Low-carbohydrate and high-fat diets have been used for body weight (BW) control, but their adverse effects on lipid profiles have raised concern. Fish oil (FO), rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, has profound effects on lipid metabolism. We hypothesized that FO supplementation might improve the lipid metabolic disturbance elicited by low-carbohydrate and high-fat diets. Male SD rats were randomized into normal control diet (NC), high-fat diet (HF), and low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet (LC) groups in experiment 1, and NC, LC, LC + 5% FO (5CF), and LC + 10% FO diet (10CF) groups in experiment 2. The experimental duration was 11 weeks. In the LC group, a ketotic state was induced, and food intake was decreased; however, it did not result in BW loss compared to either the HF or NC groups. In the 5CF group, rats lost significant BW. Dyslipidemia, perirenal and epididymal fat accumulation, hepatic steatosis, and increases in triglyceride and plasma leptin levels were observed in the LC group but were attenuated by FO supplementation. These findings suggest that a ketogenic low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet with no favorable effect on body weight causes visceral and liver lipid accumulation. FO supplementation not only aids in body weight control but also improves lipid metabolism in low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet-fed rats.
Keywords: body weight loss; fish oil; leptin; lipid metabolism; low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet.