High fat, no-starch diet doesn't raise cholesterol

November 19, 2003 in Heart Health, Nutrition Topics in the News

High fat, no-starch diet doesn't raise cholesterol

It seems that patients with atherosclerosis who take medication can lose weight on a high fat, no-starch Atkins-style followed for 6 weeks, without increasing their blood fat levels.

These results come from a small study involving 23 obese patients with documented atherosclerotic heart disease. All of the patients were being treated with cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs, but no changes were made to their drugs or the dosing during the study.

The participants were instructed to consume half of their calories as saturated fat for six weeks. Other food sources were permitted with the exception of starches. The people on the test diet dropped a significant 5.2 percent of their total body weight and reduced their body fat percentage by a similar amount.

No changes in LDL ("bad") or HDL ("good") cholesterol levels were observed with the diet, and it was tied to a significant reduction in total triglyceride levels. The high saturated fat, no-starch diet results in weight loss after 6 weeks without adverse effects on serum lipid levels...and further weight loss with a lipid-neutral effect may persist for up to 52 weeks, the researchers noted.

All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.