Association of decrease in carbohydrate intake with reduction in abdominal fat during 3-month moderate low-carbohydrate diet among non-obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of a moderate low-carbohydrate diet (M-LCD) has been demonstrated in terms of glycemic control, body weight and serum lipid profiles. We investigated the effect of a 3-month M-LCD on visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and examined an association between decrease in carbohydrate intake and reduction in abdominal fat among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Seventy-six patients (45 men and 31 women; mean age ± SD: 59.5 ± 11.1 years) with T2DM were instructed to follow an M-LCD for 3 months. We assessed abdominal fat distribution using computed tomography and macronutrient intakes from 3-day dietary records at baseline and after 3 months. RESULTS: The patients complied well with the M-LCD - %carbohydrate: %fat: %protein at baseline and after 3 months were 51:27:15 and 41:33:18 in men and 54:27:16 and 42:37:19 in women, respectively. VAT and SAT significantly decreased during the 3 months (P for time