CBS: Low-Carb Diet Doesn't Up Heart Risk

[Beaudry]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/08/health/webmd/main2164981.shtml

(WebMD) Critics of low-carbohydrate diets claim that they promote heart disease, but one of the first studies to examine the long-term effects of low-carb eating suggests otherwise.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found no evidence of an association between low-carbohydrate diets and increased cardiovascular risk, even when these diets were high in saturated animal fats.

Low-carb eating even seemed to be protective against heart disease when vegetables were the main sources of fat and protein in the diet.

The study, which appears tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine, included almost 83,000 female nurses in the Nurses' Health Study who provided detailed information about their eating patterns once per year for more than 20 years. The nurses were not asked to follow any particular diets.

A clear message from the research was that extreme diets, which severely restrict either fats or carbohydrates, are not the best choices for cardiovascular disease prevention, researcher Thomas L. Halton, Sc.D., tells WebMD.

"Neither a very low-fat diet or a very low-carbohydrate diet proved to be ideal," he says. "There were pros and cons to both of these diets."

Low-fat diets are by definition low in saturated fats, which is good for the heart, Halton says. But they also tend to be higher in refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour, which spike blood sugar levels.

"Americans tend to pick the wrong carbohydrates," he says. "So the benefits of eating lower amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol are offset to some degree by the poor quality of the carbohydrates they eat."

The most protective diet, in terms of heart disease risk, was a low-carbohydrate that was also low in saturated fats and cholesterol where vegetables were the main sources of fats and protein. "The vegetable-based low-carbohydrate diet combined the best features of low-fat and low-carbohydrate eating," Halton says. Following this diet was associated with a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk over 20 years.

"The quality of fat and carbohydrate is more important than the quantity," says study researcher Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D. "A heart-healthy diet should embrace healthy types of fat and carbohydrates."

Hu was talking about carbohydrates that are slow to convert to sugar, or so-called low-glycemic-load foods.

Most fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts have low glycemic loads. Refined white flour and sugar, as well as white rice and potatoes, have high glycemic loads.

Women in the study whose diets had the highest glycemic loads had a 90 percent increased risk of developing heart disease during the 20 years of follow-up, compared with women whose diets had the lowest glycemic loads.

"This is just one study, but the findings suggest that eating a high-glycemic-load diet may be even more harmful than eating a diet that is high in saturated fat and cholesterol," Halton says.

Frank Sacks, M.D., also studies diet and heart disease risk at the Harvard School of Public Health, but he was not involved with the study by Halton and colleagues. His research also suggests that following a strictly low-fat diet is less protective against heart disease than following a diet that includes fat from vegetable sources like olive and canola oil.

He is currently assessing the cardiovascular risks and benefits of some of the most widely promoted commercial diets, including Atkins, the South Beach Diet, and the Zone.

[Beaudry]

To add:

A clear message from the research was that extreme diets, which severely restrict either fats or carbohydrates, are not the best choices for cardiovascular disease prevention, researcher Thomas L. Halton, Sc.D., tells WebMD.

"Neither a very low-fat diet or a very low-carbohydrate diet proved to be ideal," he says. "There were pros and cons to both of these diets."

This study just showed that a low-carb diet better for your heart. The doctor quoted here says low-carb is "not the best choices for cardiovascular disease prevention." How does this doctor look at this study and then say that?

[NASMTrainer]

when vegetables were the main sources of fat and protein in the diet

That's the main statement of this article. I don't care what anybody says though, the Atkins diet is a horrible diet for long term use. The amount of saturated fat that is taken in can not be healthy for anybody. My own cardiologist told me that if somebody needed to drop 20 lbs or so and didn't have a history of high cholesterol, he would consider it but anything over that and he is totaly against it.

and another thing, you know how much veggies you would have to eat to get your protein in? :yikes:

[Beaudry]

That's the main statement of this article. I don't care what anybody says though, the Atkins diet is a horrible diet for long term use. The amount of saturated fat that is taken in can not be healthy for anybody. My own cardiologist told me that if somebody needed to drop 20 lbs or so and didn't have a history of high cholesterol, he would consider it but anything over that and he is totaly against it.

and another thing, you know how much veggies you would have to eat to get your protein in? :yikes:

It seems to me that the most anti-Atkins people are those who have been educated in nutrition and fitness. I'll guess you are one of those.

You are told "saturated fat is bad!", so you believe it. This is a 20 year study that shows that saturated fat isn't really that bad. Rice and potatoes are much worse for you. This study of 80,000+ people shows that everything you know and believe has been wrong this whole time. I can understand how you not take this news well.

