Substituting protein for carbohydrate in the context of a healthy dietary pattern was associated with the most favourable profile of apo B lipoproteins: results from the OmniHeart Trial

Plasma apolipoprotein B (apo B) and very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carrying apolipoprotein C-III (apo C-III) are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Apo C-III, a marker of TG-rich lipoproteins, inhibits the hydrolysis of the latter by lipoprotein lipase/hepatic lipase and inhibits apo E-mediated hepatic uptake of chylomicrons remnants and VLDL. This study aimed to investigate differences in apo B lipoproteins with and without apo C-III following three healthy diets based on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial diet. A total of 162 healthy participants were fed each of three healthy diets – with emphasis of either carbohydrate (Carb), unsaturated fat (Unsat), or protein (Prot) – for a period of 6 weeks using a crossover design. The Prot diet reduced plasma apo B and triglycerides in VLDL with apo C-III, and apo B in LDL with apo C-III as compared with the Carb diet. Furthermore, the Prot diet reduced triglycerides in VLDL with apo C-III as compared with the Unsat diet. Moreover, the Prot diet also reduced apo B in LDL with apo C-III as compared with baseline. Substituting protein for carbohydrate in the context of a healthy dietary pattern reduced atherogenic apo C-III-containing LDL and its precursor, apo C-III-containing VLDL, leading to the most favourable profile of apo B lipoproteins.

Abstract

Keywords:
Apolipoproteins – Dietary intervention – LDL – Triglycerides – VLDL