Researchers Test Health Effects of the South Beach Diet

As the obesity epidemic continues to spiral out of control in the United States and around the world, millions of men, women, and young people are looking for safe and effective ways to shed excess pounds. Fueled by dieters? desperation, the weight loss industry has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar per year behemoth. It seems like a new fad diet or weight loss system is introduced every time you turn around

When it was first introduced, the South Beach Diet was unfairly lumped in with more extreme low-carb regimens, such as the Atkins diet. However, although the South Beach Diet shares some basic principles with the low-carb philosophy, it represents a much more balanced ? and medically sound ? approach to weight loss.

In fact, the underlying components of the South Beach Diet aren?t new at all. They bear a striking resemblance to the Mediterranean diet, a traditional way of eating that researchers say help accounts for the very low rates of disease and obesity in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.

The growing acceptance of this approach to weight loss has prompted many researchers to reassess the South Beach Diet in recent years. This week, we?ll take a look at a few recent studies that have scrutinized the health and safety of this approach. 

Researchers Single Out the South Beach Diet as a Good Choice for Weight Loss

A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Connecticut sought to test the efficacy of the South Beach Diet as compared to standard low-fat diet approaches. In the study, the researchers assigned overweight men and women to two groups. Each group was directed to follow either a low-carb or a low-fat diet for a period of 50 days. After the initial period, all of the participants switched diets. This dual study design allowed the scientists the ability to carefully compare all aspects of both approaches.

Virtually all of the dieters lost more body fat on the low-carb regimen than the low-fat diet. The low-carb approach ? which approximated the guidelines of the South Beach Diet ? was found to be especially effective for men. However, both men and women on the low-carb regimen lost substantial body fat in the upper body area.

The preliminary results of the study also seemed to indicate that the low-carb diet approach was more effective in reducing and reversing several of the cardiac risk factors associated with obesity.

South Beach Diet Identified as Best for Heart Health

Although many dieters seek out new eating plans as a way to shed excess pounds, their doctors are often equally ? if not more -- concerned about a diet?s impact the health risks associated with obesity. While low-carb diets have long been proven to be effective as weight loss tools, concerns linger about their overall effect on health.

According to the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the South Beach Diet succeeds on both of these measures. It is low-carb enough to help dieters achieve steady weight loss, but it also avoids the risks associated with more extreme regimens.

Based on extensive analysis of several popular plans, the South Beach Diet was found to be one of the most effective ways to not only lose weight, but reduce the risk of obesity-related heart problems. In fact, this diet was shown to be more effective than even the government?s low-fat Food Pyramid at promoting weight loss and heart health.

Study Finds Wide-Ranging Health Benefits with South Beach-Like Diet

In addition to its effectiveness as a weight loss tool and heart-health booster, researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York found that the Mediterranean diet from which the South Beach approach draws its principal components had a number of other positive side effects, as well.

Among the most significant health benefits that were identified, it was found that this way of eating substantially reduced the risk of Alzheimer?s disease and also lengthened average life spans in the population that was studied. Preliminary results also indicated that the diet may also improve cognitive and neurological function throughout the lifespan, particularly for elderly men and women.

If you?re interested in the health and weight loss benefits of the South Beach Diet, talk to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist for a complete explanation. Please come back next week for more late-breaking weight loss news.