Low Carb vs. Mediterranean vs. Low Fat

Here’s the Associated Press article: “Study: Low carb diet best for weight, cholesterol.”

This story has been blasted on every news station, newspaper and web page. If you want to read it, here’s the actual New England Journal of Medicine study (the cause of all this hoopla). Also, I want to let you know that I am not an advocate for any particular diet. As far as nutrition goes, I believe eating closer to the earth is best for all of us (e.g., more natural, less processed). I also believe that we all function differently on foods and no particular eating regimen would be best for absolutely everyone. So, my issues with this study are purely based on the interpretation and communication of the results.    

Here are the very basics of the study:

• 322 participants were randomly placed into the following groups: Low-fat with caloric restriction, “Mediterranean” diet with caloric restriction and Low-carb with no caloric restriction. The study followed these participants for two years.
• The low fat group was counseled to eat “low-fat grains, veggies, fruit, beans and to limit added fats, sweets and high fat snacks”.
• The Mediterranean group was counseled to follow a high veggie, light-colored meat, healthy fat regimen (olive oil, nuts).
• The low carb group was counseled to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein and avoid trans fats.

My issues (relevant to this study, anyway):    

First and foremost, the low carb group was told to focus on vegetarian sources of fat and protein. By doing this, they would not be ingesting meats or fats that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. So, this isn’t the typical cuisine we associate with a “low carb diet”- no T-bone with butter sauce for lunch and cheesecake for dinner. It’s more like a big slice of Tofurky with avocado puree and almonds for dessert. If the low-carbers were eating like this, it’s no wonder they were seeing beneficial cholesterol results.

Second, low carbers were told to avoid trans fats. The Mediterranean dieters were also counseled to choose healthy fats. As far as the study describes, the low fat group didn’t get the memo on trans fats or healthy fats. There is a lot of research to support the claim that trans fats raise LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and lower HDL (“good cholesterol”). The FDA cites cakes, cookies, crackers, pies and bread as the sources for 40% of the trans fats in the American diet. Those items sound like the typical low fat diet food. If the low fat group was ingesting more trans fats, the cholesterol results may be misleading (perhaps along with the Mediterranean group if trans fats weren’t specifically discussed with them either).       

Third, the low carbers were the only group to see an average raise in LDL during the first six months. However, the LDL began and continued to fall after the six month mark. Additionally, the triglycerides for the low carbers dropped quickly in the first six months but then turned around and continued to climb until the end of the study. This finding introduces a lot of questions- specifically, how high would the triglycerides have gone?

Fourth, the weight loss for the low carb group doesn’t seem earth-shattering or even mildly shifting to me. I’ve listed the average weight loss for men and women based on their diet group at the completion of the study (unfortunately, women were underrepresented with only 45 women participating in the study- but still, check out the weight loss for women in the Mediterranean group).

Fifth, back to that low fat diet food. Much of it is highly processed and full of preservatives and chemicals. How do these synthetics affect cholesterol and/or the ability to lose weight? Hmmm…

Okay last thing, I promise. Look who supported the study:

“Supported by the Nuclear Research Center Negev (NRCN), the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Research Foundation, and the S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Ben-Gurion University, Israel.”

Did you notice the name of the Research Foundation? Yup, that says Atkins. The study continues,

“No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.”

Well, I wouldn’t report it either! But, let’s be serious, you want to give the boss good news, right? I don’t think the Atkins foundation wanted to hear that the Mediterranean diet was the winner or that the low fat group even came close.

So, those are a few of my “issues” with this study… I am pretty sure the low carb debate will be an eternal controversy. Comment below to let us know what you think

Breathe in, Peace out…

Aimee