Are low carbohydrate diets the answer to healthy weight loss?

It has long been known that increased fat storage raises blood cholesterol. And a high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease can lead to heart attack or stroke.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol such as whole milk dairy products, fatty meats, oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils and egg yolks. Instead, the AHA recommends substituting foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, fat-free and low-fat milk products, skinless poultry and lean meats.

Is weight loss as simple as dropping carbohydrates?

Scientists have long probed the assertion that avoiding carbohydrates or dropping them altogether can reduce the storage of fat, which leads to lethargy, junk food addiction and health conditions such as heart disease and cancer. But is dropping carbohydrates from your diet the answer to dropping fat from your waistline? Is it true that saturated fat and cholesterol are not really the cause of heart disease? The American Heart Association, American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association disagree.

Low-carbohydrate gurus argue that carbohydrates make us secrete insulin. And since insulin is driving fat accumulation, if people were to eat fewer carbohydrates, fat accumulation would decline.

So which diet is better? Low fat or low carbohydrate?

Scientists state that if weight loss were a race, low carbohydrate diets would win hands down. Weight loss on low carbohydrate diets is most likely faster because a low-carbohydrate diet helps to suppress appetite, which in-turn makes it easier to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing calorie consumption. But a chief complaint of low carbohydrate diets is that they can increase levels of bad cholesterol. However, according to a study performed by the Harvard Health Letter, both low carbohydrate and low fat diet plans had the same effect on LDL cholesterol levels. And low carbohydrate diets won with respect to other blood fats related to heart disease.

Improvement to the low carbohydrate diet

According to the Harvard Health letter, a low carbohydrate diet plan can be improved by sticking with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and choosing whole grains as your carbohydrates. If you are planning on losing weight, talk to your doctor first about getting a cholesterol test. Before following any diet plan, it is highly recommended that you seek the advice of a doctor or health care professional.

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