IngentaConnect A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Medite...

Abstract:

Most studies of diet in glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes have focused on intakes of fat, carbohydrate, fibre, fruits and vegetables. Instead, we aimed to compare diets that were available during human evolution with more recently introduced ones.

Twenty-nine patients with ischaemic heart disease plus either glucose intolerance or type 2 diabetes were randomised to receive (1) a Palaeolithic (`Old Stone Age') diet (n = 14), based on lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs and nuts; or (2) a Consensus (Mediterranean-like) diet (n = 15), based on whole grains, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, fish, oils and margarines. Primary outcome variables were changes in weight, waist circumference and plasma glucose AUC (AUC Glucose_0-120) and plasma insulin AUC (AUC Insulin_0-120) in OGTTs.

Over 12 weeks, there was a 26% decrease of AUC Glucose_0-120 (p = 0.0001) in the Palaeolithic group and a 7% decrease (p = 0.08) in the Consensus group. The larger (p = 0.001) improvement in the Palaeolithic group was independent (p = 0.0008) of change in waist circumference (−5.6 cm in the Palaeolithic group, −2.9 cm in the Consensus group; p = 0.03). In the study population as a whole, there was no relationship between change in AUC Glucose_0-120 and changes in weight (r = −0.06, p = 0.9) or waist circumference (r = 0.01, p = 1.0). There was a tendency for a larger decrease of AUC Insulin_0-120 in the Palaeolithic group, but because of the strong association between change in AUC Insulin_0-120 and change in waist circumference (r = 0.64, p = 0.0003), this did not remain after multivariate analysis.

A Palaeolithic diet may improve glucose tolerance independently of decreased waist circumference.

Keywords: Diet; Evolution; Glucose intolerance; Ischaemic heart disease; Palaeolithic diet; Type 2 diabetes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1007/s00125-007-0716-y

Affiliations: 1: Email: staffan.lindeberg@med.lu.se

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A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease