After weight loss, follow a low-fat diet
Dieting may help people lose weight, but once the weight battle is won, diets low in saturated fat are the healthy choice.
Dieting may help people lose weight, but once the weight battle is won, diets low in saturated fat are the healthy choice.
Few studies in the past have evaluated the biological impact of diets during weight maintenance. To study the same, researchers from America looked at three popular diets: Atkins, South Beach and the Ornish plan.
The Atkins diet slashes carbohydrates while allowing foods high in saturated fat, like butter and red meat, while South Beach emphasises moderate amounts of unsaturated fat, like olive oil, and good carbohydrates like vegetables and beans. The Ornish plan is a vegetarian diet that is very low in fat overall and intended to prevent and treat heart disease.
Twenty-six healthy, non-obese participants were made to follow each of the diets for one month each. The goal was not to have them lose weight, but to study the biological effects of each eating plan - namely, the effects on
cholesterol, blood vessel function and inflammation. Each participant's diet was calculated to provide enough calories for weight maintenance.
After a month, it was found that the Atkins diet had increased slightly the participants' "bad" LDL cholesterol, on average. In contrast, the South Beach and Ornish plans led to a nearly 12 percent and 17 percent reduction, respectively.
In addition, the Ornish diet seemed to have the best impact on blood vessel function. Blood vessel function also correlated with the amount of saturated fat participants had been eating, improving as saturated fat intake declined.
The findings indicate that a diet low in saturated fat represents an excellent prescription for a healthy
heart.
Similar studies on people who have risk factors for heart disease are expected to see how various popular diets may affect their cardiovascular health over the long term.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
April 2009
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