RE: Vegetables - they were saying to get your fat from vegetables, not your protein. Still, it's a stupid idea because only a very few vegetables contain large amounts of fat. Few are going to chow on avocados and artichoke eveyr single day.

[NASMTrainer]

It seems to me that the most anti-Atkins people are those who have been educated in nutrition and fitness. I'll guess you are one of those.

You are told "saturated fat is bad!", so you believe it. This is a 20 year study that shows that saturated fat isn't really that bad. Rice and potatoes are much worse for you. This study of 80,000+ people shows that everything you know and believe has been wrong this whole time. I can understand how you not take this news well.

RE: Vegetables - they were saying to get your fat from vegetables, not your protein. Still, it's a stupid idea because only a very few vegetables contain large amounts of fat. Few are going to chow on avocados and artichoke eveyr single day.

Look again, it says fat AND protein

[NASMTrainer]

Saturated fats ARE bad for you, they raise your LDL cholesterol,and therefore increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. They are solids at room temp or just above, all in all they are very unhealthy fats. But you keep eating your Hardee's thickburger. I'm sure it taste good.

[jbooma]

It seems to me that the most anti-Atkins people are those who have been educated in nutrition and fitness. I'll guess you are one of those.

You are told "saturated fat is bad!", so you believe it

First off saturated fats are bad for you, they are one of the worse things for you body, where are you getting this from??

Actually not only those educated by nutrition but many dr's as well If the only protein you are getting is from red meat, then you are damaging yourself.

[MaddogCT]

To add:

This study just showed that a low-carb diet better for your heart. The doctor quoted here says low-carb is "not the best choices for cardiovascular disease prevention." How does this doctor look at this study and then say that?

The study showed a low carb diet isnt BAD for your heart, not that its BETTER. There is a huge diffrence in what the study shows and your statement.

Plus, the doctor, in there sentance before your quote said, EXTREME low carb and low fat diets were not the BEST way to maintain a healthy cardio system.

The doctor then stated the following:

"The most protective diet, in terms of heart disease risk, was a low-carbohydrate that was also low in saturated fats and cholesterol where vegetables were the main sources of fats and protein. "The vegetable-based low-carbohydrate diet combined the best features of low-fat and low-carbohydrate eating," Halton says. Following this diet was associated with a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk over 20 years."

Basicly a "balanced" diet. Some meat. Some starch. A good amount of fruit and veggies. Plenty of liquids too.

But the most imortant thing you can do to keep your heart as healthy as your heart can be, is to exercise. Your cardio system will thank you.

:logo:

[prophet]

I been on a low calorie diet for the past 2 1/2 months, and have droped 50 lbs.

[KingGibbs]

Like NASM said, the Atkins diet is not idea for the long term, but if you are serious about wanting to lose weight, it IS a great way to kickstart your weight loss. But, you MUST have a plan B.

What I mean by this is follow the guidelines of the Atkins or if you prefer the South Beach diet for several months along with a moderate excercise program. Then you should SLoWLY incorporate low-glycemic carbs back into your diet and INCREASE the intensity of your workouts. This will prevent your body from adapting and keep your metabolism going.

If your wondering which low-carb diet to follow I would recommend the South Beach because it is a healthier alternative. If you've never been on a low-carb diet be aware that it is going to shock your body and you will experience some serious stomach pains due to constipation, but it will bypass within a few days and you will be on your way to a new you.

[KingGibbs]

I been on a low calorie diet for the past 2 1/2 months, and have droped 50 lbs.

:point2sky Way to go! Which diet? Are you excercising also?

[TheKurp]

Funny how two different publications can report on the same study yet state two different things.

CBS News says:

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found no evidence of an association between low-carbohydrate diets and increased cardiovascular risk, even when these diets were high in saturated animal fats.

USA Today says: (See full article at http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20061109/bl_line09.art.htm)

The study also found that women who ate a low-carb diet but got more of their protein and fat from vegetable sources cut heart disease risk by 30% on average, compared with those who ate more animal fats.

Clearly the USA Today report is suggesting that the study showed eating fat from animal sources DOES increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

[prophet]

:point2sky Way to go! Which diet? Are you excercising also?

Truly a diet I just made up. But it is probably like something thats already out there.

