The Effect of Dietary Interventions on Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in the Era of the Incretin-Based Therapies

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Diabetes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 May 2024 | Viewed by 8888

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, UOC of Internal Medicine – Obesity Center, Policlinico Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: obesity; adipose tissue; bariatric surgery; type 2 diabetes; NAFLD
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Guest Editor
Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Interests: ketogenic diet; obesity; endocrinology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has grown rapidly worldwide, both in developing and industrialized countries. Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease and one of the major risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes, NAFLD, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and several cancer types. It is also becoming one of the most important causes of reduced life quality and expectancy. There have been different strategies to prevent and/or manage these diseases, including multidisciplinary approaches aiming at a healthy lifestyle, phycological support, and dietary, pharmacological and surgical interventions. However, it is recognized that some compensatory mechanisms, including decreased resting energy expenditure as well as endocrine changes, occur during these weight-loss strategies and favor weight regain. Therefore, it is challenging to maintain these effects in the long term.

The integral role of the diet and gastrointestinal system in the regulation of blood glucose concentrations and energy homeostasis explains the renovated interest in the effects of different diets and nutrients on the different pathophysiological aspects of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

We are pleased to invite you to collaborate as a contributor author in a Special Issue of the journal Nutrients entitled “The Effect of Dietary Interventions on Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in the era of the incretin-based therapies”.

This Special Issue aims to identify, understand, treat, and prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes and all the related diseases, increasing, in turn, the quality and duration of life.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Valeria Guglielmi
Dr. Mikiko Watanabe
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • obesity
  • type 2 diabetes
  • NAFLD
  • MAFLD
  • adipose tissue
  • diet
  • ketogenic diet
  • nutrition

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 294 KiB  
Article
Effects of an Eight Week Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) on White Blood Cell and Platelet Counts in Relation to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) in Subjects with Overweight and Obesity
by Sara De Nucci, Caterina Bonfiglio, Rosanna Donvito, Martina Di Chito, Nicole Cerabino, Roberta Rinaldi, Annamaria Sila, Endrit Shahini, Vito Giannuzzi, Pasqua Letizia Pesole, Sergio Coletta, Elsa Lanzilotta, Giuseppina Piazzolla, Raffaele Cozzolongo, Gianluigi Giannelli and Giovanni De Pergola
Nutrients 2023, 15(20), 4468; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15204468 - 21 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2240
Abstract
Obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are frequently associated conditions characterized by low-grade inflammation. Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) strategies are commonly used to simultaneously obtain weight loss and an improvement of liver steatosis. We evaluated the efficacy of 8 weeks’ [...] Read more.
Obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are frequently associated conditions characterized by low-grade inflammation. Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) strategies are commonly used to simultaneously obtain weight loss and an improvement of liver steatosis. We evaluated the efficacy of 8 weeks’ VLCKD in decreasing the white blood cell (WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts, as well as liver steatosis and fibrosis, diagnosed using transient elastography (FibroScan). Metabolic and anthropometric parameters commonly associated with MASLD were also evaluated. This study included 87 participants; 58 women and 29 men aged between 18 and 64 years with overweight (18%) or obesity (82%), but not taking any medication. Anthropometric measurements, bioimpedance analysis, and biochemical assays were performed before and after the dietary intervention. BMI (kg/m2) (p-value < 0.001), waist circumference (cm) (p-value < 0.001), and fat mass (kg) (p-value < 0.001) were significantly decreased following VLCKD. After VLCKD, the FibroScan parameter CAP (db/m), which measures the accumulation of fatty liver, significantly decreased (p-value < 0.001), as did liver stiffness (kPA), the FibroScan parameter quantifying liver fibrosis (p-value < 0.05). Seemingly, WBC (p-value < 0.001) and PLT (p-value < 0.001) counts were lowered by VLCKD in the whole group; however, the decrease in WBC and platelet counts were significant only in patients with steatosis (CAP ≥ 215 dB/m). Fasting blood glucose (p-value < 0.001), insulin (p-value < 0.001), HbA1c (p-value < 0.001), triglycerides (p-value < 0.001), total cholesterol (p-value < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (p-value < 0.001), HDL-cholesterol (p-value < 0.001); γGT (p-value < 0.001) blood levels and insulin resistance (as measured by HOMAIR) (p-value < 0.001); and systolic (p-value < 0.001), and diastolic (p-value < 0.001) blood pressure levels, were all significantly lower after VLCKD. In contrast, blood levels of vitamin D were higher following the diet (p-value < 0.001). We conclude that treating subjects with overweight and obesity with VLCKD is followed by a simultaneous reduction in WBCs and platelets, the expression of low-grade inflammation, and of liver steatosis and fibrosis. Therefore, we can hypothesize that VLCKD decreases general and liver low-grade inflammation, thus improving liver health. Full article
15 pages, 2968 KiB  
Article
Effects of a Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on the Fecal and Urinary Volatilome in an Obese Patient Cohort: A Preliminary Investigation
by Giuseppe Celano, Francesco Maria Calabrese, Giuseppe Riezzo, Benedetta D’Attoma, Antonia Ignazzi, Martina Di Chito, Annamaria Sila, Sara De Nucci, Roberta Rinaldi, Michele Linsalata, Mirco Vacca, Carmen Aurora Apa, Maria De Angelis, Gianluigi Giannelli, Giovanni De Pergola and Francesco Russo
Nutrients 2023, 15(17), 3752; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173752 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1238
Abstract
Several recent studies deepened the strong connection between gut microbiota and obesity. The effectiveness of the very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has been measured in terms of positive impact on the host homeostasis, but little is known of the modification exerted on the intestinal [...] Read more.
Several recent studies deepened the strong connection between gut microbiota and obesity. The effectiveness of the very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has been measured in terms of positive impact on the host homeostasis, but little is known of the modification exerted on the intestinal metabolome. To inspect this complex relationship, we analyzed both fecal and urinary metabolome in terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by the GC-MS method in 25 obese patients that were under VLCKD for eight weeks. Partial least square discriminant analysis evidenced specific urinary and fecal metabolites whose profile can be considered a signature of a partial restore toward the host eubiosis. Specifically, among various keystone VOCs, the decreased concentration of four statistically significant fecal esters (i.e., propanoic acid pentyl ester, butanoic acid hexyl ester, butanoic acid pentyl ester, and pentanoic acid butyl ester) supports the positive effect of VLCKD treatment. Our pilot study results suggest a potential positive effect of VLCKD intervention affecting fecal and urinary volatilome profiles from obese patients. Meta-omics techniques including the study of genes and transcripts will help in developing new interventions useful in preventing or treating obesity and its associated health problems. Full article
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Review

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13 pages, 960 KiB  
Review
The Role of a Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Dementia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
by Lin Bai, Yue Zhou, Jie Zhang and Junpeng Ma
Nutrients 2023, 15(8), 1971; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15081971 - 19 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4968
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) shares a common molecular mechanism and underlying pathology with dementia, and studies indicate that dementia is widespread in people with T2DM. Currently, T2DM-induced cognitive impairment is characterized by altered insulin and cerebral glucose metabolism, leading to a shorter [...] Read more.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) shares a common molecular mechanism and underlying pathology with dementia, and studies indicate that dementia is widespread in people with T2DM. Currently, T2DM-induced cognitive impairment is characterized by altered insulin and cerebral glucose metabolism, leading to a shorter life span. Increasing evidence indicates that nutritional and metabolic treatments can possibly alleviate these issues, as there is a lack of efficient preventative and treatment methods. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a very high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that induces ketosis in the body by producing a fasting-like effect, and neurons in the aged brain are protected from damage by ketone bodies. Moreover, the creation of ketone bodies may improve brain neuronal function, decrease inflammatory expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and restore neuronal metabolism. As a result, the KD has drawn attention as a potential treatment for neurological diseases, such as T2DM-induced dementia. This review aims to examine the role of the KD in the prevention of dementia risk in T2DM patients and to outline specific aspects of the neuroprotective effects of the KD, providing a rationale for the implementation of dietary interventions as a therapeutic strategy for T2DM-induced dementia in the future. Full article
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