Serum Polychlorinated Biphenyls Increase and Oxidative Stress Decreases with a Protein-Pacing Caloric Restriction Diet in Obese Men and Women

Abstract

The purposes were to compare the effects of a: (1) 12-week P-CR weight loss (WL) diet (Phase 1) between obese men and women and; (2) 52-week modified P-CR (mP-CR) vs. heart healthy (HH) weight maintenance (WM) diet (Phase 2) on serum PCBs and oxidative stress biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS; total antioxidant capacity, TAC) in 40 obese participants (men, n = 21; women, n = 19). Participants received dietary counseling and monitoring of compliance. PCBs, TBARS, and TAC were assessed at weeks −1 (CON), 12 (WL), and 64 (WM). Following WL (Week 12), concomitant with reductions in TBARS (0.24 ± 0.15 vs. 0.18 ± 0.11 µM; p < 0.01), PCB serum concentrations (86.7 ± 45.6 vs. 115.6 ± 65.9 ng/g lipid; p < 0.01) and TAC (18.9 ± 2.6 vs. 19.9 ± 2.3 nmol/mL; p < 0.02) were increased similarly in men and women. At the end of WM (Week 64), a significant effect of time × group interaction was observed for % change in PCB 170 and 187; whereby mP-CR values were higher compared to HH (PCB170: 19.31% ± 26.48% vs. −6.61% ± 28.88%, p = 0.02; PCB187: −3.04% ± 17.78% vs. −21.4% ± 27.31%, p = 0.04). PCB changes were positively correlated with TBARS levels (r > 0.42, p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with body weight, fat mass, and abdominal fat (r < −0.46, p < 0.02). Our results support mobilization of stored PCBs as well as enhanced redox status following a 12-week P-CR WL diet. Additionally, a 52-week mP-CR WM diet demonstrated an advantage in preventing weight gain relapse accompanied by an increase in circulating PCBs compared to a traditional HH diet.

Case report: intermittent fasting and probiotic yogurt consumption are associated with reduction of serum alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and increased urinary excretion of lipophilic toxicants

“…The observed increased urinary excretion of lipophilic toxicants is consistent with recent report describing how such a nutritional plan followed by Dr. JB is associated with an increase of serum concentrations of lipophilic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, possibly mobilized from adipose tissue. (3) We attribute the increased urinary excretion of lipophilic chemicals to the effects of the cleansing procedures associated with the plan described in He et al (3) as well as to the known detoxifying effect of probiotics. For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus, a component of the probiotic yogurt used in this study, is endowed with antioxidant effects, decreasing malondialdehyde and increasing the levels of the antioxidants, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase.…”

“…In March 2017, JB embarked on an intermittent fasting program patterned on the weight loss program described by He et al (3) Shortly thereafter, he introduced daily consumption of 100 ml of probiotic yogurt aimed at supporting the immune system and helping detoxification, choosing a product whose properties have been previously described. (8,9) Blood and urine analyses were performed immediately before and after the three-month experience.…”

“…Intermittent fasting appears particularly efficient in achieving sustained weight loss and enhancing body composition by reducing fat mass. (3) And, a reduction of fat mass is often further associated with a release of lipophilic toxicants that may have accumulated in adipocytes (3) ; such a release may pose a health danger if it is not accompanied by appropriate detoxification procedures. Among the different detoxification approaches, interventions involving modulation of the microbiota appear particularly promising as they target a system, in this instance, the microbiota that is involved in all aspects of human physiology.…”

Effects on the Immune System of a Three-Month Consumption of an Extremely Diverse Probiotic Yogurt: Decrease of Serum Alpha-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase Activity, Detoxification and Gut Microbiota Normalization

“…Beneficial Lactobacillus strains were believed added by the probiotic yogurt with the ratio of expected/beneficial flora registering a twofold increase for Lactobacillus. These results can be interpreted considering that removal of non-metal toxicants is a well-established feature of probiotics, such as those present in the product consumed by the subject (Blythe et al, 2017;He et al, 2017).…”

Diet Composition for the Management of Obesity and Obesity-related Disorders

“…Additional studies have demonstrated similar results in other obese rodent models [17, 18] . Mechanistic studies in humans are limited, but few have demonstrated these same findings in obese individuals [19–21] . It seems these mechanisms of CR also contribute to increased life span, although this aspect is outside the scope of this review.…”