The Study
The Real-Life Use of a Protein-Sparing Modified Fast Diet by Nasogastric Tube (ProMoFasT) in Adults with Obesity: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial
This study compared two ways of giving a special diet to people with obesity: one through a tube in the nose and one by mouth. It found that the tube version helped people keep more muscle and lower insulin levels. But it didn't prove the tube version is better for losing weight overall — just that it changed some body parts and blood numbers differently.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When very overweight people eat a strict low-calorie, high-protein diet, giving it through a tube into the stomach helps them keep more muscle and lose more fat than eating the same food by mouth — even if they lose the same total weight.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 561 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — keeping more muscle and lowering insulin improves metabolism and long-term health, even if weight loss is the same.
- 2Higher HbA1c is unexpected and needs more study.
- 3Tube group: 63.1% fat-free mass vs.
- 452.9% oral; 45.0% muscle mass vs.
- 536.1% oral; 36.9 kg fat mass vs.
- 644.0 kg oral; insulin 11.8 vs.
- 728.0 mU/L.
- 8HbA1c was higher in tube group (6.2% vs.
- 95.4%).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2023
Authors
E. Formisano, I. Schiavetti, R. Gradaschi, Paolo Gardella, Carlotta Romeo, Livia Pisciotta, S. G. Sukkar
Related Content
Claims (4)
In adults with severe obesity, receiving a protein-sparing modified fast diet through a nasogastric tube for 150 days results in lower fasting insulin levels than receiving the same diet by mouth, despite similar weight loss.
In adults with severe obesity, receiving a 150-day protein-sparing modified fast diet through a nasogastric tube results in higher HbA1c levels than receiving the same diet orally, even though fasting insulin levels are lower.
In adults with severe obesity, receiving a low-calorie, high-protein diet through a tube in the nose for 150 days leads to a higher percentage of fat-free mass and muscle mass than receiving the same diet by mouth.
In adults with severe obesity, receiving a 150-day protein-sparing modified fast diet through a nasogastric tube leads to lower fat mass and lower percentage of body fat compared to taking the same diet by mouth, even though total weight loss is the same in both groups.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.