Low-carb diet doesn't raise heart risk

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061108/...low_carb_study

By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Eating a low-carb, high-fat diet for years doesn't raise the risk of heart
disease, a long-term study suggests, easing fears that the popular Atkins
diet and similar regimens might set people up for eventual heart attacks.

The study of thousands of women over two decades found that those who got
lots of their carbohydrates from refined sugars and highly processed foods
nearly doubled their risk of heart disease.

At the same time, those who ate a low-carb diet but got more of their
protein and fat from vegetables rather than animal sources cut their heart
disease risk by 30 percent on average, compared with those who ate more
animal fats.

The findings came from researchers at Harvard University's schools of
medicine and public health who reviewed records of 82,802 women in the
ongoing Nurses' Health Study over 20 years. The women were not dieting to
lose weight. In fact, on average they were slightly overweight and increased
their body-mass index roughly 10 percent during the study.

Conventional wisdom says risk of heart disease should increase for those
eating the lowest-carb, highest-fat diet, said lead author Thomas Halton.

"It didn't, which was a little eye-opening," he said.

Halton said that may be because the women eating the fewest carbs were
compared directly to the group eating the highest-carb, lowest-fat diet.

"Neither diet is ideal," he said. "You need to take the best of both."

The findings, reported in Thursday's

New England Journal of Medicine, came from an analysis of food
questionnaires the nurses filled out every two to four years starting in
1980. The nurses also reported their use of aspirin, vitamins and hormones
for menopause symptoms, and on any history of smoking and heart problems.

The researchers calculated the percentage of calories coming from
carbohydrates and animal and vegetable fats and proteins, then divided the
nurses into 10 groups, from the lowest to the highest calorie percentage
from carbs.

The lowest-carb group ate carbohydrate amounts similar to the maintenance
program of the Atkins diet, less extreme than the early phase of the diet,
said dietitian Geri Brewster, former nutrition director at the Atkins Center
for Complementary Medicine in Manhattan.

Still, she said most women in this study ate fewer carbohydrates than
traditional diets recommend. While she thinks the Atkins diet allows too
much animal fat, Brewster said reducing carbohydrates works because it
forces the body to convert stored fat into an energy source and can curb
appetite.

American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Susan Moores, a dietitian in St.
Paul, Minn., said that because the study only included women, many going
through menopause and taking hormones, it is unclear how it applies to men.

For Moores, the key finding was that women reduced heart disease risk by
eating more protein and fat from vegetable sources.

"That was the biggest, "Aha!'" she said.

Dr. Robert Eckel, immediate past president of the

American Heart Association, said the study was well done, but noted that the
nurses' recall of what they ate likely isn't perfect.

Eckel, an endocrinologist at University of Colorado School of Medicine, said
many studies have shown heart disease risk is cut by eating less fat and
more whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables — the approach of the
government's food pyramid. He said medical guidelines won't be changed by
the new study, although it raises questions about the role of refined sugar.

___

On the Net: http://www.nejm.org

American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org

American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org

"2Phat" wrote in message
...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061108/...low_carb_study

By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Eating a low-carb, high-fat diet for years doesn't raise the risk of heart
disease, a long-term study suggests, easing fears that the popular Atkins
diet and similar regimens might set people up for eventual heart attacks.


Very encouraging news. I must admit I don't put a lot of faith in
self reported studies, but the Nurse's study is one of the largest studies
and probably the best study.

One should note that it applies to women, and not necessarily men.

It is hilarious how biased people are, the low-fat advocates still say
things like "she thinks the Atkins diet allows too much animal fat"
which is contrary to the results of this study.

On another topic, anyone notice a slight increase in homoerotic incense
posts
lately? It's not as annoying as all that Chung garbage, but I may have to
upgrade my filters.

Search [Eskimo "Cardiac disease"]

In article ,
says...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061108/...low_carb_study

By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Eating a low-carb, high-fat diet for years doesn't raise the risk of heart
disease, a long-term study suggests, easing fears that the popular Atkins
diet and similar regimens might set people up for eventual heart attacks.

Our local NBC news station had a report on this yesterday. They built
up to it with news teases during commercials and during the first part
of the news. ALWAYS it was with ominous overtones about what the LONG-
TERM effects of a low-carb diet were, and clearly the effects were
**REALLY BAD**. It was ridiculous -- their tone and mannerisms would
make a person think that they would probably DIE of the effects of low-
carbing before they even GOT to the report, only to have the report
basically say -- it's not better or worse healthwise than any OTHER diet
and it IS effective for losing weight. They simply will NOT give up on
condemning it, even when what they have to say about it is not only
okay, but BETTER than okay. Sheesh! It was like watching that phone
commercial where the mother and daughter are fighting and yelling at
while saying nice and loving things to each other.

--
Saffire
205/145/135-140 (aka JUST RIGHT!)
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

*** This post originated in alt.support.diet.low-carb -- its appearance
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