Low-Carbohydrate Diet is More Helpful for Weight Loss Than Low-Fat Diet in Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of a low-fat diet (LFD) and a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) on body weight and lipid levels in adolescents with overweight and obesity.
Results Summary
The study found that LCD was more effective than LFD in reducing weight, BMI, and triglycerides while increasing HDL levels, but no significant differences were observed in HOMA-IR, body fat percentage, total cholesterol, or LDL between the two diets.
Population
Adolescents with overweight and obesity.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | decrease | Weight | adolescents with overweight and obesity | mean difference -2.81; 95% CI -5.38 to -0.25 | were significantly lower than that of the LFD | #1 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | decrease | Body Mass Index (BMI) | adolescents with overweight and obesity | -1.13; 95% CI -2.14 to -0.11 | were significantly lower than that of the LFD | #2 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | decrease | Triglyceride (TG) | adolescents with overweight and obesity | -0.36; 95% CI -0.46 to -0.27 | were significantly lower than that of the LFD | #3 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | increase | high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) | adolescents with overweight and obesity | 0.08; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.12 | were significantly higher than those of the LFD | #4 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | no change | Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) | adolescents with overweight and obesity | P>0.05 | no significant difference | #5 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | no change | percent body fat | adolescents with overweight and obesity | P>0.05 | no significant difference | #6 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | no change | total cholesterol (TC) | adolescents with overweight and obesity | P>0.05 | no significant difference | #7 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) | no change | low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) | adolescents with overweight and obesity | P>0.05 | no significant difference | #8 |
PURPOSE: This manuscript performed a meta-analysis to compare the effects of a low-fat diet (LFD) and a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) on body weight and lipid levels in adolescents with overweight and obesity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PubMed and other databases were searched for the full-text literature comparing LFD and LCD up to November 2023 using a subject plus free word strategy, with search terms such as "low-fat diet", "low-carbohydrate diet", "obesity", "weight", "adolescents", "RCT", and so on. Two independent reviewers selected promising candidate trials, collected the data, and assessed the quality of the trials. RevMan 5.3 software was utilized to conduct a meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were included. RESULTS: 5 RCTs with 192 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Weight (mean difference -2.81; 95% CI -5.38 to -0.25), Body Mass Index (BMI) (-1.13; 95% CI -2.14 to -0.11) and Triglyceride (TG) (-0.36; 95% CI -0.46 to -0.27) of the LCD were significantly lower than that of the LFD. At the same time, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels of the LCD were significantly higher than those of the LFD (0.08; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.12) (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), percent body fat, total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: According to this study, LCD is more helpful in improving weight loss, HDL and TG. Thus, LCD may serve as an effective intervention for weight management in adolescents with overweight and obesity, although further research is needed to determine its long-term effects.