I work out anywhere to 3-4 (Cardio, elliptical machine) times a week for about 20-40 min. Most of it has been cardio the past month because of a fracture in my arm. Before that I would do the cardio for 20-30 min with about 10 sets of 10 weight training.

I can break it down for you want in a pm

[Tarhog]

I've heard of this study, and a lot of criticism has been directed at it - because of the methods it employed. Asking people to report what they've eaten hasn't been demonstrated as scientifically reliable.

I don't know what the truth is, just pointing out that unless a study is meticulously planned and carried out, the results aren't going to mean a whole lot.

[Destino]

low-carbohydrate that was also low in saturated fats and cholesterol where vegetables were the main sources of fats and protein

basically eat like a rabbit and hate your diet.

I still think the problem in the US is portion size for most people, not what they are eating. We confuse buckets for soda cups and "super size" our lunches into meals that could feed a family of 4 in other places.

[Beaudry]

Many people are ignoring this study because it doesn't fit their beliefs. The study shows that saturated fat is not the evil that many have been claiming for years.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found no evidence of an association between low-carbohydrate diets and increased cardiovascular risk, even when these diets were high in saturated animal fats.

Saturated fats ARE bad for you, they raise your LDL cholesterol,and therefore increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. They are solids at room temp or just above, all in all they are very unhealthy fats. But you keep eating your Hardee's thickburger. I'm sure it taste good.

Read the above quote. Even when these diets were high in saturated animal fats. I guess it would make sense to listen to you instead of a 20 year study done on 80,000 people.

[TheKurp]

Read the above quote. Even when these diets were high in saturated animal fats. I guess it would make sense to listen to you instead of a 20 year study done on 80,000 people.

Beaudry,

It would behoove you not to rely on the spin CBS News has put on the findings of this study.

If you go straight to the source of the article as it appears in the New England Journal of Medicine (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/355/19/1991) you'll see the conclusion stated as:

Our findings suggest that diets lower in carbohydrate and higher in protein and fat are not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in women. When vegetable sources of fat and protein are chosen, these diets may moderately reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

The conclusion DOES NOT STATE that saturated fats from animal sources reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

[Beaudry]

It would behoove you not to rely on the spin CBS News has put on the findings of this study.

The conclusion DOES NOT STATE that saturated fats from animal sources reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

It would behoove you to understand what the study is saying. It DOES STATE that saturated fats from animal sources do not increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

[MurrayH81]

"The Scientific community has followed this study (The Nurses Health Study) closely... The design of this study makes it a prospectie cohort study, which means it follows a group of people, a cohort, and records information on diets before disease events are diagnosed, making the the study "prospective". May regard a prospective cohort study as the best experimental design for human studies.

The question of whether diets high in fat are linked to breast cancer was a natural outgrowth of the fierce discussion going on in the mid 1970's and early 1980's. High-fat diets not only were associated with heart disease (the McGovern dietary goals), but also with cancer (the Diet, Nutrition and Cancer report). What better study to answer this question than the Nurses' Health Study? It has good design, massive numbers of women, top-flight researchers and a long follow-up period. Sounds perfect right? Wrong.

The Nurses' Health Study suffers from flaws that serously doom its results. It is the premier example of how reductionism in science can create massive amounts of confusion and misinformation, even when the scientists involved are honest, well intentioned and positioned at the top institutions in the world.."

The problem lies with the diets involved in the study.

"As you might guess, virtually all of these women consume a diet very rich in animal based foods, even richer than the average American. Their average protein intake (as a % of calories) is around 19%, compared with a US average of ~16%. To give some perspective, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is only about 9-10%. But even more importantly, of the protein consumed by the nurses in this study, between 78% and 86% comes from animal based foods. In other words, virtually all of these nurses are more carnivorous than an average American woman. They consume very few whole, plant based foods."

"When you compare the study results alongside populations that mainly eat plant based foods, the results are clear. There is no way to study diet and breast cancer or heart disease relationship originally suggested by international studies because virtually the entire cohort of nurses is consuming a high risk diet."

The aformentioned quotes have been taken from a book entitled "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell.

Excercise, eat mainly plants day in and day out, don't get all stressed out and be happy. It's not like we all will not die anyway, some of us will just not do it from a heart attack or cancer.

/hail:helmet:

[jbooma]

basically eat like a rabbit and hate your diet.

I still think the problem in the US is portion size for most people, not what they are eating. We confuse buckets for soda cups and "super size" our lunches into meals that could feed a family of 4 in other places.

Every time anyone goes out for dinner you can eat half of your plate and that would be a decent portion size.