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.
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