McKinney Chiropractor Best Practices
Research Commentary;
Low Carb Diets and Weight Loss
A review of
Cassady BA, Charboneau NL, Brys EE, Crouse KA, Beitz DC, Wilson T. Effects of low carbohydrate diets high in red meats or poultry, fish and shellfish on plasma lipids and weight loss. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2007;4:23. Published 2007 Oct 31. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-4-23
Reviewed By Dr. Erik Waldeland
Summarized Review Conclusions
This study examined the effects of low carb diets on not only weight loss, but also how this specific diet may impact key markers in the blood such as cholesterol, fatty acid levels, and triglycerides which can be key indicators of cardiovascular issues long term. This study found that not only were the levels of these tests not elevated, but there was also significant weight loss associated with both low carb diets that included red meats as well as fish and poultry. The levels of carbohydrates in the low carb diet were roughly 15-20% of the total calories consumed (compared to 45-65% that the USDA recommends).
“Low carbohydrate diets (LCDs) have been demonstrated to be effective tools for promoting weight loss and an improved plasma lipid profile.”
“Both diets were associated with significant weight loss after 28 days, -5.26 ± 0.84 kg and -5.74 ± 0.63 kg for RM and PFS groups, respectively. The PFS diet was associated with a significantly higher intake of PUFA and cholesterol. Despite high cholesterol and fat intakes, neither diet was associated with significant changes in plasma cholesterol or the plasma lipoprotein cholesterol profile”
“Obesity is a primary risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality [1]. Between 2001 and 2002, 65.7 % of Americans were classified as clinically overweight or obese”
Introduction to the Research
This study examined whether the type of meat consumed could influence the outcome of an LCD. Low carbohydrate diets (LCDs) have been demonstrated to be effective tools for promoting weight loss and an improved plasma lipid profile. Such diets are often associated with increased meat consumption, either poultry, fish, and shellfish (PFS), which are generally high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) or red meats (RM), generally high in saturated fat (SFA).
Research Methodology
Moderately obese subjects consumed two different LCDs as part of a weight loss regimen: 1) a diet high in foods of mammalian origin (RM) intended to contain more SFA, or 2) a diet high in PFS intended to contain more PUFA. Diet dependent changes in body weight, nutritional intake, and plasma lipids were evaluated during a 28-day study period.
Research Findings
Both diets were associated with significant weight loss after 28 days, -5.26 ± 0.84 kg and -5.74 ± 0.63 kg for RM and PFS groups, respectively. The PFS diet was associated with a significantly higher intake of PUFA and cholesterol. Despite high cholesterol and fat intakes, neither diet was associated with significant changes in plasma cholesterol or the plasma lipoprotein cholesterol profile. While plasma triglycerides were reduced in both groups, the effect was only statistically significant for the PFS diet.
Research References
As always with these reviews, these are my takeaways from the article and I encourage you to read the article in its entirety. The references used in this article by the authors of this article are listed here.
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our Chiropractors located in McKinney, near the corner of Eldorado Pkwy. and Stonebridge Dr., will teach you what the research says about how and why we should eat a better diet, move more and have more positive thoughts. By improving these areas of our lives we can restore motion and decrease stress while staying out of pain!