New Scientist reports on two new studies on the health effects of low carb eating. As with previous studies, the participants lost weight without harmful effects on blood fats and sugars:
Stern’s year-long study […] was twice the length of any previous study. Half the patients followed the Atkins regime, limiting daily carbohydrate intake to just 30 grams. The rest tried losing weight through a conventional low-fat diet much richer in carbohydrates.
By the end, both groups had lost about the same amount of weight, between five and eight kilograms for the Atkins group and three and eight kilos for the low fat group. But the Atkins dieters lost almost all their weight in the first six months, then remained at a steady weight. […]
I found it interesting that the low carb eaters lost most of their weight in the first six months (and leveled off from there). Some news articles covering the studies stressed this point, as if to imply that low carb eating wasn’t effective. However, the participants kept the weight off for the duration of the study.
I was also pleased to read that the low carb participants showed lower levels of triglycerides — a type of fat in the bloodstream which may lead to obesity.
Compared with the low-fat group, Atkins dieters also had lower levels of triglycerides, potentially harmful blood fats which can trigger heart disease. Concentrations of beneficial high density cholesterols (HDLs) also held up better in the Atkins group. And these favourable changes remained till the end of the study, suggesting that there might be lasting benefits. […]
A second study run by Duke University Medical Center has similar findings to the first, though low-carb eaters lost about twice that (12 kg) of those in the study eating low-fat foods. However, a “substantial number” of the low-carb dieters also saw increases in their bad cholesterol — but I’m not sure to what degree that’s relevant since the article doesn’t elaborate on the phrase “substantial number”.
I feel that we Americans have become lazy.
If you look at other countries, how many of them have the problems that we have. All these diets we hear about to lose weight in a month or a year
are ridiculous. We live in a fast past world. We are always on the go. We eat fast food and foods that are processed. If we just slow down and take time to eat right. Don’t always get caught in the things of the world. Exercise regularly. Instead of always going out to eat, stay home, set a meal plan, play with your children, keep them active. Make eating right and exercising a habit for a life time.