4 Popular Diets Heart Healthy
4 Popular Diets Heart Healthy
Whether it's Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers or Zone, it's the pounds that matter
Nov. 10, 2003 (Orlando, Fla.) -- Pound for pound, four very popular weightloss diets are all good for shedding weight and lowering the risk of heartdisease, say researchers, with one important caveat: You have to stick with thediets, not just start them.
The diet scene has heated up in the past year with low-carb and low-fatdiets battling it out. But until now no one actually compared four of the mostpopular diets -- Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers and the Zone -- to find outwhich was really better for weight loss and lowering the risk of a heartdisease.
It turns out, says Michael L. Dansinger, MD, assistant professor of medicineat Tufts University, New England Medical Center in Boston, Mass. that as longas the pounds are shed, heart health improves.
"Losing 20 pounds corresponded to about a 30% reduction in heart riskscore," he says. Although he explains that at this point "it isn'tclear if a 30% reduction in risk score is the same as a 30% reduction in heartattacks." Dansinger presented his results here at the American HeartAssociation's Scientific Sessions 2003.
Dansinger studied 160 overweight men and women who volunteered toparticipate in a yearlong diet study. Forty volunteers were assigned to eachdiet, he says. Dansinger says he was "just testing the diets, not anyexercise or other lifestyle modifications that are part of the entire dietprogram." The researchers also calculated a score to estimate a person'sheart disease risk -- based on common heart disease risk factors, such ascholesterol and blood pressure.
4 Popular Diets Heart Healthy
Whether it's Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers or Zone, it's the pounds that matter
Nov. 10, 2003 (Orlando, Fla.) -- Pound for pound, four very popular weightloss diets are all good for shedding weight and lowering the risk of heartdisease, say researchers, with one important caveat: You have to stick with thediets, not just start them.
The diet scene has heated up in the past year with low-carb and low-fatdiets battling it out. But until now no one actually compared four of the mostpopular diets -- Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers and the Zone -- to find outwhich was really better for weight loss and lowering the risk of a heartdisease.
It turns out, says Michael L. Dansinger, MD, assistant professor of medicineat Tufts University, New England Medical Center in Boston, Mass. that as longas the pounds are shed, heart health improves.
"Losing 20 pounds corresponded to about a 30% reduction in heart riskscore," he says. Although he explains that at this point "it isn'tclear if a 30% reduction in risk score is the same as a 30% reduction in heartattacks." Dansinger presented his results here at the American HeartAssociation's Scientific Sessions 2003.
The Contenders
- The Atkins diet -- a low-carb diet consisting primarily of protein and fat.In the first two weeks, carbohydrates are severely restricted but then areintroduced back into the diet in the form of fiber-rich carbohydrates.
- The Ornish diet -- a high-carb, low-fat vegetarian diet of mostly beans,fruits, grains, and vegetables. Dairy products are eaten in moderation andmeats are discouraged.
- Weight Watchers -- a low-fat, high-carb diet where each food is assigned apoint value and participants are allowed a certain number of points perday.
- The Zone -- a diet based on a 40-30-30 system where participants eat 40% oftheir calories from "favorable" carbohydrates such as vegetables andbeans, 30% from low-fat proteins, and 30% from unsaturated fats, such as oliveand canola oils, nuts, and avocados.
Low-Carb vs. Low-Fat
Dansinger studied 160 overweight men and women who volunteered toparticipate in a yearlong diet study. Forty volunteers were assigned to eachdiet, he says. Dansinger says he was "just testing the diets, not anyexercise or other lifestyle modifications that are part of the entire dietprogram." The researchers also calculated a score to estimate a person'sheart disease risk -- based on common heart disease risk factors, such ascholesterol and blood pressure.
Source...