[cyberus]

"Low-Carb Regimen Better Than Low-Fat Diet For Weight And Cholesterol, Major Study Shows"

"The Mediterranean diet - rich in fish, vegetables, and olive oil - was best at lowering blood sugar in diabetics"

Study Tips Scales In Atkins Diet's Favor, Low-Carb Regimen Better Than Low-Fat Diet For Weight And Cholesterol, Major Study Shows - CBS News

[BlueSky]

Interesting that they restricted calories for the low-fat and Mediterranean diets, but not for the Atkins diet. Essentially, people on the Atkins diet lost more than people on the other two diets, in spite of eating as much as they liked.

[BrianSCohen]

While I certainly feel better about studies finally being done on the subject of low carb diets, however I have little faith that the medical establishment will actually be able to actually see truth and evidence in front of their faces, at least in the near term. Besides, how is big pharma going to make any more money off cholesterol medications, let alone from drugs like alli. And what about all the food makers who have gone through all the trouble to develop fat free high carb foods. Should we actually suggest that they destroy their business just because of some high falutin scientific evidence that says low fat diets are bad (did I spell "falutin" right?).

[fgummett]

highfalutin: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com

hi·fa·lu·tin adj. Informal.

Pompous or pretentious: “highfalutin reasons for denying direct federal assistance to the unemployed” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.).

[Origin unknown.]

REGIONAL NOTE H.L. Mencken, in his famous book The American Language, mentions highfalutin as an example of the many native U.S. words coined during the 19th-century period of vigorous growth. Although highfalutin is characteristic of American folk speech, it is not a true regionalism because it has always occurred in all regions of the country, with its use and popularity spurred by its appearance in print. The origin of highfalutin, like that of many folk expressions, is obscure. It has been suggested that the second element, –falutin, comes from the verb flute—hence high-fluting, a comical indictment of people who think too highly of themselves.

[fgummett]

If you look to the North you will find the Inuit who until the rest of us came along and "civilised" them ate only what was seasonally available. For most of the year that was seal/walrus/whale meat, organs, and fat/blubber, fish at other times, and at others, greens and berries. Inland they might get Caribou and some greens by eating their stomachs. Food was barely if ever cooked. From what I understand, they had little to no incidence of CVD, or Type 2 Diabetes... both of which genetically they are very prone... as they found out as soon as they started eating from Canada's Food Guide
If I were a scientist looking into the best practices for healthy eating I might be asking the Inuit elders a few questions

[HelenM]

News: Study Tips Scales In Atkins Diet's Favor

but only if you are a man!
Among the 45 women, those on the Mediterranean diet lost the most weight.

Like all these studies many of us will use them to support our own prejudices.

It would be interesting to read the actual paper but these are some of the reported facts that I picked up on.

all three approaches - the low-carb diet, a low-fat diet and a so-called Mediterranean diet - achieved weight loss and improved cholesterol.
The low-carb diet set limits for carbohydrates, but none for calories or fat. It urged dieters to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein.
Many people I read about on low fat diets seem to eat large quantities of animal derived saturated fats, this study cannot be used to support this type of diet

Average weight loss for those in the low-carb group was 10.3 pounds after two years. Those in the Mediterranean diet lost 10 pounds, and those on the low-fat regimen dropped 6.5.
is their a significant difference between the low-carb and the Med diet for weight loss?

The ratio (total cholesterol/HDL)declined by 20 percent in people on the low-carb diet, compared to 16 percent in those on the Mediterranean and 12 percent in low-fat dieters.
this could be a significant finding except that the low fat dieters apparently only reduced their fat intake 31.4 percent to 30.0 percent. This could also have something to do with their smaller weight loss

The Mediterranean diet - rich in fish, vegetables, and olive oil - was best at lowering blood sugar in diabetics, among diabetic participants, the standard low-fat diet actually increased the fasting glucose levels by 12mg/dL, while the Mediterranean diet induced a decrease in fasting glucose levels by 33mg/dL)
Not found any mention of how many were diabetic.


For me if as a woman with diabetes who doesn't need to lose weight it confirms that i'm right to stay on a vaguely Mediterranean type diet.

I found this critique of the study by Dean Ornish (someone who also has an agenda) Ornish: Why Atkins Still Doesn't Beat Low-Fat Diet | Newsweek Health: Dean Ornish | Newsweek.com

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by HelenM

... It would be interesting to read the actual paper ...

Here is a link to it.

And here is a graph that shows in more detail how weight change progressed over time for these three diets.



I find it interesting that the low-carbers lost and regained the most during the 2 year period. I wonder what the significance of this is?

