Effect of macronutrient composition on postprandial peptide YY levels

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Peptide YY in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The objective of the study was to determine whether macronutrient composition influences postprandial serum PYY levels by comparing 1 wk of a weight-maintenance low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet with a low-fat, high-carbohydrate (LFHC) diet.

Why It Was Studied

The amount of PYY released is proportional to calories ingested.

Fat ingestion has also been reported to stimulate PYY release.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 18 subjects were involved.

PubMed indexes the participants as adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

In this randomized crossover study, 18 obese subjects (14 females, 4 males, mean body mass index 35.6 +/- 2.9 kg/m(2)) were randomly assigned initially to 1 wk of a weight-maintenance LCHF or LFHC diet, after which a test meal of identical composition was given and serum PYY levels were assessed for 2.5 h postprandially.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Peptide YY and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

In the crossover set-up each of the subjects took both Peptide YY and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adiponectin, Blood Glucose, Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted, Diet, Fat-Restricted, Dietary Carbohydrates, Dietary Fats and Energy Intake.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and crossover study of Peptide YY in 18 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Results are reported in around 3 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2007 (The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Peptide YY compound page, all human trials.