Investigating the Effectiveness of a Carb-Free Oloproteic Diet in Fibromyalgia Treatment.

Fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic disease with a high incidence in women, poses a significant challenge for diagnosis and treatment, especially due to the absence of specific biomarkers and the multifaceted nature of its symptoms, which range from neuromuscular pain to mood disorders and intestinal dysbiosis. While diagnosis currently relies on rheumatological clinical evaluations and treatment options mainly focus on symptom management, FM seems to have possible links with systemic metabolic dysfunctions with a common inflammatory root. In this context, a new therapeutic avenue emerges: could a therapeutic nutritional approach be the missing piece of the puzzle? Indeed, diet therapies employed particularly for metabolic syndromes proved recently to be efficacious for correcting systemic dysmetabolism and a high number of chronic inflammation conditions. In particular, the very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) demonstrated therapeutic benefits in many disorders. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the specific effects of two dietary interventions, namely the oloproteic VLCKD and the low-glycemic insulinemic (LOGI) diet, on two groups of female FM patients (FM1 and FM2) over a 45-day period. Utilizing clinical and laboratory tests, as well as non-invasive NMR metabolomic analysis of serum, urine, and saliva samples, we sought to uncover how these dietary regimens impact the metabolic dysfunctions associated with FM.

Supplementing Low-Sodium Bicarbonate-Calcic (Lete)® Water: Effects in Women on Bone and Systemic Metabolism.

Calcium (Ca) represents about 40% of the total mineral mass, mainly in the bone, providing mechanical strength to the skeleton and teeth. An adequate Ca intake is necessary for bone growth and development in children and adolescents and for maintaining bone mineral loss in elderly age. Ca deficiency predisposes to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Healthy nutrition, including an adequate intake of Ca-rich food, is paramount to prevent and cure osteoporosis. Recently, several clinical studies have demonstrated that, in conditions of Ca dysmetabolism, Ca-rich mineral water is beneficial as a valuable source of Ca to be used as an alternative to caloric Ca-rich dairy products. Although promising, these data have been collected from small groups of participants. Moreover, they mainly regard the effect of Ca-rich mineral water on bone metabolism. In contrast, an investigation of the effect of Ca supplementation on systemic metabolism is needed to address the spreading of systemic metabolic dysfunction often associated with Ca dysmetabolism. In the present study, we analyzed urine and blood sera of 120 women in perimenopausal condition who were subjected for six months to 2l daily consumption of bicarbonate-calcium mineral water marketed under ®Lete. Remarkably, this water, in addition to being rich in calcium and bicarbonate, is also low in sodium. A complete set of laboratory tests was carried out to investigate whether the specific water composition was such to confirm the known therapeutic effects on bone metabolism. Second, but not least, urine and blood sera were analyzed using NMR-based metabolomic procedures to investigate, other than the action on Ca metabolism, potential system-wide metabolic effects. Our data show that Lete water is a valid supplement for compensating for Ca dysmetabolism and preserving bone health and integrity.

Clinical Impact of Enteral Protein Nutritional Therapy on Patients with Obesity Scheduled for Bariatric Surgery: A Focus on Safety, Efficacy, and Pathophysiological Changes.

BACKGROUND: Ketogenic diet-induced weight loss before bariatric surgery (BS) has beneficial effects on the reduction in the liver volume, metabolic profile, and intra- and post-operative complications. However, these beneficial effects can be limited by poor dietary adherence. A potential solution in patients showing a poor adherence in following the prescribed diet could be represented by enteral nutrition strategies. To date, no studies describe the protocol to use for the efficacy and the safety of pre-operative enteral ketogenic nutrition-based dietary protocols in terms of weight reduction, metabolic efficacy, and safety in patients with obesity scheduled for BS. AIMS AND SCOPE: To assess the clinical impact, efficacy, and safety of ketogenic nutrition enteral protein (NEP) vs. nutritional enteral hypocaloric (NEI) protocols on patients with obesity candidate to BS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 31 NEP were compared to 29 NEI patients through a 1:1 randomization. The body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and neck circumference (NC) were assessed at the baseline and at the 4-week follow-up. Furthermore, clinical parameters were assessed by blood tests, and patients were asked daily to report any side effects, using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Compared to the baseline, the BW, BMI, WC, HC, and NC were significantly reduced in both groups studied (p < 0.001). However, we did not find any significative difference between the NEP and NEI groups in terms of weight loss (p = 0.559), BMI (p= 0.383), WC (p = 0.779), and HC (p = 0.559), while a statistically significant difference was found in terms of the NC (NEP, -7.1% vs. NEI, -4%, p = 0.011). Furthermore, we found a significant amelioration of the general clinical status in both groups. However, a statistically significant difference was found in terms of glycemia (NEP, -16% vs. NEI, -8.5%, p < 0.001), insulin (NEP, -49.6% vs. NEI, -17.8%, p < 0.0028), HOMA index (NEP, -57.7% vs. NEI, -24.9%, p < 0.001), total cholesterol (NEP, -24.3% vs. NEI, -2.8%, p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein (NEP, -30.9% vs. NEI, 1.96%, p < 0.001), apolipoprotein A1 (NEP, -24.2% vs. NEI, -7%, p < 0.001), and apolipoprotein B (NEP, -23.1% vs. NEI, -2.3%, p < 0.001), whereas we did not find any significative difference between the NEP and NEI groups in terms of aortomesenteric fat thickness (p = 0.332), triglyceride levels (p = 0.534), degree of steatosis (p = 0.616), and left hepatic lobe volume (p = 0.264). Furthermore, the NEP and NEI treatments were well tolerated, and no major side effects were registered. CONCLUSIONS: Enteral feeding is an effective and safe treatment before BS, with NEP leading to better clinical results than NEI on the glycemic and lipid profiles. Further and larger randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these preliminary data.

