Low Carb Low Down

by Nutrition Focus

A new study finds that a low-carbohydrate diet gave better weight loss and participant retention than a low-fat diet. During weight loss, serum triglycerides and HDL cholesterol improved more with the low-carb diet.

Sixty obese subjects were assigned to a low-carb, ketogenic (less than 20 grams a day) diet and 59 were assigned to a low-fat (29 percent of energy) diet for 6 months. Forty-five completed the low-carb diet and 34 completed the low-fat diet. Weight loss was twice as great in the low-carb group. The study was published in the May 18, 2004 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/140/10/769

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

While weight loss on the low-carb diet was greater than on a low-fat diet, the editors of the journal pointed out that the high dropout rate, self-directed adherence to the diets, and the relatively short observation period of the study make it difficult to extrapolate these findings to the general population.

Tags: low-carb low-fat