Low-Fat High Carbs Diet
September 30, 2002
OK I’m sure everyone is waiting
to discover the dangers of the low-fat high carbohydrate
diet. But before I cover that topic I wanted to challenge
anyone who is reading this to email me any scientific
literature which supports the low-fat high carbohydrate
diet, as a weight loss diet, heart healthy, cancer prevention
diet, or sports performance diet. I would enjoy studying
valid information.
All right the possible risks or dangers
of a low-fat diet. There is a great deal of evidence
to suggest that a low-fat diet is unhealthy, in fact
several studies have suggested a very low fat high carbohydrate
may lead to an increase risk of heart disease, type
II diabetes, cancer, and the psychiatric problems of
depression and even schizophrenia.
A study published in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition found that when diets of equal
calories were compared those which contained the higher
percentage of calories as carbohydrates caused the greatest
risk of heart disease especially in post-menopausal
women.
One of the largest published studies on
diet and breast cancer, which studied over 5,000 women,
showed women with the lowest intake of dietary fat had
significantly higher incidence of breast cancer, compared
to the women who had a highest intake of dietary fat.
The study also found women who consumed the most starch
had the highest incidence of breast cancer and those
who consumed the lowest levels of starch had the lowest
incidence of breast cancer. The same study also found
that saturated fat had no effect one-way or the other
on the incidence of breast cancer. Lancet; 347(9012):1351-6
1996)
Another study published in JAMA involving over 10,000
women found those who ate the higher carbohydrate diets
had the greatest risk of developing type two diabetes.
And finally in a study published in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism the lead
author Gerald Reaven MD stated: Numerous studies have
shown that high-carbohydrate low-fat diets lead to high
triglycerides, elevated insulin levels, lower HDL cholesterol
levels and other factors know to raise the risk of coronary
artery disease.
Now is a high carbohydrate diet dangerous?
I believe it may be for some people. Certainly a high
carbohydrate diet is not the magic “pill”
to a long and healthy life.
Hopefully some of you will take the challenge
and we can discuss and learn from each other.
Bobby
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