Lowering Carbs on High-Fat Diet Benefits Insulin Sensitivity

NUTHETAL, Germany--Increasing the protein-to-carb ratio only delays the development of adiposity in mice, but does benefit glucose homeostasis, possibly delaying the onset of the metabolic syndrome, according to a new study from the German Institute of Human Nutrition published in the Journal of Nutrition (135:1854-8, 2005). Researchers investigated how different protein/carbohydrate ratios in a high-fat diet impacted development of obesity, metabolic rate and glucose utilization. Mice were fed a control diet or a high-fat diet with a high or low quantity of carbohydrates. The animals on the high-carb diet had the greatest initial body weight and fat gains, followed by the low-carb animals with the control mice showing the lowest weight and fat increases. Mice on the low-carb diet showed better blood glucose utilization and insulin sensitivity compared to the animals on the high-carb diet. The researchers therefore concluded a diet high in both fat and carbohydrates appears responsible for the development of metabolic syndrome-related traits in mice.

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