JNSS 2020, 11(3-4):107-115 | DOI: 10.32725/jnss.2020.012

Low-carbohydrate diet and its influence on visceral fat and other selected physical parameters

Simona ©imková
University of South Bohemia in Èeské Budìjovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Èeské Budìjovice, Czech Republic

Low-carbohydrate diets are often a controversial issue. They are not only currently a popular diet method, but also significantly beneficial for health. The influence on the reduction of the total body weight can be very significant, as can the amount of body fat or visceral fat - which is the main risk factor for developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The research in this area is limited. Respondents often fail to finalize it and the studies often include few respondents and are short-term.
This article summarizes the published data that focus on the influence of low-carbohydrate diets on visceral fat in the human organism. The goal was to determine which physiological parameters were influenced by this type of diet and how low-carbohydrate diet influences the selected parameters.
The results of individual studies are often optimistic, but there are some references to a negative influence of low-carbohydrate diets. Regardless, mostly statistically significant changes in body weight drops have been observed (BMI drops as well), as well as total body fat drop, visceral fat drop, waist circumference drop, and the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. However, it is necessary to continue these studies and especially assess the long-term effect.

Keywords: Anthropometric indicators; Carbohydrates; Cardiometabolic risk factors; Low-carbohydrate diet; Nutrition; Visceral fat

Received: October 1, 2020; Accepted: November 25, 2020; Published: September 1, 2020  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
©imková S. Low-carbohydrate diet and its influence on visceral fat and other selected physical parameters. Journal of Nursing, Social Studies, Public Health and Rehabilitation. 2020;11(3-4):107-115. doi: 10.32725/jnss.2020.012.
Download citation

