Vajihe Izadi
1, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh
2,3, Mahin Hashemipour
4, Pamela J. Surkan
5, Leila Azadbakht
2,3,6*, Roya Kelishadi
71 Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition & Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3 Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
5 Department of International Health, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
6 Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7 Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of NonCommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Limited information exists regarding the effects of high protein (HP) diets on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among overweight and obese children. Our aim was to determine the effects of an HP diet on anthropometric indexes and CVD risk factors among overweight and obese children.
Methods: In a parallel randomized controlled trial, we recruited 50 overweight and obese children, aged 6-11 years, for a 10 week HP or control diet (protein, carbohydrate, fat: 25%, 45%, 30% in the HP diet vs. 15%, 55%, 30% in the control diet, respectively). Fasting blood glucose (FBG) serum insulin levels, lipid profiles, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and anthropometric measurements were assessed using standard guidelines.
Results: 86% of children completed the trial. Percent changes (PC) for anthropometric and biochemical variables were not significantly different between the two groups. The PC of serum triglyceride (TG) level was significantly decreased in the HP group compared to in the control group (PC: -10.16±4.30% vs.12.11±7.80%; P = 0.01) in the crude model, but not in the adjusted model. For other variables, we did not find any significant differences between the HP group and the controls.
Conclusion: In the present study, we did not find any significant effect of adherence to an HP diet in improving anthropometric measurements or other CVD risk factors among obese and overweight children.