Effect of moderate semi-starvation on plasma lipids.

The effect of a daily intake of 200 kcal for 6 days on blood lipid levels of normal and obese subjects was examined. Subjects exhibited a decrease in body weight of 5.9 percent. Plasma glucose levels decreased with no change in insulin levels. FFA and cholesterol did not change significantly with the low caloric intake. Triglyceride and phospholipid concentrations, elevated in obese subjects before the dietary period, decreased significantly with low caloric intake. In contrast no significant changes were observed in triglycerides or phospholipids in normal subjects. Serum uric acid increased during diet in normal but not in obese subjects. These results show different patterns of changes in plasma lipids in normal and obese subjects on very low caloric intake and raise the possibility of differences in utilization of lipid and protein stores, and may also hint at a role for phospholipids in energy metabolism. Very low calorie and carbohydrate diets may be beneficial for weight reduction in obese subjects without increasing blood lipids.