Ketogenic diet but not free-sugar restriction alters glucose tolerance, lipid metabolism, peripheral tissue phenotype, and gut microbiome: RCT

Restricted sugar and ketogenic diets can alter energy balance/metabolism, but decreased energy intake may be compensated by reduced expenditure. In healthy adults, randomization to restricting free sugars or overall carbohydrates (ketogenic diet) for 12 weeks reduces fat mass without changing energy expenditure versus control. Free-sugar restriction minimally affects metabolism or gut microbiome but decreases low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In contrast, a ketogenic diet decreases glucose tolerance, increases skeletal muscle PDK4, and reduces AMPK and GLUT4 levels. By week 4, the ketogenic diet reduces fasting glucose and increases apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein, and postprandial glycerol concentrations. However, despite sustained ketosis, these effects are no longer apparent by week 12, when gut microbial beta diversity is altered, possibly reflective of longer-term adjustments to the ketogenic diet and/or energy balance. These data demonstrate that restricting free sugars or overall carbohydrates reduces energy intake without altering physical activity, but with divergent effects on glucose tolerance, lipoprotein profiles, and gut microbiome. [Display omitted] •Low free-sugar or carbohydrate intake reduces body fat but not energy expenditure•Restricting sugar lowers LDL-C with minimal impact on metabolism or gut microbiome•Four weeks of a ketogenic diet increases atherogenic lipoprotein profile•The ketogenic diet alters gut microbial beta diversity and skeletal muscle phenotype Hengist et al. show that restricting free sugars or overall carbohydrates (ketogenic diet) both reduce body fat over 12 weeks in healthy adults. While sugar restriction had relatively little effect on metabolism or the gut microbiome, ketogenic carbohydrate restriction increases atherogenic lipoproteins, reduces glucose tolerance, and alters gut microbial diversity.