Put down your low-fat snacks. A study recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine added more evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet is better for you than a low-fat diet. A low-carb diet means you consume less than 40 grams per day of carbs (from foods like bread and rice).
The study included 148 participants – including men and women, as well as both Caucasians and African Americans (one of the first of similar studies to include more than one race). Half of the participants followed a low-carbohydrate diet, and the other half followed a low-fat diet (less than 30% of their daily energy intake came from fat and 55% from carbohydrates).
After 12 months, members of the low-carb group lost an average of 12 pounds, while the low-fat group lost an average of just four pounds. The low-carb group had increased lean muscle mass compared with fat, whereas the low-fat group lost muscle compared with fat. HDL (“good cholesterol”) levels were higher in the low-carb group.
The most interesting find – participants in the low-carb group had larger drops in their levels of C-reactive protein, which indicates the presence of inflammation. I’ve written for years about how diets low in “white killers” also reduce inflammation (which has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer) and keep your heart healthy. So do what I do and cut out these white killers – white bread, white rice, and sugar – and give the low-carb Mediterranean diet a try.
From Dr. David Eifrig, editor, Retirement Millionaire