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Depending on the source, low-fat diets are not any more relevant
than a low-carbohydrate diet. A study from the Women’s Health
Initiative (WHI), showed that a low-fat diet did not offer any
substantial health benefits in the defending the body against
breast cancer colorectal cancer, or heart disease, after menopause.
However, a closer evaluation of the clinical
trials showed that the reduction to elimination of certain types
of fat does have benefits. Published in the February 8, 2006,
issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, the
study involved 48,835 participants. Prior to the study, the
vast majority of subjects were eating an average of 38 percent
of their daily caloric daily intake from fat.
The researchers assigned one group to eat natural
foods (fruits, grains, and vegetables) and to reduce daily caloric
intake. The other 60 percent maintained their normal high fat
intake consumption habits. The participants of the study were
monitored for eight years. The final conclusions of the clinical
trial did not show a significant difference between the two
groups.
On the contrary, the group, whose consumption
was limited to a low-fat diet, faired quite well. Although,
they women followed a diet high in carbohydrates, this group
did not gain weight. More importantly, they had a decreased
risk of diabetes.
Although researchers did not find conclusive
results pertaining to the purpose of their study, reduce the
risk of breast, colorectal and the diet’s effect on heart health.
The validity of the study’s findings is deemed controversial
because the evaluation did not distinguish the difference in
fat types.
In lieu of the countering data, medical experts
are prescribing that patients reduce trans fat and saturated
fat intakes because it can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels
and trigger the risk of heart disease.
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