A long-running comparison of three diet plans found that the low-carbohydrate Atkins regimen and a Mediterranean diet rich in fish and nuts produced slightly greater weight loss than a low-fat program modeled on American Heart Assn. dietary guidelines.
The low-carb dieters, who consumed generous amounts of saturated fat but avoided such staples as bread and pasta, saw steeper increases in HDL, or good, cholesterol than people on either the Mediterranean or low-fat diet, according to a report in today's New England Journal of Medicine.
The study, funded in part by the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation, was the latest to demonstrate the benefits of diets high in fat, protein and cholesterol, which had long been considered unhealthful.
"It is time to reconsider the low-fat diet as the first choice for weight loss and for cardiovascular health," said study author Dr. Meir J. Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health. "It is not the best."
The average weight loss in all three diet plans was small, and participants regained some of their pounds before the two-year study was over. Atkins dieters lost an average of 12 pounds; those on the Mediterranean regimen -- which included nuts, fish and olive oil -- shed an average of 10 pounds; and people assigned to the low-fat program lost an average of 7.3 pounds.
The study tracked 322 moderately obese people, all employees of a nuclear research facility in Israel, who were randomly assigned to one of the three diets. The average age of participants was 52, and most were men.
The low-fat diet, in which 30% of calories came from fat, and the Mediterranean diet had daily calorie restrictions. Men were limited to 1,800 calories, women to 1,500 calories.
People on the low-carb diet had no calorie limit but were encouraged to choose vegetarian sources of fat, such as beans and nuts, more than commonly associated with the Atkins diet. Their intake of carbohydrates was limited to 120 grams daily, compared with 400 grams in the typical U.S. diet.
To help participants stick to their programs, the workplace cafeteria prepared special meals for them and nutritional counseling was also available at work. Spouses were trained in how to keep participants encouraged, and participants tracked what they ate.
By the end of the study, subjects in all groups were consuming fewer calories and exercising more.
