High-Resistant Starch, Low-Protein Flour Intervention on Patients With Early Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy: A Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to explore the effect of high-resistant starch (RS), low-protein flour as a source of RS on patients with early type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN) through the clinical intervention trial.

DESIGN

This was a single center, randomized, comparative, open-label trial. Seventy-five patients with early DN, aged 18 to 80 y, were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups. During the 12-week intervention, the control group patients (38 cases) followed protein-restriction diet daily with a common staple. The intervention group (37 cases) received 50 g of high-RS, low-protein flour instead of a common staple of equal quality at lunch and dinner each day. The blood glucose, blood lipids, nutritional parameters, indicators of renal function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers were measured.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, high-RS, low-protein flour intake led to a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels (P < .05 for all). The changes in serum uric acid (UA) and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) level were observed after high-RS, low-protein flour intervention (uric acid [mean ± standard deviation]: -24.7 ± 38.5 μmol/L, P = .001; β2-MG: 0.5 ± 0.9 mg/L, P = 0.018). In addition, high-RS, low-protein flour intake increased serum superoxide dismutase level by 10.1 ± 27.7 U/mL (P < .05); however, it did not change the interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α) concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

Twelve-week intervention with high-RS, low-protein flour improved the blood glucose and blood lipid levels, decreased the serum uric acid (UA) and urine β2-MG, and enhanced the ability to prevent antioxidative stress in patients with early DN.