Effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet, high in animal or plant protein on cardiometabolic risk factors in obese metabolic syndrome patients: A randomized clinical trial

Aims This study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing plant proteins with animal proteins in the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in obese metabolic syndrome participants. Methods In this double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, 90 obese patients with metabolic syndrome, aged 30–70 years were randomly allocated into the DASH diet based on plant or animal proteins for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected to assess the biochemical markers. Also, blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were measured at the beginning and end of the trial. Results The participants in both groups experienced significant reductions in the fasting plasma glucose (FPG), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglyceride (TG) concentrations, weight and WC. However the reduction in FPG and SBP was higher in the plant-based DASH group, compared to the animal-based DASH group, after adjustment for weight change. No significant changes were found within or between groups with regard to total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C. Conclusions Substituting plant proteins with animal proteins in the DASH diet improves FPG and SBP in obese individuals with metabolic syndrome, independent of weight change. IRCT registration number: IRCT20090203001640N16.