A six-month low-carbohydrate diet high in fat does not adversely affect endothelial function or markers of low-grade inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes: an open-label randomized controlled trial

While a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) reduces HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the associated high intake of fat may adversely affect cardiovascular risk factors. Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (NID) were assessed by ultrasound in the brachial artery together with plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in the participants at baseline (n = 70) and after six months. The FMD and NID were unaltered in both groups after six months, and there were no between-group differences in change of either FMD  or NID in response to the interventions. The circulating hsCRP and IL-6 levels decreased only in response to LCD.

The effect of a ketogenic diet on inflammation-related markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Forty-four studies were included in this article. The pooled findings showed that a KD has an effect on lowering TNF-α (WMD: -0.32 pg/mL; 95% CI: -0.55, -0.09; P = 0.007) and IL-6 (WMD: -0.27 pg/mL; 95% CI: -0.52, -0.02; P = 0.036) compared with control groups. However, no significant effect was reported for others inflammation marker-related levels. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that, in trials following the KD for ≤8 weeks and in people aged ≤50 years, the reduction in TNF-α levels was significantly higher than in other groups. In addition, in people with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 compared to a body mass index ≤30 kg/m2, IL-6 levels decreased to a greater extent after receiving the KD.