Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Limiting Carbs, Not Calories, Reduces Liver Fat Faster, Researchers Find...

Limiting Carbs, Not Calories, Reduces Liver Fat Faster, Researchers Find...

ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2011) — Curbing carbohydrates is more effective than cutting calories for individuals who want to quickly reduce the amount of fat in their liver, report UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.
"What this study tells us is that if your doctor says that you need to reduce the amount of fat in your liver, you can do something within a month," said Dr. Jeffrey Browning, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and the study's lead author.
The results, available online and in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, could have implications for treating numerous diseases including diabetes, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD.  The disease, characterized by high levels of triglycerides in the liver, affects as many as one-third of American adults.  It can lead to liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
For the study researchers assigned 18 participants with NAFLD to eat either a low-carbohydrate or a low-calorie diet for 14 days.
The participants assigned to the low-carb diet limited their carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams a day -- the equivalent of a small banana or a half-cup of egg noodles -- for the first seven days.  For the final seven days they switched to frozen meals prepared by UT Southwestern's Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) kitchen that matched their individual food preferences, carbohydrate intake, and energy needs.
Those assigned to the low-calorie diet continued their regular diet and kept a food diary for the four days preceding the study. The CTRC kitchen then used these individual records to prepare all meals during the 14-day study.  Researchers limited the total number of calories to roughly 1,200 a day for the female participants and 1,500 a day for the males.
After two weeks researchers used advanced imaging techniques to analyze the amount of liver fat in each individual.  They found that the study participants on the low-carb diet lost more liver fat.
Although the study was not designed to determine which diet was more effective for losing weight both the low-calorie dieters and the low-carbohydrate dieters lost an average of 10 pounds.
Dr. Browning cautioned that the findings do not explain why participants on the low-carb diet saw a greater reduction in liver fat and that they should not be extrapolated beyond the two-week period of study.
"This is not a long-term study, and I don't think that low-carb diets are fundamentally better than low-fat ones," he said.  "Our approach is likely to be only of short-term benefit because at some point the benefits of weight loss alone trounce any benefits derived from manipulating dietary macronutrients such as calories and carbohydrates.
"Weight loss, regardless of the mechanism, is currently the most effective way to reduce liver fat."
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study were Dr. Shawn Burgess, senior author and assistant professor of pharmacology in the Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC); Dr. Jonathan Baker, assistant professor of pathology; Dr. Thomas Rogers, former professor of pathology; Jeannie Davis, clinical research coordinator in the AIRC; and Dr. Santhosh Satapati, postdoctoral researcher in the AIRC.
The National Institutes of Health supported the study.

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a health care professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility. The views expressed on this website are those of the health professionals & scientists I list or my own opinions and are not intended to replace any medical advice you may require. The contents have not been approved by the Pharmaceutical Association, the American Medical Association, or the Food and Drug Administration. This website may present views diametrically opposed to the views of such organizations. I also offer resources to products I formulate as well as those that I believe are of high value and quality. Profits from these recommendations are used to keep HealthBlogger free to those who read and appreciate the time and research that goes into these posts. It has been my experience over the last 30 years that if I offer reports and research without product recommendations, you will most likely pay more at the local health food store, and may not get the right product or the quality you would expect. I only recommend companies I respect and order from myself. I consider this a value added service that I offer along with the research. If you find this a conflict of interest, please don't order from my links.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C. is available for consultation, on your health issues.
Contact Information: http://cwiechert.com/contactus.html


Help HealthBlogger grow and prosper…


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
cwiechert.com - Take control of your own health
HealthBlogger - News and commentary on health, wellness and anti-aging
Protandim - 1 pill a day for 30 days reduces your cell's age to that of a 20 year old
CW's Health & Wellness Online Mall - Look for nice discounts on quality health products
MBI Nutraceuticals - Glandular & Homeopathic Formulations
Facebook - Add me as a friend
Twitter - Follow me!!!
E-Mail - Send comments or questions you want HealthBlogger to address
Phone: 541-447-4580

"The doctor of the future will prescribe no drugs, but will interest his patients in the care and nutrition of the human frame and in the cause and prevention of disease." - Thomas Edison