Impact of Varied Dietary Macronutrient Ratios on the Nutrition Status of Swiss Albino Mice

The nutrition status of an organism depends on the balance between nutrient intake and utilization. Malnutrition results not only from inadequate caloric intake but also from imbalanced macronutrient ratios, which can affect aging, metabolism, and health. While many studies focus on individual nutrients, this study used purified, isocaloric diets with varying macronutrient ratios to assess dietary effects on nutrition markers in Swiss albino mice. Mice were randomized into 6 dietary groups, each containing 6 males and 6 females housed separately. Each group received an isocaloric diet with different carbohydrate, protein, and lipid ratios for 15 weeks. Animal weight, body mass index (BMI), hematological indices, blood glucose, protein, and cholesterol levels were measured to assess the nutritional status. Baseline mean body weight was 19.6 ± 0.43 g. Mice fed a high-carbohydrate, low-protein (HCLP) diet had the highest mean weight (32.83 ± 1.1 g) and BMI, whereas those on the high-lipid, low-protein (HLLP) diet had the lowest (25.9 ± 0.7 g). The high-protein, low-lipid (HPLL) diet had the highest RBC count (6.6 ± 0.1 × 10¹² cells/L) and hemoglobin levels (17.5 ± 0.2 g/dL), while HLLP diets yielded the lowest fasting glucose (2.8 ± 0.3 mmol/L). Elevated serum cholesterol was observed in the HPLL group (180 ± 20 mg/dL). Isocaloric purified diets with varied carbohydrate, protein, and lipid ratios differentially shaped growth, metabolic, and hematological outcomes in Swiss albino mice. High-carbohydrate-low-protein diet drove weight gain, protein restriction lowered red blood cell indices and serum proteins, low-lipid diets raised cholesterol beyond normal, and high-lipid-low-protein diets reduced fasting glucose. We recommend that dietary macronutrient ratios should be tailored to specific physiological outcomes.