Is Low-Carb Really Better to Keep Weight Off?

These days, it seems like we're living in a carbophobic society, where simple bread and pasta are considered as evil as butter, ice cream and Kentucky Fried Chicken. But when it comes to weight maintenance, researchers are claiming that you needn't be so wary of your wheat and potato intake. In fact, new studies show that a low-carb diet and a high-carb diet are equally effective when it comes to managing your weight a year after you've shed pounds.

Researchers at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in monitored 141 men and women who'd recently lost weight for year -- half were instructed to stick to a high-protein diet and the other half went on a high-carb diet. Both groups kept their fat intake below 30 percent of their total calories, and both were told to lower their saturated fat intake. The amount of weight regained over the year was the same for both groups, about four pounds, leading researchers to conclude that what matters in a weight maintenance program is overall calories, regardless of carbohydrate intake. They did notice one difference, though -- the average blood pressure went up in the high-carb group but not the high-protein group.

The moral of the story? It's not a sin to eat a plate of spaghetti every now and then as long as your diet is generally healthy. However, when it comes to carbs, try to stick to whole grains.