Fat; Liver, NAFLD
Conditions
Keywords
NAFLD, Fat intake, Sugar intake
Brief summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disease in the world. It is currently unclear why fat starts to accumulate in the liver, although both the amount and type of food consumed have been implicated. The majority of studies that have investigated the effects of dietary fat or sugar on liver fat have fed volunteers excess calories, which are known to increase liver fat. The effect of specific dietary components, when consumed as part of a diet not containing excess calories, on liver fat accumulation remains unclear.
Detailed description
This research aims to investigate the role excessive consumption of specific macronutrients may play in the development of NAFLD. This will be achieved by subjecting participants to two specific dietary interventions (high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low-fat, high-carbohydrate) in a randomized, crossover research design. Liver fat content, and whole-body and hepatic fasting and postprandial lipid metabolism will be assessed before and after the specific dietary interventions.
Interventions
OTHERHigh-fat, low-carbohydrate
Dietary intervention: 4 week
OTHERLow-fat, high-carbohydrate
Dietary intervention: 4 week
Sponsors
University of Oxford
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Masking description
PI,and research assistants undertaking measurements will be blinded to the dietary intervention the participant is undertaking.
Intervention model description
Randomised crossover with washout period.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study. * BMI \>25 \<35kg/m2 * No medical condition or relevant drug therapy known to affect liver, lipid or glucose metabolism
Exclusion criteria
* Age \<30 or \>65 years * Body mass index \<25 or \>35kg/m2 * A blood haemoglobin \<120mg/dL * Any metabolic condition or relevant drug therapy * People who do not tolerate fructose * Smoking * History of alcoholism or a greater than recommended alcohol intake * Pregnant or nursing mothers * Women prescribed any contraceptive agent or device including oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or who have used these within the last 12 months * History of severe claustrophobia * Presence of metallic implants, pacemaker * Haemorrhagic disorders * Anticoagulant treatment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in liver fat content | Before, and within 7 days after completion of each dietary intervention | Investigators will measure the change in liver fat content after each of the 4 week intervention diets by magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy (MRI/S). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in hepatic fatty acid partitioning | Within 7 days after completion of each dietary intervention | Investigators will utilise stable isotope tracer methodology to measure the contribution of newly synthesised fatty acids and dietary fatty acids to triglyceride production and oxidation pathways in the liver after each of the 4 week intervention diets. |
| Change in plasma metabolite concentrations | Before, and within 7 days after completion of each dietary intervention. | Circulating concentrations of glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids, and triglycerides will be measured biochemically using a clinical analyser after each of the 4 week intervention diets. |
| Change in whole-body fatty acid oxidation | Within 7 days after completion of each dietary intervention | Investigators will utilise stable isotope tracer methodology to measure whole-body dietary fatty acid oxidation after each of the 4 week intervention diets. |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed