Triglycerides are decreased and HDL increased on Atkins:
A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity.
Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, McGuckin BG, Brill C, Mohammed BS, Szapary PO, Rader DJ, Edman JS, Klein S.
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309, USA.
fosterg@mail.med.upenn.edu N Engl J Med. 2003 May 22;348(21):2082-90.
BACKGROUND: Despite the popularity of the low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat (Atkins) diet, no randomized, controlled trials have evaluated its efficacy. METHODS: We conducted a one-year, multicenter, controlled trial involving 63 obese men and women who were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet or a low-calorie, high-carbohydrate, low-fat (conventional) diet. Professional contact was minimal to replicate the approach used by most dieters. RESULTS: Subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet had lost more weight than subjects on the conventional diet at 3 months (mean [+/-SD], -6.8+/-5.0 vs. -2.7+/-3.7 percent of body weight; P=0.001) and 6 months (-7.0+/-6.5 vs. -3.2+/-5.6 percent of body weight, P=0.02), but the difference at 12 months was not significant (-4.4+/-6.7 vs. -2.5+/-6.3 percent of body weight, P=0.26). After three months, no significant differences were found between the groups in total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. The increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and the decrease in triglyceride concentrations were greater among subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet than among those on the conventional diet throughout most of the study. Both diets significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure and the insulin response to an oral glucose load. CONCLUSIONS: The low-carbohydrate diet produced a greater weight loss (absolute difference, approximately 4 percent) than did the conventional diet for the first six months, but the differences were not significant at one year. The low-carbohydrate diet was associated with a greater improvement in some risk factors for coronary heart disease. Adherence was poor and attrition was high in both groups. Longer and larger studies are required to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diets. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society
Glaux, thank you for sending me this article. Amazingly, I read this very article in the New England Journal seconds before reading your post to me.
As the authors say, longer term studies are necessary, and I am still concerned about the long-range effects of a diet high in saturated fats until such long range studies can be conducted.
I intend to stay on the Atkins diet and try to minimize saturated fat intake. I know I'll get tired of fish and no-carbohydrate tofu.
Already I have lost enough weight to feel good; my mood is better; and I feel optimistic and slightly euphoric. I also think more clearly; on high carbohydrates, I was feeling groggy all the time.
I can tell the authors one thing: The Atkins diet is vastly easier to follow than the "conventional", low fat, high carbohydrate diet.
I used to be able to control my weight merely my dieting; if I gained weight, I just stopped eating. However, for the past few years, I have not been able to do this. I have never been up against anything more difficult. The Atkins diet has made it possible for me to control my weight again.