| Depending
on the source, low-fat diets are not any more relevant than a
low-carbohydrate diet. A study from the Women’s Health Initiative
(WHI), showed that a low-fat diet did not offer any substantial
health benefits in the defending the body against breast cancer
colorectal cancer, or heart disease, after menopause.
However, a closer evaluation
of the clinical trials showed that the reduction to elimination
of certain types of fat does have benefits. Published in the
February 8, 2006, issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association, the study involved 48,835 participants. Prior to
the study, the vast majority of subjects were eating an average
of 38 percent of their daily caloric daily intake from fat.
The researchers assigned one
group to eat natural foods (fruits, grains, and vegetables)
and to reduce daily caloric intake. The other 60 percent maintained
their normal high fat intake consumption habits. The participants
of the study were monitored for eight years. The final conclusions
of the clinical trial did not show a significant difference
between the two groups.
On the contrary, the group,
whose consumption was limited to a low-fat diet, faired quite
well. Although, they women followed a diet high in carbohydrates,
this group did not gain weight. More importantly, they had a
decreased risk of diabetes.
Although researchers did not
find conclusive results pertaining to the purpose of their study,
reduce the risk of breast, colorectal and the diet’s effect
on heart health. The validity of the study’s findings is deemed
controversial because the evaluation did not distinguish the
difference in fat types.
In lieu of the countering data,
medical experts are prescribing that patients reduce trans fat
and saturated fat intakes because it can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
levels and trigger the risk of heart disease. |