References

  1. Campanati A, Molinelli E, Ganzetti G, Guiliodori K, Minetti I, Taus M, et al. (2017). The effect of low-carbohydrates calorie-restricted diet on visceral adipose tissue and metabolic status in psoriasis patients receiving TNF-alpha inhibitors: results of an open label controlled, prospective, clinical study.: results of an open label controlled, prospective, clinical study. J Dermatolog Treat 28(3): 206-212. DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2016.1214666. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  2. Ding J, Xu X, Wu X, Huang Z, Kong G, Liu J, et al. (2019). Bone loss and biomechanical reduction of appendicular and axial bones under ketogenic diet in rats. Exp Ther Med 17(4): 2503-2510. DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.7241. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  3. Goss AM, Gower B, Soleymani T, Stewart M, Pendergrass M, Lockhart M, et al. (2020). Effects of weight loss during a very low carbohydrate diet on specific adipose tissue depots and insulin sensitivity in older adults with obesity: a randomized clinical trial: a randomized clinical trial. Nutr Metab (Lond.) 17: 64. DOI: 10.1186/s12986-020-00481-9. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  4. Gu Y, Yu H, Li Y, Ma X, Lu J, Yu W, et al. (2013). Beneficial Effects of an 8-Week, Very Low Carbohydrate Diet Intervention on Obese Subjects. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013: 760804. DOI: 10.1155/2013/760804. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  5. Haufe S, Engeli S, Kast P, Böhnke J, Utz W, Haas V, et al. (2011). Randomized comparison of reduced fat and reduced carbohydrate hypocaloric diets on intrahepatic fat in overweight and obese human subjects. Hepatology 53(5): 1504-1514. DOI: 10.1002/hep.24242. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  6. Hession M, Rolland C, Kulkarni U, Wise A, Broom J (2009). Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat/low-calorie diets in the management of obesity and its comorbidities. Obes Rev 10(1): 36-50. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00518.x. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  7. Hu T, Bazzano LA (2014). The low-carbohydrate diet and cardiovascular risk factors: evidence from epidemiologic studies: evidence from epidemiologic studies. Nutr Metab Cardiovas Dis 24(4): 337-343. DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2013.12.008. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  8. Jang ECH, Jun DW, Lee SM, Cho YK, Ahn SB (2018). Comparison of efficacy of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet education programs in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled study. Hepatol Res 48(3): E22-E29. DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12918. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  9. Kahleova H, Dort S, Holubkov R, Barnard ND (2018). A Plant-Based High-Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Diet in Overweight Individuals in a 16-Week Randomized Clinical Trial: The Role of Carbohydrates. Nutrients 10(9): 1302. DOI: 10.3390/nu10091302. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  10. Kalam F, Gabel K, Cienfuegos S, Wiseman E, Ezpeleta M, Steward M, et al. (2019). Alternate day fasting combined with a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss, weight maintenance, and metabolic disease risk reduction. Obesity Science and Practice 5(6): 531-539. DOI: 10.1002/osp4.367. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  11. Kwon OW, Jun DW, Lee SM, Lee KN, Lee HL, Lee OY, et al. (2012). Carbohydrate but not fat is associated with elevated aminotransferases. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 35(9): 1064-1072. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2012.05061.x. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  12. Lim SS, Noakes M, Keogh JB, Clifton PM (2010). Long-term effects of a low carbohydrate, low fat or high unsaturated fat diet compared to a no-intervention control. Nutr Metab Cardiovas Dis 20(8): 599-607. DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2009.05.003. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  13. Manninen AH (2006). Very-low-carbohydrate diets and preservation of muscle mass. Nutrition & Metabolism 3(1): 9. DOI: 10.1186/1743-7075-3-9. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  14. Miyashita Y, Koide N, Ohtsuka M, Ozaki H, Itoh Y, Oyama T, et al. (2004). Beneficial effect of low carbohydrate in low calorie diets on visceral fat reduction in type 2 diabetic patients with obesity. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 65(3): 235-241. DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2004.01.008. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  15. Ng M, Fleming T, Robinson M, Thomson B, Graetz N, Margono Ch, et al. (2014). Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis. Lancet 384(9945): 766-781. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60460-8. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  16. Noto H, Goto A, Tsujimoto T, Noda M (2013). Low-carbohydrate diets and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. PloS One 8(1): e55030. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055030. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  17. Oh R, Gilani B, Uppaluri KR (2020). Low Carbohydrate Diet. StatPearls Publishing. [online] [cit. 2020-07-20]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/
  18. Paoli A, Cancellara P, Pompei P, Moro T (2019). Ketogenic Diet and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Frenemy Relationship?. J Hum Kinet 68: 233-247. DOI: 10.2478/hukin-2019-0071. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  19. Paoli A, Mancin L, Giacona M, Bianco A, Caprio M (2020). Effects of a ketogenic diet in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Translational Medicine 18(1): 1-11. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02277-0. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  20. Perissiou M, Borkoles E, Kobayashi K, Polman R (2020). The Effect of an 8 Week Prescribed Exercise and Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Obese Individuals: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Nutrients 12(2): 482. DOI: 10.3390/nu12020482. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  21. Sasakabe T, Haimoto H, Umegaki H, Wakai K (2011). Effects of a moderate low-carbohydrate diet on preferential abdominal fat loss and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 4: 167-174. DOI: 10.2147/DMSO.S19635. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  22. Sasakabe T, Haimoto H, Umegaki H, Wakai K (2015). Association of decrease in carbohydrate intake with reduction in abdominal fat during 3-month moderate low-carbohydrate diet among non-obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Metabolism 64(5): 618-625. DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2015.01.012. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  23. Tinsley GM, Willoughby DS (2016). Fat-Free Mass Changes During Ketogenic Diets and the Potential Role of Resistance Training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 26(1): 78-92. DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0070. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  24. WHO (2020a). Obesity and overweight. [online] [cit. 2020-07-20]. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
  25. WHO (2020b). Healthy diet. [online] [cit. 2020-07-03]. Available at: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
  26. Yu H, Jia W, Guo Z (2014). Reducing Liver Fat by Low Carbohydrate Caloric Restriction Targets Hepatic Glucose Production in Non-Diabetic Obese Adults with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. J Clin Med 3(3): 1050-1063. DOI: 10.3390/jcm3031050. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.