The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effect of the ketogenic diet over four weeks on blood lipid levels and risk factors for heart disease in adults with a healthy BMI compared to adults with a body mass index (BMI) in the range for obesity. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the ketogenic diet cause larger increases in "bad cholesterol" (low density lipoprotein-cholesterol) in adults with a healthy BMI compared to adults with BMI in the range for obesity? * Does the ketogenic diet cause larger decreases in vascular health in adults with a healthy BMI compared to adults with BMI in the range for obesity? Participants will: * Consume all of the study food provided and avoid intake of non-study foods during the 28-day diet period * Visit the metabolic kitchen daily (Monday-Friday) to pick up meals * Attend 5 fasting visits at the Clinical Research Center for testing
This is a controlled feeding study investigating if four weeks on the ketogenic diet will cause differential alterations in blood lipids and lipoproteins, vascular health as measured by fasting flow mediated dilation (FMD), and mechanistic markers of lipid metabolism in adults with normal weight when compared to adults with obesity. Outcomes will be measured at both the beginning and end of the study on two consecutive days, for a total of four clinic appointments.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
25
A ketogenic diet with 5% carbohydrate, 18% protein, and 77% fat by percent kcal.
Penn State University
University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
LDL-cholesterol concentration change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in mg/dL. LDL-cholesterol will be measured directly via enzymatic assay. Change in LDL-cholesterol will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Endothelial function - Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD) change from baseline
Assessed by fasting brachial arterial ultrasound after transient ischemia expressed in percentage (%). Change in FMD will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Triglycerides concentration change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in mg/dL. Change in triglycerides will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Total cholesterol concentration change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in mg/dL. Change in total cholesterol will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
HDL-cholesterol concentration change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in mg/dL. Change in HDL-cholesterol will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Concentration of LDL and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein subparticles change from baseline
Measured via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and expressed in nmol/L. Change in concentration will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Concentration of HDL subparticles change from baseline
Measured via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and expressed in µmol/L. Change in concentration will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Size of LDL, HDL, and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles change from baseline
Measured via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and expressed in nm. Change in size will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Central systolic and diastolic blood pressure change from baseline
Assessed using a SphymoCor Xcel (Atcor Medical) and expressed in mmHg. Change in blood pressures will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressure change from baseline
Assessed using a SphymoCor Xcel (Atcor Medical) and expressed in mmHg. Change in blood pressures will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity change from baseline
A measure of arterial stiffness - assessed using a SphymoCor Xcel (Atcor Medical) and expressed in meters/second. Change in pulse wave velocity will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Serum Insulin concentration change from baseline
Assessed in a fasting blood draw and expressed in micro IU/mL. Change in insulin will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Plasma glucose concentration change from baseline
Assessed in a fasting blood draw and expressed in mg/dL. Change in glucose will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) change from baseline
Calculated from insulin and glucose measured from a fasting blood sample. Calculated as (insulin × glucose) / 22.5. Change in HOMA-IR will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity change from baseline
Assessed in fasting plasma samples using an enzymatic activity kit. Change in CETP activity will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity change from baseline
Assessed in fasting plasma samples using an enzymatic activity kit. Change in LPL activity will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Angiopoietin-Like Protein 3 (ANGPTL3) concentration change from baseline
Assessed in fasting plasma samples using an ELISA kit and expressed in ng/mL. Change in ANGPTL3 concentration will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Angiopoietin-Like Protein 4 (ANGPTL4) concentration change from baseline
Assessed in fasting plasma samples using an ELISA kit and expressed in ng/mL. Change in ANGPTL4 concentration will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Angiopoietin-Like Protein 8 (ANGPTL8) concentration change from baseline
Assessed in fasting plasma samples using an ELISA kit and expressed in pg/mL. Change in ANGPTL8 concentration will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Glucagon concentration change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in pg/mL. Change in glucagon concentration will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Total adiposity change from baseline
Assessed from Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry as % body mass. Change in total adiposity will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Estimated visceral adipose tissue change from baseline
Assessed from Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and calculated by software in grams (g). Change in estimated visceral adipose tissue will be calculated as the end of diet measure minus the baseline measure.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Alanine transaminase (ALT) change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in U/L. Change in ALT concentration will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Aspartate transaminase (AST) change from baseline
Assessed from fasting blood draw expressed in U/L. Change in AST concentration will be calculated as the mean of the end of diet measures (i.e., mean of day 29 and day 30 values) minus the mean of the baseline measures (i.e., mean of day 1 and day 2 values).
Time frame: 4 weeks
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