Effect of combined use of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on glycemic control in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the combined effect of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet and omega-3 supplementation (including docosahexaenoic acid) on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Results Summary
The study found that combining a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet with omega-3 supplementation led to greater reductions in HbA1c and fasting glucose compared to either intervention alone, with faster effects on fasting glucose observed at 4 weeks.
Population
Newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes (n=122).
Effective Dosage
6 g fish oil/day (containing 3.65 g combined docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid).
Duration
12 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
low-carbohydrate, high-protein (LCHP) diet | decrease | glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | - | greater decreases | #1 |
omega-3 (ω-3) diet | decrease | glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | - | greater decreases | #2 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | - | greater decreases | #3 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | HbA1c | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | -0.51% | reduction | #4 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | HbA1c reduction | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | - | greater than that in the LCHP and ω-3 diet groups | #5 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | fasting glucose | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | - | showed a significant decrease | #6 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | fasting glucose | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | -1.32 mmol/L | reduction | #7 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | fasting glucose reduction | newly diagnosed participants with T2D | - | greater than that in the LCHP and ω-3 diet groups | #8 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | HbA1c and fasting glucose | patients with T2D | - | provided greater effects | #9 |
LCHP+ω-3 diet | decrease | fasting glucose | patients with T2D | - | provided faster effects | #10 |
BACKGROUND: The combined effect of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein (LCHP) diet and omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation on patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not known. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an LCHP diet combined with ω-3 (LCHP+ω-3) on glycemic control in patients with T2D. DESIGN: In this randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled trial, 122 newly diagnosed participants with T2D were randomly assigned to receive a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet with low ω-3 PUFAs [control (CON)], an LCHP, ω-3, or LCHP+ω-3 diet for 12 wk. The ratio of carbohydrate to protein was 42:28 in the LCHP and LCHP+ω-3 diet and 54:17 in the CON and ω-3 diet. The participants were given 6 g fish oil/d (containing 3.65 g docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid/d) in the ω-3 and LCHP+ω-3 diet groups or 6 g corn oil/d (placebo) in the CON and LCHP diet groups. RESULTS: Compared with the CON diet group, greater decreases in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose were observed in all of the other 3 diet groups at 12 wk. Of note, HbA1c reduction in the LCHP+ω-3 diet group (-0.51%; 95% CI: -0.64%, -0.37%) was greater than that in the LCHP (P = 0.03) and ω-3 (P = 0.01) diet groups at 12 wk. In terms of fasting glucose, only the LCHP+ω-3 diet group showed a significant decrease at 4 wk (P = 0.03 compared with CON). Moreover, the reduction in fasting glucose in the LCHP+ω-3 diet group (-1.32 mmol/L; 95% CI: -1.72, -0.93 mmol/L) was greater than that in the LCHP (P = 0.04) and ω-3 (P = 0.03) diet groups at 12 wk. CONCLUSIONS: The LCHP+ω-3 diet provided greater effects on HbA1c and fasting glucose and faster effects on fasting glucose than both the LCHP and ω-3 diets, indicating the potential necessity of combining an LCHP diet with ω-3 PUFAs in T2D control. This trial was registered at chictr.org.cn/ as ChiCTR-TRC-14004704.