low-fat diets

Sometimes I get sick listening to people groan on about how great THEIR diet is over another diet--whether it's low carb, low fat, high protein, or whatever!

So, I found the results of a new study of interest. They concluded as long as your diet cuts back on calories it will lead to weight loss. Researchers said this: Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize.

I used to drink a ton of diet soda. Until one day I decided I didn't want tumors growing off the side of my head! We've all heard the rumblings.

But, for perpetual dieters, artificially sweetened drinks and low-fat foods are must-haves.

And, they might be onto something. Experts claim regularly consuming low-fat foods and low-calorie beverages helps maintain body weight.

A landmark study comparing Low fat, Low carb and Mediterranean diets over a 2 year period has shown low carb and Mediterranean diets to be favorable alternatives to low fat. The study looked at weight loss, blood lipids, glycemic control and inflammation.

Let's explore the study details and see what applications may arise from it.

Researchers have criticized the low-fat dietary guidelines of the last few decades.

In the confusing world of nutrition - things are never what they seem. Two new pieces of research show how "diet" foods may not be particularly helpful for children.

A team of researchers from Children's Hospital, Boston, recently conducted a survey to determine whether insulin secretion affects weight loss with 2 popular diets: a low–glycemic load (40% carbohydrate and 35% fat) vs. low-fat (55% carbohydrate and 20% fat) diet.

A fascinating study has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine making some interesting conclusions about heart disease:

It's a sad day when the best tag line a candy merchant comes up with is "99% Fat Free". Sad because it shows just how easily manipulated we are as consumers. In this case 99% fat free means the product is probably pure sugar.

It seems that years of low-fat guidelines have resulted in nothing more than a series of marketing slogans for the big food companies.

Bewilderment and confusion strikes again. The NY Times reports that a low-fat diet has no effect on reducing cancer and heart disease risk. The study is the largest ever conducted (49,000 women followed for 8 years). The results, the study investigators agreed, do not justify recommending low-fat diets to the public to reduce their heart disease and cancer risk. Given the lack of benefit found in the study, many medical researchers said that the best dietary advice, for now, was to follow federal guidelines for healthy eating, with less saturated and trans fats, more grains, and more fruits and vegetables.