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Old July 17th, 2008, 02:57 PM posted to alt.support.diet.low-carb
Matti Narkia
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Posts: 19
Default Low-carb and Mediterranean diets beat low-fat for weight-loss,lipid changes at two years

Roger Zoul wrote:

Beer-Sheva, Israel - Both a low-carbohydrate diet or a Mediterranean-style
diet may be "effective alternatives" to a low-fat diet, with more favorable
effects on lipids and/or glycemic control, new research suggests [1]. The
two-year study, which managed to keep almost 85% of the 322 study
participants on one of the three diets for the entire period, offers the
hope that weight-loss diets can be tailored to personal preferences, without
sacrificing efficacy, researchers say.
"Several recent one-year dietary studies have led the American Diabetes
Association to state in January 2008 that low-carb diets should be
considered for a maximum of one year," lead author on the study, Dr Iris
Shai (Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel), told
heartwire. "The current two-year study suggests that one low-fat diet
doesn't fit all, meaning that the old paradigm should be reconsidered."

http://www.theheart.org/viewArticle...._id=tho16jul08


Shai I et al.
Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet.
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Volume 359:229-241,
July 17, 2008, Number 3
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/3/229
elow the abstract
of the study;

"Background Trials comparing the effectiveness and safety of
weight-loss diets are frequently limited by short follow-up times
and high dropout rates.

Methods In this 2-year trial, we randomly assigned 322 moderately
obese subjects (mean age, 52 years; mean body-mass index [the
weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in '
meters], 31; male sex, 86%) to one of three diets: low-fat,
restricted-calorie; Mediterranean, restricted-calorie; or
low-carbohydrate, non–restricted-calorie.

Results The rate of adherence to a study diet was 95.4% at 1
year and 84.6% at 2 years. The Mediterranean-diet group
consumed the largest amounts of dietary fiber and had the
highest ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fat (P0.05
for all comparisons among treatment groups). The low-carbohydrate
group consumed the smallest amount of carbohydrates and the
largest amounts of fat, protein, and cholesterol and had the
highest percentage of participants with detectable urinary
ketones (P0.05 for all comparisons among treatment groups).
The mean weight loss was 2.9 kg for the low-fat group, 4.4 kg
for the Mediterranean-diet group, and 4.7 kg for the
low-carbohydrate group (P0.001 for the interaction between
diet group and time); among the 272 participants who completed
the intervention, the mean weight losses were 3.3 kg, 4.6 kg,
and 5.5 kg, respectively. The relative reduction in the ratio
of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
was 20% in the low-carbohydrate group and 12% in the low-fat
group (P=0.01). Among the 36 subjects with diabetes, changes
in fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were more favorable
among those assigned to the Mediterranean diet than among those
assigned to the low-fat diet (P0.001 for the interaction among
diabetes and Mediterranean diet and time with respect to fasting
glucose levels).

Conclusions Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets may be
effective alternatives to low-fat diets. The more favorable
effects on lipids (with the low-carbohydrate diet) and on
glycemic control (with the Mediterranean diet) suggest that
personal preferences and metabolic considerations might
inform individualized tailoring of dietary interventions."

The full text of the article seems also to be free, although to read
it a free registrations is probably required.

The best news report about this study is probably Medscape's

Low-Carb and Mediterranean Diets Beat Low-Fat for Weight Loss, Lipid
Changes at 2 Years
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/577593?src=rss

(requires free registration)

Medscape's report is very clear, detailed and accurate. It
presents some results in easily readable table format. Here
is Medscape's presentation of the weight loss data:

"Weight loss

Group Low-fat (kg) Mediterranean (kg) Low-carb (kg)
All patients –2.9 –4.4 –4.7
All completers –3.3 –4.6 –5.5
Men –3.4 –4.0 –4.9
Women –0.1 –6.2 –2.4"

As can be seen the low-carb diet was best for men for weight loss,
followed by the Mediterranean diet, but Mediterranean diet was the
best for women, followed by the low-carb diet.

Medscape's presentation of lipid changes is as follows:

"Lipid changes

Parameter Low-fat (mg/dL) Low-carb (mg/dL) Mediterranean (mg/dL)
HDL +6.4 +8.4 +6.3
LDL –0.05 –3.0 –5.6
Triglycerides –2.8 –23.7 –21.8
Total –0.6 –1.1 –0.9
cholesterol/
HDL ratio"

As can be seen, the important Total cholesterol/HDL ratio improved
most in the low-carb diet and the Mediterranean diet was very close
second. LDL was lowered most by Mediterranean diet followed by low-carb
diet. Low-carb diet raised HDL most. Triglycerides were lowered most
by low-carb and Mediterranean diets.

Finally, below some selected comments from the end of the Medscape
report:

"- The mean BMI changes were –1.0, –1.5, and –1.5 kg/m2, respectively.

- All groups had significant decreases in blood pressure and waist
circumference, with no difference among the 3 groups.

- Waist circumference was decreased by 2.8, 3.5, and 3.8 cm in the
low-fat, Mediterranean, and low-carbohydrate groups, respectively.

- Systolic blood pressure was reduced by 4.3, 5.5, and 3.9 mm Hg,
respectively.

- HDL cholesterol levels increased in all groups, with the greatest
increase in the low-carbohydrate group (8.4 mg/dL).

- Triglyceride levels decreased significantly, with the greatest
decrease seen in the low-carbohydrate group (2.7 mg/dL).

- The ratio of total to HDL cholesterol decreased in all 3 groups,
greatest in the low-carbohydrate group (20%).

- C-reactive protein decreased significantly in the Mediterranean and
low-carbohydrate groups.

- In the 36 participants with diabetes, only those in the Mediterranean
group had a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose levels (32.8
mg/dL).

- Hemoglobin A1c rates decreased by 0.4%, 0.5%, and 0.9% in the low-fat,
Mediterranean, and low-carbohydrate groups, respectively.

- The Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets were feasible
alternatives to the low-fat diet with some benefits, and personal
preference could drive tailoring of diets for weight loss."

Notice especially that the very important cardiovascular risk factor
C-reactive protein (CRP) was reduced significantly only in the
Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate groups.


--
Matti Narkia

http://ma.gnolia.com/groups/Nutrition