The recent announcement about the study performed at Stanford U. on the effects of 4 different diets has apparently annoyed more than a few long time detractors of low-carb diets. The results of the study showed that overweight women who used the Atkins diet plan lost almost twice as much weight (10 lbs vs. 6 lbs) as women on the other 3 diets: Zone, Ornish, and the LEARN diets.
I think the total amount of weight lost is not really what is important here though. The study showed that the women on the Atkins diet did not develop the adverse health conditions such as increased LDL and triglycerides. Quite the contrary, the Atkins dieters had a significant drop in triglycerides and no appreciable increase in LDL levels. It has long be thought that a low carb diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat would mean sky high triglyceride and LDL levels. This just isn’t the case. I’ve proven this to myself on several occasions while on low carb diets. In fact, my overall health seemed to improve while on the diet.
The other notable health improvement in the group on the Atkins diet is they lowered their blood pressure. This is something I have experienced as well. Nevertheless, the debate will only get heated again as a result of the Standford study.
Perhaps the most useful takeaway from all this is that low carb diets are at least as effective or even more so than the other most popular diet plans. In addition, a diet lower in carbs and higher in protein and fat doesn’t appear to subject the dieter to health risks and may even improve their overall health.
What needs to be investigated now is how to make low carb diets even better. It’s become apparent that not all low carb diets are created equal. I’ve had my best results when concentrating my diet on lean sources of protein and low-glycemic index carbs such as green leafy vegetables. I try to avoid high-glycemic index carbs such as grains and sugar. The challenge is to maintain a healthy level of fiber in such a diet.
I think these results are very exciting and I will continue to work towards refining my own personal spin on the low carb diet. As always, I will be sure to share my findings here.