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Interesting read on Atkin's diet
And of course even with a well documentde study, the AMA is still sticking by its guns with the low-fat diet. And with regard to the colon cancer linked to meat consumption, if you get your fiber supplement its not a problem.
FROM THE AMA WEBSITE:
"Washington -- Patients at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, N.C., were perhaps hoping for thick steaks when they asked Eric C. Westman, MD, about changing their low-fat menu. But their desire could also have been motivated by a surprising finding made by Dr. Westman, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues that a low-carbohydrate but high-fat diet, long thought by many to be the nemesis of healthy living, might not be so bad after all.
The researchers compared the low-carbohydrate diet popularized by cardiologist Robert Atkins, MD, with a low-fat diet, and found that subjects on the Atkins diet lost more weight and realized greater improvements in their cholesterol levels than did subjects on a low-fat diet.
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Those findings, presented at a recent meeting of the American Heart Assn., left many dieters puzzled and some physicians crying foul.
Despite his findings, Dr. Westman is still counseling patients that a low-fat diet paired with a program of exercise is the best plan for sensible weight loss and heart health. As for his study, "The results are encouraging, but not conclusive," he said.
Dr. Westman is currently seeking funding to continue his research and other studies are also putting the Atkins diet to the test. The National Institutes of Health has begun a five-year study to determine if the Atkins weight-loss plan is not only effective but also safe for the heart.
People on a low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight than those on a low-fat diet.
For his randomized, controlled study, Dr. Westman enrolled 120 people and placed half on a low-calorie, low-fat diet. The other half followed the low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet developed by Dr. Atkins decades ago. The research, which has been submitted for publication, was funded by an unrestricted grant from the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City.
Food logs kept by participants showed their fat intake on the Atkins diet was about 60% of the calories they consumed. This compares to 30% on low-fat diets. The Atkins group was also provided with several dietary supplements, including fish oil.
All subjects were advised to exercise although most didn't report much physical activity, said Dr. Westman. All participants also attended meetings that were modeled on those held by Weight Watchers, he said. At the meetings, participants were weighed, filled out forms and discussed their progress.
How can it be?
At the end of the six months, the researchers found that participants on the Atkins diet lost an average of 31 pounds compared to an average of 20 pounds for the low-fat dieters.
Those following the Atkins diet also had an 11% increase in high-density lipoprotein compared to a 1% increase for those on the low-fat diet.
The fact that those on the Atkins diet lost weight is not that surprising. It can likely be explained by the tried-and-true method for losing weight: Eat less.
People on a low-carbohydrate diet improved cholesterol levels more than those on a low-fat diet.
There is also a diuretic effect to the diet so some of the weight loss can be attributed to water loss, said Dr. Westman, who also speculated that the body might use more energy processing the higher amount of protein being consumed.
However, given what is known about high fat and cholesterol, "How can you eat all this fat and yet have your serum fat go down?" Dr. Westman, and many others, wondered.
For one thing, there is the possibility that the weight loss prompted a drop in cholesterol, Dr. Westman said.
Another possibility is that the low-dose fish oil supplements, which were taken by the Atkins dieters, had a pronounced beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.
But, the long-term safety of the Atkins diet poses another set of questions that future studies must answer.
"There is clearly short-term danger," said Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research studies and promotes alternatives to animal research. One recently published study showed the Atkins diet produced changes in the body that increased the likelihood of kidney stones, he noted.
Increased risks of osteoporosis and colon cancer have been linked to low-carb diets.
The Atkins diet can also lead to unacceptably high calcium losses and an increased risk of osteoporosis, he said. High-meat diets have also been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, said Dr. Barnard.
The heart association also took issue with the study, noting that it was small and, in six months, could not adequately assess the long-term health risks posed by the Atkins diet.
"People should not change their eating patterns based on one very small, short-term study," said American Heart Assn. President Robert O. Bonow, MD. "Instead, we hope that the public will continue to rely on the guidance of organizations such as the American Heart Assn. that look at all the very best evidence before formulating recommendations."
