Kick carbs to the curb

from the OmniVista Health Learning News Desk

An eye-opening study financed by the National Institutes of Health was recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The new study included a racially diverse group of 150 men and women. The participants were assigned to follow either a diet that limited carbs or one that limited fat for one year. But neither diet limited overall calories.

By the end of the yearlong trial, people in the low-carb group had lost an average of eight pounds more than those in the low-fat group. They had significantly greater reductions in body fat than the low-fat group, and more improvements in lean muscle mass. And they enjoyed these benefits despite the fact that neither group changed their physical activity levels.

While the low-fat group did lose weight, they appeared to lose more muscle than fat.

It’s also worth noting that the people in the low-carb group took in a little more than 13 percent of their daily calories from saturated fat. Which is more than double the limit recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA). The majority of their fat intake, however, was unsaturated fats, like avocado and macadamia nut oils.

The low-fat group reduced their total fat intake to less than 30 percent of their daily calories, which is in line with the federal government’s dietary guidelines. They also included more grains, cereals and starches in their diet.

Yet, in the end, people in the low-carbohydrate group saw markers of inflammation and triglycerides plunge. Their HDL rose more sharply than it did for people in the low-fat group. In fact, they ultimately did so well that they managed to lower their Framingham risk scores, which calculate the likelihood of a heart attack within the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, the low-fat group on average had no improvement in their scores.

SOURCES:

“A Call for a Low-Carb Diet That Embraces Fat,” The New York Times, 9/2/14 (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/health/low-carb-vs-low-fat-diet.html)

“Effects of Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets: A Randomized Trial.” Ann Intern Med. 2014;161(5):309-318. (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1900694)