreased cardiovascular risk factors and inflammation with remission of type 2 diabetes in adults with obesity using a high protein diet: Randomized control trial

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to determine the effects a high protein (HP) vs. a high carbohydrate (HC) diet on cardiovascular risk factors (CVR), inflammation, metabolic parameters, oxidative stress, weight loss, lean and fat body mass, and remission of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) in subjects with obesity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Twelve women and men with T2D were recruited and randomized to either a HP (30%protein, 30%fat, 40%carbohydrate) (n = 6) or HC (15%protein, 30%fat, 55%carbohydrate) (n = 6) diet feeding study for 6 months in this randomized controlled trial. All meals were purchased at local grocery stores and provided to subjects for 6 months with daily food menus for HP or HC compliance with weekly food pick-up and weight measurements. Oral glucose tolerance and meal tolerance tests with glucose and insulin measurements and DXA scans were done at baseline and after 6 months on the respective diets. RESULTS: After 6 months on the HP diet, 100% of the subjects had remission of their T2DM to Normal Glucose Tolerance (NGT), whereas only 16.6% of subjects on the HC diet had remission of their T2DM. The HP diet group exhibited significant improvement in a) cardiovascular risk factors (p = 0.004, b) inflammatory cytokines(p = 0.001), c) insulin sensitivity(p = 0.001), d) oxidative stress(p = 0.001), e) increased %lean body mass(p = 0.001) compared to the HC diet group at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: A significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation, metabolic parameters and 100% remission of T2DM to NGT was achieved with a HP diet compared to a HC diet at 6 months. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV. IDENTIFIER: NCT01642849.