Low-Carb Diets Can Be Heart Healthy

Most studies show people can lose more weight on low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets than on mixed or high-carbohydrate diets. High-protein diets are often rich in saturated fats, so many health experts worry about their long-term safety. 

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health evaluated the diets of more than 82,000 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study.  Heart disease was three times more common in people who consumed diets high in simple sugars than people who ate more protein.  The healthiest diets were rich in complex carbohydrates, vegetable proteins and vegetable fats (i.e., the Mediterranean diet). 

Diets higher in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrates didn’t increase the risk of coronary artery disease.  In fact, diets high in vegetable fats and proteins protected people from heart attacks.  (New England Journal Medicine, 355:1991-2002, 2006)