A recent study looked at the effects of reducing carbohydrates in one's diet versus reducing dietary fat intake. In terms of increasing weight loss, this has been the advice by health professionals for years.
But, the study has stoked the fires of what is being called the "diet wars."
Define Your Terms
In a randomized trial of 148 racially diverse participants, researchers found that after a year, those who had completed a low-carb regimen lost more weight than those completing a low-fat regimen. Both groups did not change their physical activity.
Food experts and bloggers jumped at the study, stating that the definition of "low-fat"—30 percent of one's calories—wasn't really "low-fat" at all.
Marion Nestle of Food Politics argued that those eating a low-carb diet were likely eating less food, thus resulting in fewer calories.
She argued that cutting out entire groups of food was sometimes an easy way for dieters to lose weight in the short-term, but it's not sustainable for the long run.
Andy Bellatti of Civil Eats pointed outthe study didn't differentiate between types of foods. Were the participants eating whole, unprocessed foods? Was the low-fat group consuming more sugar?
The focus was too broad, he argues, and didn't allow for a better understanding of overall health, not just weight loss.
Fat And Health
For years, physicians have worried about the effect consuming fattier foods, like red meat and dairy, would have on cholesterol.
Over the course of the year-long study, the low-carb dieters consumed more fatty foods, but found that their cholesterol levels did not skyrocket.
In fact, the opposite happened. The low-carb dieters had less inflammation and lower triglycerides, while their "good" cholesterol (HDL) rose more than the low-fat group.
The Wars Continue
This study is far from the end of the "diet wars." If there is anything both sides can agree on, it's that there should be more research done.
For instance, while the study showed that the low-carb group improved their cardiovascular health overall, the effect of both diets on LDL particles in the bloodstream was not assessed.
LDL particles in the bloodstream are found in people with metabolic syndrome and obesity.