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.
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.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
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.