Abstract
Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of the Science of Living, Osaka City University2Department of Clinical Nutrition, National Cardiovascular Center,
The effect of nitrogen intake on nitrogen balance was studied in six obese patients receiving low energy diets. They were given a control diet containing 2, 000 kcal of energy and 80g of protein for the first ten days. Then they were given Diet A with 1, 100 kcal of energy and 70g of protein for the next 2 weeks, followed by Diet B with 1, 100 kcal of energy and 50 g of protein for 2 weeks. The relationship between nitrogen intake (X, mg/kg) and nitrogen balance (Y, mg/kg) during the low energy diet periods was statistically significant, with Y=0.388X-60.32 (SD=17.71, r=+0.67, n=11, p<0.05). The nitrogen and protein requirements were estimated from this equation to be 201.1 mg/kg and 1.26 g/kg, respectively. In our experiment, the nitrogen balance in obese patients was well maintained although total energy was reduced to 1, 100 kcal/day in Diet A. It is suggested that protein quantity in the diets should be taken into account when a low energy diet is used for the treatment of obesity.
