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Women with excess adiposity can include a daily sweet snack in a reduced‐calorie diet to facilitate weight loss and improvements in blood pressure without adversely affecting lipid concentrations
Author(s) -
Piehowski Kathryn Elizabeth,
NickolsRichardson Sharon M,
Preston Amy Griel,
Miller Debra
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.594.8
Effects of including a sweet snack in a reduced‐calorie diet (RCD) on body weight (BW), blood pressure (BP) and total cholesterol (TC) high‐density and low‐density lipoprotein concentrations and triglycerides were examined in women with excess adiposity. Sixty women (BMI=31.0±4.3 kg/m 2 ; age=35.9±5.8 y) were randomized to a daily dark chocolate snack (DCS, n=30) or non‐chocolate snack (NCS, n=30) group. Women consumed either a DCS or NCS as part of a RCD for 18 weeks. BW, BP, and lipids were measured at baseline and follow‐up. Within and between group differences were analyzed using paired t ‐tests and independent t ‐tests, respectively. Women in the DCS and NCS groups, respectively, lowered BW (−4.4 vs. −5.0 kg, both p <0.001) and systolic (−2.8 mmHg vs. −3.5 mmHg, both p <0.05) and diastolic BP (−2.7 mmHg vs. −4.2 mmHg, both p <0.01). Lipid changes in the DCS group were not found, while TC increased by 8.5% ( p <0.05) in the NCS group. Group differences in BW, BP and lipids were not detected. A calorie‐controlled sweet snack can be included daily in a RCD without adverse effects on BW loss or reductions in BP. Daily consumption of a DCS may exert a lipid‐neutral effect in healthy women with excess adiposity. Grant Funding Source : The Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition