I am a subscriber to Medscape and just received news from a new study.  The title is "Different Metabolic Effects Observed With Traditional and Atkins-Like Diets."  Here are the first three paragraphs:

"January 2, 2008 (Adelaide, Australia) - A study comparing the metabolic effects of two diets, one a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, Atkins-like diet and the other a more traditional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, showed that both diets had similar improvements on a number of metabolic risk markers, although the traditional diet had more favorable effects on the blood lipid profile, including significant reductions in LDL-cholesterol levels [1].

'After six months, isocaloric energy-restricted very-low-carbohydrate, high-fat and high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets produced similar weight loss and substantial reductions in a number of cardiovascular disease risk markers,' write Jeannie Tay (Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia) and colleagues in the January 1, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 'Neither diet displayed adverse effects, suggesting diverse dietary patterns, including very-low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets, may be tailored to an individual's metabolic profile and dietary preference for weight management.'

The investigators note that while the traditional diet reduced LDL-cholesterol levels, the low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet resulted in greater increases in HDL cholesterol and larger reductions in triacylglycerol levels."

Ok, let's read that last sentence again.  A high fat, low carb diet both increased HDL (good) cholesterol and decreased triglycerides yet the high carb diet "had more favorable effects on the blood lipid profile?"  Huh?


Jim Swayze
www.fireholecanyon.com