Effect of Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Psoriasis Patients: A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Metabolomic Study.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the epidermis based on an immunological mechanism involving Langerhans cells and T lymphocytes that produce pro-inflammatory cytokines. Genetic factors, environmental factors, and improper nutrition are considered triggers of the disease. Numerous studies have reported that in a high number of patients, psoriasis is associated with obesity. Excess adipose tissue, typical of obesity, causes a systemic inflammatory status coming from the inflammatory active adipose tissue; therefore, weight reduction is a strategy to fight this pro-inflammatory state. This study aimed to evaluate how a nutritional regimen based on a ketogenic diet influenced the clinical parameters, metabolic profile, and inflammatory state of psoriasis patients. To this end, 30 psoriasis patients were subjected to a ketogenic nutritional regimen and monitored for 4 weeks by evaluating the clinical data, biochemical and clinical parameters, NMR metabolomic profile, and IL-2, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4 concentrations before and after the nutritional regimen. Our data show that a low-calorie ketogenic diet can be considered a successful strategy and therapeutic option to gain an improvement in psoriasis-related dysmetabolism, with significant correction of the full metabolic and inflammatory status.

Aggressive weight-loss program with a ketogenic induction phase for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis: A proof-of-concept, single-arm, open-label clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: A very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has been associated with a significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue and ketone bodies that likely possess antiinflammatory properties. We evaluated the efficacy of an aggressive weight-loss (WL) program with a ketogenic induction phase as first-line treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis. METHODS: Adult patients who were overweight or obese and drug-naïve (i.e., never treated, excluding the use of topical emollients; n = 37; 30% men; age: 43.1 ± 13.8 y) with stable chronic plaque psoriasis underwent a 10-wk, 2-phase WL program consisting of a 4-wk protein-sparing, VLCKD (<500 kcal/d; 1.2 g of protein/kg of ideal body weight/d) and 6-wk balanced, hypocaloric (25-30 kcal/kg of ideal body weight/d), Mediterranean-like diet. The primary endpoint was the reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score at wk 10. Major secondary endpoints included PASI score responses of ≥50% and ≥75%, reduction in body surface area involved, improvement in itch severity (visual analogue scale), and Dermatology Life Quality Index score at wk 10. RESULTS: With a mean body weight reduction of 12.0% (-10.6 kg), the dietary intervention resulted in a significant reduction in PASI (baseline score: 13.8 ± 6.9; range, 7-32), with a mean change of -10.6 (95% confidence interval, -12.8 to -8.4; P < 0.001). PASI score responses of ≥50% and ≥75% were recorded in 36 patients (97.3%) and 24 patients (64.9%), respectively. Treatment also resulted in a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in the body surface area involved (-17.4%) and an improvement in itch severity (-33.2 points) and Dermatology Life Quality Index score (-13.4 points). CONCLUSIONS: In drug-naïve adult overweight patients with stable chronic plaque psoriasis, an aggressive dietary WL program consisting of a VLCKD, followed by a balanced, hypocaloric, Mediterranean-like diet, appeared to be an effective first-line strategy to reduce disease severity.

Aggressive nutritional strategy in morbid obesity in clinical practice: Safety, feasibility, and effects on metabolic and haemodynamic risk factors.

BACKGROUND: In morbid obesity, optimisation of nutritional strategies impacting cardiovascular and metabolic risk profile is a desirable target in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To assess in morbid obesity the feasibility, safety and efficacy of a nutritional cycle comprising a short-term carbohydrates-free diet delivered by nasogastric tube followed by an almost equivalent oral diet. DESIGN: In our clinical practice, adults with body mass index (BMI)≥45kg/m(2), otherwise clinically healthy, signed informed consent for a 14-day stint of continuous and controlled carbohydrates-free nutritional regiment delivered via 8-Fr nasogastric tube (enteral nutrition, EN), followed by a 14-day stint of almost comparable oral nutrition (ON). Body metrics, insulin resistance, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), as well as parameters for safety were monitored. RESULTS: In 112 patients, EN significantly reduced BMI and waist circumference (WC), BP, insulin resistance while it increased urine ketones and uric acid increased (all p<0.01 independent to confounders), but had no clinically significant impact on kidney and renal function, and coagulation parameters as well. With ON, findings were consistent. No major safety concerns were recorded during the nutritional treatment. In a subset of patients sharing clinical characteristics with the whole sample, the nutritional strategy reduced the mesenteric fat assessed by ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: In morbid obesity, an aggressive nutritional cycle comprising a short-term ketogenic EN followed by an almost carbohydrates-free ON may be feasible, safe, and highly effective in reducing body weight, WC, BP and insulin resistance.