Would Low-Carb Diet Outperform Low-Fat Diet Plan?

More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and heart disease and cancer are the top two killers that are linked to obesity. It is obvious that people who are overweight or obese should try their best to get rid of the extra weight they have to lower the risk of getting heart disease or cancer.

Basically, there are 3 kinds of diet plan, namely low-fat, low-carbohydrate and calories-counting plan. For years, health experts are divided on their views about which diet plan is the most effective. 

Researchers from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

in New Orleans reported recently that a low-carbohydrate diet is better for losing weight and might also be better to reduce the risk of heart disease than a low-fat diet.

When it comes to weight loss, it is the low-carbohydrate diets that have outperformed other diets, but some researchers feared that they might not be good for heart health because they tend to be high in fat. The new study, findings of which were published September 2, 2014 in journal ‘Annals of Internal Medicine’, showed that with proper nutritional counseling, people could lose more weight and lower their risk factors for heart disease on a low-carbohydrate diet.

148 obese men and women aged between 22 and 75 were enrolled. For a year, half were randomly assigned to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, and the other half were assigned to a low-fat diet. Participants on the low-carbohydrate diet were found to lose more weight, by 8 additional pounds, and more body fat than those on the low-fat diet.

Meanwhile, there was no increase in total cholesterol or bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) for both groups of dieters. Previously, it has been thought that low-carbohydrate diet would raise cholesterol levels.

Participants in the low-carbohydrate group had lower levels of fat circulating in their blood and had lower scores on a measure used to predict the risk of heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years.

Some experts not involved in the study do not agree entirely on the findings. They warned people that they should not just eat all the meat they want to lower their carbohydrates. In fact, low-carbohydrate diet plan is just one way to reduce weight. According to their observations, participants in the study appeared to improve their overall diets. For instance, they were eating foods with healthier fats like nuts and beans. They also ate more fiber and reduce the intake of processed foods with more carbohydrates.

The researchers of the study admitted that they were unsure why participants on the low-carbohydrate diets lost more weight and had lower risk factors for heart disease after one year. They were also not certain if the results would still hold after a longer period.