[cyberus]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

I find it interesting that the low-carbers lost and regained the most during the 2 year period. I wonder what the significance of this is?

Many diets can provide short term weight loss, usually followed by a period of regaining weight.
However it seems by the graph (if I'm looking at it right) that while the low fat diet is trending back up, the other two seem to be trending down slowly.
Would be interesting to see another 12 months of data IMO.

[cyberus]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

While I certainly feel better about studies finally being done on the subject of low carb diets, however I have little faith that the medical establishment will actually be able to actually see truth and evidence in front of their faces, at least in the near term. Besides, how is big pharma going to make any more money off cholesterol medications, let alone from drugs like alli. And what about all the food makers who have gone through all the trouble to develop fat free high carb foods. Should we actually suggest that they destroy their business just because of some high falutin scientific evidence that says low fat diets are bad (did I spell "falutin" right?).

Heh .. like the 'Actos' web site meal planner/recipes .. snacks have more carbs than I consume for a full meal .. and some meals have what I eat in a day.
Of course a pharma-corp wouldn't get behind a high carb diet for diabetics to sell more diabetes drugs now would they? (heavy sarcasm)

[matingara]

Originally Posted by cyberus

Heh .. like the 'Actos' web site meal planner/recipes .. snacks have more carbs than I consume for a full meal .. and some meals have what I eat in a day.
Of course a pharma-corp wouldn't get behind a high carb diet for diabetics to sell more diabetes drugs now would they? (heavy sarcasm)

hey there Cyberus. good to see you supporting the overturning of this whole high carb scam.

i have a diabetes mag here that has a weekly meal planner that averages over 200 grams of carbs per day.

how are people meant to beat this thing with that sort of advice!

-- Joel.

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

I find it interesting that the low-carbers lost and regained the most during the 2 year period. I wonder what the significance of this is?

I might actually expect this as low carb diets cause an initial disturbance in glycogen stores. May people going on low carb diets like Atkins report quick losses. Often people would claim that initial weight loss is water, and some of it is. I think part of the observed drop may very well reflect a recomposition of the body. As you read the study, the low carb is really based on an Atkins diet, which restores carb levels to 120 g/day at 2 months. This is also aligned with the point at which large weight changes stop and things turn around.

Now that I have finally read this paper, it actually is quite interesting. They had very high adherence, most dietary studies have real problems over the long term. It is also interesting that the classic biomarker for low carb, namely ketones was also basically not there. The low fat dieters had 3-4% showing ketones, and the low carb only had 4.5-8% showing ketones. One has to wonder what would have happened with a truly ketogenic diet. I wish the study had examined body composition with body fat instead of weight, but overall I am pretty impressed on this study. It seems to be of fairly admirable quality.

[Noturningback]

Originally Posted by fgummett

If you look to the North you will find the Inuit who until the rest of us came along and "civilised" them ate only what was seasonally available. For most of the year that was seal/walrus/whale meat, organs, and fat/blubber, fish at other times, and at others, greens and berries. Inland they might get Caribou and some greens by eating their stomachs. Food was barely if ever cooked. From what I understand, they had little to no incidence of CVD, or Type 2 Diabetes... both of which genetically they are very prone... as they found out as soon as they started eating from Canada's Food Guide
If I were a scientist looking into the best practices for healthy eating I might be asking the Inuit elders a few questions

Speaking of native diets, I just ordered the Canadian documentary My Big, Fat Diet.

~Danielle

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by Noturningback

Speaking of native diets, I just ordered the Canadian documentary My Big, Fat Diet.

~Danielle

Thanks... I hadn't heard of that one although I did know that several first nations (native) communities are taking initiatives that try to restore the best parts of their traditional ways.

[cyberus]

Originally Posted by matingara

hey there Cyberus. good to see you supporting the overturning of this whole high carb scam.

i have a diabetes mag here that has a weekly meal planner that averages over 200 grams of carbs per day.

how are people meant to beat this thing with that sort of advice!

-- Joel.

What I can't wait for is to take my charts to my mom, the doc keep putting her on stronger higher doses of meds to control her type 2, I'm hoping she'll try low carb

[Alice]

If this is the same comparison discussed on USA's Good Morning America, then the sampling was very small and the difference between the margins was only 2 or 3 people in each group. Dr. Tim Johnson gave a wary review of this "study".

His point matches my view. That it's still a matter of calories in and calories out. He also pointed out that people with kidney distress don't need the extra proteins of the low-carb diet.

I just get tired of all the "extreme" diets.