Recently, diets low in carbohydrate content have become a matter of international attention because of the WHO recommendations to reduce the overall consumption of sugars and rapidly digestible starches. One of the common metabolic changes assumed to take place when a person follows a low-carbohydrate diet is ketosis. Low-carbohydrate intakes result in a reduction of the circulating insulin level, which promotes high level of circulating fatty acids, used for oxidation and production of ketone bodies. It is assumed that when carbohydrate availability is reduced in short term to a significant amount, the body will be stimulated to maximize fat oxidation for energy needs. The currently available scientific literature shows that low-carbohydrate diets acutely induce a number of favourable effects, such as a rapid weight loss, decrease of fasting glucose and insulin levels, reduction of circulating triglyceride levels and improvement of blood pressure. On the other hand some less desirable immediate effects such as enhanced lean body mass loss, increased urinary calcium loss, increased plasma homocysteine levels, increased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol have been reported. The long-term effect of the combination of these changes is at present not known. The role of prolonged elevated fat consumption along with low-carbohydrate diets should be addressed. However, these undesirable effects may be counteracted with consumption of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, low-fat diet, because this type of diet has been shown to induce favourable effects on feelings of satiety and hunger, help preserve lean body mass, effectively reduce fat mass and beneficially impact on insulin sensitivity and on blood lipid status while supplying sufficient calcium for bone mass maintenance. The latter findings support the need to do more research on this type of hypocaloric low-carbohydrate diet.

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Pectin is a texturizing/gelling agent, and a viscous soluble fiber. Effects of pectin structure on LDL‐cholesterol (LDL‐C) are unknown. In broilers fed hypercholesterolemic diets then commercial pectins for 35 d, cholesterol lowering was: citrus pectin DE70 = apple pectin DE70 > apple pectin DE35 > citrus pectin DE0 = LMW pectin = citrus pectin DE35 = cellulose (DE, degree esterification; LMW, low molecular weight), indicating high DE/potentially HMW were desirable for cholesterol lowering. In a cross‐over study with 30 mildly hypercholesterolemic persons receiving pectin or cellulose (15 g/d), in mixtures of cereal bars, fruit preparations or capsules for 3 wks, LDL‐C lowering was: citrus pectin DE70 = apple pectin DE70 (7–10% reduction vs control) > apple pectin DE35 = citrus pectin DE35 > OPF (orange pulp fiber) DE70 and LMW pectin DE70. In a trial with 30 subjects receiving 2 types of pectin (6 g/d) or cellulose in capsules for 3 wks, citrus pectin DE70 and HMW pectin DE70 similarly lowered LDL‐C 8%. High DE and HMW are important for maximizing LDL‐C lowering in pectins; source is less important.