Low Carb Diets More Than Low Fat Ones May Help Protect Against Heart Disease

Washington Post
Sep. 02, 2014

THE QUESTION Cutting carbohydrates has become a popular way to lose weight. In the process, might you also be helping your heart?

THIS STUDY involved 148 men and women, about 47 years old on average, who were obese but did not have cardiovascular disease or diabetes. They were randomly assigned to follow either a low-carb diet (no more than 40 grams of carbohydrates daily) or a low-fat diet (less than 30 percent of daily calories from fat). They also met periodically with a dietitian, individually and in groups. A year later, people in the low-carb group had lost, on average, more weight than those on the low-fat diet (12 pounds vs. four pounds). They also experienced a greater reduction in risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including a drop in body fat, a lower ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and lower triglyceride levels. Also, levels of HDL, sometimes called good cholesterol, rose more among those on the low-carb diet.

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