Few things have been debated in the diet arena as much as the “low carb vs. low fat” argument. Of course, if you are one of my avid followers, you know which camp I’m in — and hopefully you’re following a low-carb diet yourself.
But while it has become more and more mainstream, conventional medicine still tries to poo-poo the positive health benefits associated with eating a lower carbohydrate, Mediterranean type of diet that incorporates a good amount of healthy fat.
And to date, there have only been a handful of studies that have comprehensively examined the effects of eating a low carbohydrate/healthy fat diet on weight loss and warding off certain diseases such as diabetes.
Most likely because of the commercial interests involved (did someone say “Big Pharma?”) and the bad research that gets too much attention.
But eventually the truth prevails, no matter how many charts and graphs in bad studies try to cloud it.
Which is why I’m excited to share the outcome of a new “gold standard” study with you today. It cuts through all of the noise from the naysayers and gets rid of some of the confusion.
It was published few months ago in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and suggests that a low-carb diet is healthier than a low-fat one when managing type 2 diabetes.
The 115 participants in this study had an average age of 58, and all were obese type 2 diabetics. They were randomized into one of two groups — one that followed a very low-carbohydrate, high-unsaturated/low-saturated fat (LC) diet, and one that followed a high-carbohydrate, low-fat (HC) diet — for a full year.
The LC diet consisted of:
- 14% carbs
- 28% protein
- 58% fat
And the HC diet was:
- 53% carbs
- 17% protein
- 30% fat
The participants also adopted a serious exercise regimen: 60 minutes of aerobic and resistance training three times a week.
Researchers measured the participants’ blood sugar, lipid levels, and weight at the outset, halfway through the study, and at years end. They also evaluated the amount of diabetes medication the participants were taking.
At the end of the study both groups had lost weight. But there was a noticeable difference in the other markers the researchers measured.
Those in the LC group had lower triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol (the “good cholesterol”). They also improved their blood glucose and were able to reduce their diabetes medications.
Hallelujah! I thought this day would never come.
Of course, this isn’t a surprise to me. I’ve seen these same results in my patients for decades. But now, with this solid research to back up my clinical experience, there is simply no arguing that a lower carbohydrate diet that includes plenty of healthy fat is the way to go.
So, for those of you skeptics out there, once and for all — eating fat is good for you, and eating carbs ISN’T. And not just for diabetics. This is good — and proven — advice for everyone.
For more information on proven strategies to defeat diabetes, check out my Metabolic Repair Protocol. It offers complete, step-by-step advice for preventing, managing, and even reversing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Resources:
http://intl-ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/07/29/ajcn.115.112581.abstract
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