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Self-reported menses physiology is positively modulated by a well-formulated, energy-controlled ketogenic diet vs. low fat diet in women of reproductive age with overweight/obesity.

PloS one
January 1, 2024
Madison L Kackley et al. (11 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to compare the effects of a hypocaloric ketogenic diet (KD) versus a low-fat diet (LFD) on weight loss, metabolic parameters, and self-reported menstrual changes in pre-menopausal overweight and obese women.

Results Summary

Both diets led to significant weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and better serum lipids, but only KD participants reported changes in menstrual frequency and intensity, suggesting unique effects of nutritional ketosis beyond weight loss.

Population

Pre-menopausal overweight and obese women (mean age 34 ± 10 years, BMI 32.3 ± 2.7 kg/m²).

Effective Dosage

KD provided ~75% energy for weight maintenance, with ketone salts (KS) or placebo (PL) twice daily.

Duration

6 weeks.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (25)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
decrease
clinically-significant weight-loss
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
Δ: -7.0 ± 0.5 kg
elicited
#1
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
decrease
fat-mass
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
Δ: -4.6 ± 0.3 kg
elicited
#2
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
increase
insulin-sensitivity
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
improved
#3
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
increase
serum lipids
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
improved
#4
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
no change
fasting plasma glucose
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
were not different
#5
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
no change
inflammatory markers
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
were not different
#6
hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD)
increase
fasting capillary beta-hydroxybutyrate (R-βHB)
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
Δ: 1.2 ± 0.3 mM R-βHB
increased significantly
#7
KD with ketone salts (KS)
increase
menses frequency and intensity
women randomized to the KD+KS
30%
reported subjective increases
#8
KD with flavor-matched placebo (PL)
increase
menses frequency and intensity
women randomized to the KD+PL
43%
reported subjective increases
#9
KD with ketone salts (KS) and KD with flavor-matched placebo (PL)
increase
menses
another third of KD participants
>1 year since the last period
reported a regain of menses
#10
low-fat diet (LFD)
decrease
clinically-significant weight-loss
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
Δ: -7.0 ± 0.5 kg
elicited
#11
low-fat diet (LFD)
decrease
fat-mass
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
Δ: -4.6 ± 0.3 kg
elicited
#12
low-fat diet (LFD)
increase
insulin-sensitivity
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
improved
#13
low-fat diet (LFD)
increase
serum lipids
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
improved
#14
low-fat diet (LFD)
no change
fasting plasma glucose
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
were not different
#15
low-fat diet (LFD)
no change
inflammatory markers
pre-menopausal overweight and obese women
-
were not different
#16
low-fat diet (LFD)
no change
menses changes
LFD participants
No
reported
#17
nutrient-dense, whole-food KDs
decrease
weight
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#18
nutrient-dense, whole-food KDs
decrease
BMI
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#19
nutrient-dense, whole-food KDs
increase
body composition
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#20
nutrient-dense, whole-food KDs
increase
blood parameters
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#21
LFD
decrease
weight
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#22
LFD
decrease
BMI
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#23
LFD
increase
body composition
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#24
LFD
increase
blood parameters
pre-menopausal women
-
improved
#25
Abstract

Weight loss can positively alter female physiology; however, whether dietary carbohydrate- or fat- restriction confer unique effects is less studied. Precisely designed, hypocaloric well-formulated ketogenic diets (KD; ~75% energy for weight maintenance) were compared to isocaloric/isonitrogenous low-fat diet (LFD) on self-reported menses in pre-menopausal overweight and obese women (mean ± SD: 34 ± 10 years, BMI: 32.3 ± 2.7 kg/m2). Women received a precisely-weighed and formulated KD with either twice-daily with ketone salts (KS; n = 6) or a flavor-matched placebo (PL; n = 7) daily for six-weeks. An age and BMI-matched cohort (n = 6) was later assigned to the LFD and underwent the same testing procedures as the KD. Self-reported menses fluctuations were assessed bi-weekly along with measures of body weight, body composition, and fasting serum clinical chemistries using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc corrections. Both diets elicited clinically-significant weight-loss (Δ: -7.0 ± 0.5 kg; p < 0.001), primarily from fat-mass (Δ: -4.6 ± 0.3 kg; p < 0.001), and improved insulin-sensitivity and serum lipids (all p < 0.05). Fasting plasma glucose and inflammatory markers were not different between diets. Fasting capillary beta-hydroxybutyrate (R-βHB) increased significantly during the KD, independent of supplementation (Δ: 1.2 ± 0.3 mM R-βHB; p < 0.001). Women randomized to the KD+KS (30%) and KD+PL (43%) reported subjective increases in menses frequency and intensity after 14 days, whereas another third reported a regain of menses (>1 year since the last period) after 28 days. No LFD participants reported menses changes. Nutrient-dense, whole-food KDs and LFD improved weight, BMI, body composition, and blood parameters in pre-menopausal women after six-weeks. Changes in self-reported menses were described by most of the KD participants, but none of the LFD women suggesting there may be unique effects of nutritional ketosis, independent of weight loss.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultFemaleHumansMiddle AgedYoung AdultBody CompositionBody Mass IndexDiet, Fat-RestrictedDiet, KetogenicMenstruationObesityOverweightSelf ReportWeight Loss
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety85
Efficacy80/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations4
Citations/Year4.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.72
Normalized Score0.81
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