Atkins Diet Debate
WLR dietitian comments on the findings of a new study which
concludes that a low-carb, high protein, high fat diet like the
Atkins may not be all bad.
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Atkins Diet - Not All Bad?
By WLR Dietitian
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A new study published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association has suggested that the
Atkins Diet may not
be as bad for our hearts as we originally thought.
The study set out to compare the weight loss and health
effects of four different diets over one year.
The four diets were the Atkins Diet (a low-carb, high-fat
plan), the Zone Diet (a reduced-carb plan), The LEARN plan (a
low-fat, reduced-calorie plan) and the Ornish diet (a very
low-fat plan).
The study included 311 overweight or obese women, who were
each assigned to one of the diets and given weekly advice for
two months, then a final follow-up after 12 months of starting
the plan.
The researchers discovered that after a year, the women in
the Atkins group had lost the most weight compared to the other
groups. Atkins followers lost, on average, 4.7kg, while Zone
followers lost 1.6kg, LEARN followers lost 2.6kg and Ornish
followers lost 2.2kg.
Surprisingly though, those following the Atkins diet, also
saw the biggest drop in their
blood pressure.
Furthermore,
despite the high fat and saturates content of the plan, Atkins
dieters had a significant drop in triglycerides (a type of blood
fat that’s linked to heart disease when levels are raised) and
an increase in HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol (the type that helps to
protect against heart disease.
Meanwhile, LDL or ‘bad’
cholesterol levels did rise slightly, but this difference wasn’t
significant.
The researchers conclude that a
low-carb, high-protein,
high-fat diet may be a feasible alternative for weight loss.
WLR says:
The debate about Atkins being good or bad continues to rumble on and
this piece of research simply adds to it.
However, it’s unsurprising this study found positive changes
in blood pressure and blood fats.
Ultimately, you would expect
to see drops in blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol in
anyone who has lost weight.
The Atkins diet works its magic just like any other diet –
and that’s by reducing calories. If a diet restricts certain
foods such as carbs, it also restricts calories and it’s this
that results in weight loss.
Health experts also know that when it comes to losing weight,
it’s important to follow a diet that teaches us healthy eating
habits for life so that we not only shift those pounds, but also
keep them off for good.
This means including a wide range of
foods that are enjoyable, as well as packed with all the
nutrients we need to stay healthy.
There is also increasing
evidence that wholegrains – typically found in carb-rich foods
like wholegrain cereals, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, oats and
oatcakes – have a number of health benefits, including keeping
our heart and digestive system healthy and helping us control
our weight and blood sugar levels.
Unfortunately, low-carb diets
such as Atkins make it difficult for us to eat three daily
servings of wholegrains as recommended by most health experts.
The benefits of eating
five different servings of fruit and veg are well established – and again, the Atkins diet makes it
hard to achieve this, especially in the early stages of the
plan.
Bottom line: there’s no need to cut out carbs from your daily
diet to lose weight.
Instead, stick to your
daily calorie
allowance and fill up on a wide variety of foods from the four
main food groups, including plenty of fruit, vegetables, low-fat
dairy products, lean red meat, fish and fibre-rich carbs.
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