Effect Of Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet With Phytoextracts And Low Carbohydrates High Protein Meals On Weight, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Body Composition And Diet Compliance In Italian Council Employees

This study looked at whether a special version of the ketogenic diet could help overweight office workers lose weight and improve their cardiovascular health. The researchers studied 106 employees from Rome's city council who were overweight or obese. Instead of a traditional ketogenic diet, participants followed what the researchers called "KEMEPHY" - a ketogenic Mediterranean diet that included green vegetables, olive oil, fish, and meat, plus special high-protein, virtually zero-carb meal replacements designed to taste like regular foods. The diet also included beneficial plant extracts and allowed unlimited calories.

After just 6 weeks, the results were impressive across the board. Participants lost an average of about 15 pounds, dropping their BMI from 31.45 to 29.01. Their body fat percentage decreased significantly from 41% to 35%, and their waist circumference shrank by nearly 4 inches on average. Perhaps most importantly for heart health, their cholesterol profile improved substantially - total cholesterol dropped from 204 to 181 mg/dl, "bad" LDL cholesterol decreased, "good" HDL cholesterol increased from 46 to 52 mg/dl, and triglycerides fell from 119 to 93 mg/dl. Blood sugar levels also improved slightly.

What makes this study particularly noteworthy is that participants showed good compliance with the diet, addressing one of the main challenges with traditional ketogenic approaches. The meal replacements that mimicked familiar foods may have made the restrictive diet more sustainable. Additionally, liver and kidney function remained normal throughout the study, suggesting the approach was safe in the short term.

This research suggests that modified ketogenic approaches combining Mediterranean diet principles with convenient meal replacements could be valuable tools in clinical practice for patients seeking rapid improvements in weight and cardiovascular risk factors, though longer-term studies would help determine sustainability and lasting benefits.