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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov 9, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Researchers at Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles, say low-carbohydrate high-fat diets do not increase heart risks in women.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said women who eat high amounts of vegetable fat were actually at a decreased risk of heart disease, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
The scientists analyzed data collected from 82,802 women over a 20-year period beginning in 1976. The researchers placed the women in 10 groups according to the amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat in their diets.
The researchers found that after controlling for external risk factors, there was no difference between the groups in terms of heart attack risks. The researchers then divided the women according to vegetable fat intake, and found that those who obtained the highest percentage of calorie intake from vegetable fat faced a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease than those with high animal fat percentages.
"I think the take-home message is that not all low-carb diets are the same," said lead author Thomas L. Halton of Harvard.
"There is no risk in doing a low-carb diet, but you can reduce your risk by picking healthier sources of fat."
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
