Investigating the Relationship Between a Low Carbohydrate Diet Score and Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Female Students

Objective: A healthy diet is a major component of lifestyle management for maintaining optimum health. Dietary carbohydrates may induce inflammation and oxidative stress. We aimed to assess the relationship between adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet pattern with oxidative stress status and a panel of blood biomarkers of inflammation in healthy young women.

Methods: In this study, 171 healthy young women participated. We estimated the low-carbohy- drate diet scores using a food frequency questionnaire. The total antioxidant capacity and free radi- cal scavenging activity and malondialdehyde of serum and urine were quantified using the ferric reducing/antioxidant power, α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl, and formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances methods. Several routine hematological parameters were measured including white blood cells, neutrophil counts, and mean platelet volume. Neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio and platelet:lymphocyte ratio were derived from these measures.

Results: A higher low-carbohydrate diet score indicates a lower intake of carbohydrates and fiber and a higher intake of protein and fat. A greater adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet pattern was related to a lower level of hematological inflammatory indices including neutrophil count and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) demonstrated that a higher adherence to low-carbohydrate diet (third vs. first tertile) was associated with significantly higher levels of urinary α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (adjusted odds ratio = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02-1.20), as well as serum ferric reducing/antioxidant power (adjusted odds ratio=1.05; 95% CI: 1.01-1.011) and α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (adjusted odds ratio = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.11-1.33).

Conclusions: A greater compliance with a low-carbohydrate-style diet was related to lower levels of inflammatory biomarker and oxidative stress in healthy young women.

Cite this article as: Moradi-binabaj M, Khorasanchi Z, Karbasi S, Ferns GA, Bahrami A. Investigating the relationship between a low carbohydrate diet score and inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in female students. Endocrinol Res Pract. 2023;27(3):121-126.