Research declares low-carb diet a winner

by Jacki Donaldson (Subscribe to Jacki Donaldson's posts)
Jul 19th 2008 7:30AM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

Which is best: Low-fat or low-carb? Results of one of the longest and largest studies to compare the two weight-loss techniques reveals that low-carb is the way to go -- for both weight loss and cholesterol management. Bummer for me, a carb-loving gal who is quite happy with a basket of bread, a plate of pasta, or a bowl full of crackers.

Two years this study has been taking place. And for two years, 85 percent of the participants stuck with the competing diets -- amazing, just like the results, which indicate for some that Atkins-like diets are pretty effective and are even capable of lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Not everyone agrees. One nutritionist says this study is deceiving and leads people to assume low-carb and Atkins go hand in hand. But dieters ate the mono- and polyunsaturated fats found in vegetables, not the Atkins saturated artery-clogging fats found in cream and butter.

Heart associations are not jumping on board the low-carb anything just yet but are still recommending low-fat diets for the reduction of heart risks. They also like the Mediterranean diet.

What about you? What do you like? And what diet are you most likely to follow?

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Comments (5)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

tigran 7-19-2008 @ 1:58PM

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This is the cause of people’s obesity -- fortunately, this research also reveals how to stop it. It further explains that the same cause of why people get fat is also the same reason why people eventually get sick and die prematurely -- often cutting off years from their lives (not to mention the quality of their lives).

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JD 7-19-2008 @ 4:28PM

Jacki,

The study actually compared three diets, a low-carb diet, a low-fat diet and a Mediterranean diet.
Men lost similar amounts of weight on the low carb diet and the Mediterranean diet, with the low-fat diet being the least effective. However the women on the study lost almost 3 times more weight on the Mediterranean diet compared to the low-carb diet. The Mediterranean diet was also shown to be the best at controlling blood sugar. And guess what? The Mediterranean diet contains plenty of carbs from sources like pasta and bread.

Here's a link to the diet-blog entry that details the study: http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2008/07/17/mediterranean_and_low_carb_diets_shine_in_study.php

Jacki 7-19-2008 @ 4:47PM

JD,

Aha! I like what you're saying ... that I can still enjoy my carbs and not feel guilty. Thanks for sharing!

Jacki

JD 7-19-2008 @ 5:53PM

Jacki,

I thought that might put a smile on your face!

If you want to learn more about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet check out Oldways, http://www.oldwayspt.org, and MediterrAsian.com, http://www.mediterrasian.com.

bernardf 9-18-2008 @ 3:34PM

I’m wondering what other people think. I’ve been doing some research on healthy eating and low carb diets in particular and came up with this one site called OpposingViews.com where there are debates by experts on various subjects. There is one debate called: “Are Low Carb Diets Healthy?”.
I like the idea that these people are experts in their fields, but this one guy says something that gives me pause. He says something to the effect that eating whole plant foods is associated with having good health but diets high in animal protein and fats are not. He also says that in a global sense, a sustained low carbohydrate diet which comes mainly from animal foods creates significant challenges for the planet and also other health issues for people such as antibiotic resistance.”
What do you think he means when he says that a diet which comes primarily from animal proteins is bad for the planet? That’s the first time I ever heard that. If you have time, take a look and let me know what you think by posting your comment. Thanks! http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/are-low-carb-diets-healthy