Low-Carb Diet Healthy for the Heart

Ivanhoe Newswire
Thursday, November 9, 2006; 12:00 AM

By Lucy Williams, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you're trying to lose weight but worry a low-carbohydrate diet may impact your heart health, you can rest easy. A new study reveals low-carb diets do not raise risk for coronary heart disease in women.

"This was certainly a surprise because you get a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol with the low-carb diets," Thomas L. Halton, Sc.D., of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Ivanhoe. "Many feel a low-fat diet should be a lot healthier."

The popularity of low-carbohydrate plans, like the Atkins diet and South Beach Diet, has raised concern about the long-term health risks of eating more fat and protein. Researchers reviewed diets of 82,802 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study between 1980 and 1998. Participants completed food-frequency questionnaires and reported incidence of health problems.

Twenty years after the initial survey, respondents reported 1,994 new incidents of coronary heart disease. Low-carbohydrate diets showed no association with a higher risk for heart disease. The study also revealed dieters can improve their heart health by selecting vegetable sources of fat and protein. Diets with a higher glycemic load reflected higher incidence of coronary heart disease.

Researchers say the take-home message of this investigation is neither low-fat nor low-carbohydrate diets are ideal. Both meal plans have strengths and weaknesses. Dr. Halton said, "Dieters can get the best features of both meal plans and eliminate the negative features by making healthier food selections."

Healthier Low-Carb Options

• Select vegetable sources of fat and protein for a lower chance of coronary heart disease
• Limit consumption of animal products high in saturated fat and cholesterol
• Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with a low glycemic index

More research is needed to determine why a higher glycemic load is linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease. Dr. Halton said, "We think it may have something to do with changes in blood lipids and increases in levels of insulin resistance."

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Thomas L. Halton, Sc.D., Harvard School of Public Health in Boston; The New England Journal of Medicine, 2006;355:1991-2002