Low-carb beats low fat diet in cutting heart disease risk

Low fat diets may prove beneficial in shedding off flab, but it may when it comes to cardiac health, low-carbohydrate diet is a winner by quite a margin, shows the research by University in Philadelphia.

The research reassures the benefit of the low-carbohydrate diet over the low-fat diet, as the two year research shows that people on the low-carb diet showed a considerable decline in diastolic blood pressure and significant rise in the good cholesterol or HDL levels.

The study surveyed 307 middle-aged adults with obesity, who were made to follow low-carb and low-fat diets. The subjects who followed low-carb diets based on the atkins diet scheme, limited their carbohydrate intake to about 80 calories per day for the first 12 weeks, by consuming only vegetables. Then they gradually increased the carb intake slightly by consuming limited amount of sources like grains and dairy products. There was no limit on their fat or protein intake whatsoever. The low fat group took a 1,200 – 1,800 calorie diet, of which about 55% came from the carbs, 15% from protein and 30% from fat.

The first and second years witnessed an average weight loss of 22 and 15 pounds respectively . There was no considerable difference between the groups in that regard.

The researchers monitored the LDL or bad cholesterol of both groups, and the first six month showed the LDL levels in low-fat dieters to be marginally lower compared to the other, as their LDL levels fell by about 10mg/dL. The low-carb group, albeit showing slightly elevated LDL levels — which may be caused due to the no restriction in eating fat, lowered considerably in the coming months. By the end of the 2 years period, both were at almost same LDL levels, which were lower than their starting points.

The HDL levels, though were clearly in the favor of low-carb dieters, as they averaged a 8mg/dL rise in the HDL levels, while the low-fat group just had a raise of 5 mg/dL. Both had an average initial HDL levels of around 45 mg/dL,  and the ideal levels are considered to be 60 mg/dL or more. The reason for this, though unclear, may be due to high fat intake itself.

Dr. Gary D. Foster, the chief researcher of Temple University,Philadelphia however says that this shouldn’t mean that dieters should only persist with low-carb diet. The low carb dieters experienced side effects such as hair loss and bad breath, compared to the rest. And whether high HDL is directly beneficial to the cardiac health, is also unknown.

“It is, as of now, safe to say that the study shows both low-fat and low-carb diet schemes can work well in the longer term.”: Dr. Foster added.