And of course even with a well documentde study, the AMA is still sticking by its guns with the low-fat diet. And with regard to the colon cancer linked to meat consumption, if you get your fiber supplement its not a problem.
FROM THE AMA WEBSITE:
"Washington -- Patients at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, N.C., were perhaps hoping for thick steaks when they asked Eric C. Westman, MD, about changing their low-fat menu. But their desire could also have been motivated by a surprising finding made by Dr. Westman, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues that a low-carbohydrate but high-fat diet, long thought by many to be the nemesis of healthy living, might not be so bad after all.
The researchers compared the low-carbohydrate diet popularized by cardiologist Robert Atkins, MD, with a low-fat diet, and found that subjects on the Atkins diet lost more weight and realized greater improvements in their cholesterol levels than did subjects on a low-fat diet.
With this article
Links
See related content
Those findings, presented at a recent meeting of the American Heart Assn., left many dieters puzzled and some physicians crying foul.
Despite his findings, Dr. Westman is still counseling patients that a low-fat diet paired with a program of exercise is the best plan for sensible weight loss and heart health. As for his study, "The results are encouraging, but not conclusive," he said.
Dr. Westman is currently seeking funding to continue his research and other studies are also putting the Atkins diet to the test. The National Institutes of Health has begun a five-year study to determine if the Atkins weight-loss plan is not only effective but also safe for the heart.
People on a low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight than those on a low-fat diet.
For his randomized, controlled study, Dr. Westman enrolled 120 people and placed half on a low-calorie, low-fat diet. The other half followed the low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet developed by Dr. Atkins decades ago. The research, which has been submitted for publication, was funded by an unrestricted grant from the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City.
Food logs kept by participants showed their fat intake on the Atkins diet was about 60% of the calories they consumed. This compares to 30% on low-fat diets. The Atkins group was also provided with several dietary supplements, including fish oil.
All subjects were advised to exercise although most didn't report much physical activity, said Dr. Westman. All participants also attended meetings that were modeled on those held by Weight Watchers, he said. At the meetings, participants were weighed, filled out forms and discussed their progress.
How can it be?
At the end of the six months, the researchers found that participants on the Atkins diet lost an average of 31 pounds compared to an average of 20 pounds for the low-fat dieters.
Those following the Atkins diet also had an 11% increase in high-density lipoprotein compared to a 1% increase for those on the low-fat diet.
The fact that those on the Atkins diet lost weight is not that surprising. It can likely be explained by the tried-and-true method for losing weight: Eat less.
People on a low-carbohydrate diet improved cholesterol levels more than those on a low-fat diet.
There is also a diuretic effect to the diet so some of the weight loss can be attributed to water loss, said Dr. Westman, who also speculated that the body might use more energy processing the higher amount of protein being consumed.
However, given what is known about high fat and cholesterol, "How can you eat all this fat and yet have your serum fat go down?" Dr. Westman, and many others, wondered.
For one thing, there is the possibility that the weight loss prompted a drop in cholesterol, Dr. Westman said.
Another possibility is that the low-dose fish oil supplements, which were taken by the Atkins dieters, had a pronounced beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.
But, the long-term safety of the Atkins diet poses another set of questions that future studies must answer.
"There is clearly short-term danger," said Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research studies and promotes alternatives to animal research. One recently published study showed the Atkins diet produced changes in the body that increased the likelihood of kidney stones, he noted.
Increased risks of osteoporosis and colon cancer have been linked to low-carb diets.
The Atkins diet can also lead to unacceptably high calcium losses and an increased risk of osteoporosis, he said. High-meat diets have also been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, said Dr. Barnard.
The heart association also took issue with the study, noting that it was small and, in six months, could not adequately assess the long-term health risks posed by the Atkins diet.
"People should not change their eating patterns based on one very small, short-term study," said American Heart Assn. President Robert O. Bonow, MD. "Instead, we hope that the public will continue to rely on the guidance of organizations such as the American Heart Assn. that look at all the very best evidence before formulating recommendations."
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