Dietary α‐lactalbumin supplementation alleviates normocaloric western diet‐induced glucose intolerance in G öttingen minipigs

Objective The pandemic of obesity in Western countries is mainly due to the high‐fat, high‐energy diet prevailing there. Obesity‐associated metabolic disorders are the consequence of fat mass increase leading to altered adipokine secretion, hyperlipemia, oxidant stress, low‐grade inflammation, and eventually glucose intolerance. Yet not all people consuming a Western diet become obese, and the question is raised whether these people are also at risk of developing metabolic disorders. Methods Glucose tolerance, lipid profile, and oxidant and inflammation status were investigated longitudinally in lean Göttingen minipigs receiving for 16 weeks either a normal diet (ND), a Western diet (WD), or a Western diet supplemented with a whey protein isolate (WPI) rich in α‐lactalbumin known to improve glucose tolerance. ND and WD were supplied isoenergetically. Results Lean minipigs fed WD displayed glucose intolerance and altered lipid profile after 6 weeks of diet but no inflammation or oxidative stress. Supplementation with WPI alleviated glucose intolerance by improving insulin secretion, but not lipid profile. Conclusions Western diet consumption is deleterious for glucose tolerance even in the absence of fat mass accretion, and dyslipemia is a major determinant for this metabolic dysfunction. Stimulating insulin secretion with a WPI is an effective strategy to improve glucose tolerance.