The (latest) diet winner: Low-carbs
A major new study financed by the National Institutes of Health has found that a low-carb, high-fat diet is healthier for most people. If you're keeping score, this is the millionth time that major diet news has seemingly contradicted previous knowledge on the subject.
From The New York Times:
The high-fat group followed something of a modified Atkins diet. They were told to eat mostly protein and fat, and to choose foods with primarily unsaturated fats, like fish, olive oil and nuts. But they were allowed to eat foods higher in saturated fat as well, including cheese and red meat.
A typical day's diet was not onerous: It might consist of eggs for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch, and some kind of protein for dinner — like red meat, chicken, fish, pork or tofu — along with vegetables. Low-carb participants were encouraged to cook with olive and canola oils, but butter was allowed, too.
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From NPR:
There are a spate of studies that have come to the same conclusion about the benefits of swapping a low-fat, high-carb strategy for a pattern of eating that emphasizes healthy fats and lower carbohydrate consumption.
It's not just waistlines that respond. The low-carb, healthy fats approach has been shown to cut the risk of heart disease.
One big study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 30 percent, compared to a low-fat diet.
Research published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which compared a low-glycemic-index diet -- which minimizes refined starches -- with a more traditional low-fat diet, also documented advantages.
"We saw improvements in triglycerides, [good] cholesterol, and the possibility of lower chronic inflammation" among the lower carb group, JAMA study author David Ludwig of Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital told us.
Here's the fascinating part: Ludwig also found that when people stopped eating so many refined carbohydrates, they burned off about 150 more calories per day, compared to those eating a higher carb, lower fat diet.
What does this study mean for the average person? How should you go about creating a healthy diet plan for yourself? And does this mean the fat-versus-carbs debate is settled? Click on the audio link to hear the conversation.