Please help me figure out why it does not agree with your fast food comparison showing that only carbs effected endothelial heath, in this case its clearly the Low Fat not low carb diet that shows improved endothelial function.

———————————————————————————————-

http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/51/2/376?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Gutterman&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=51&issue=2&resourcetype=HWCIT

Obesity is associated with impaired endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation, a precursor to hypertension and atherosclerosis. Although dieting generally improves cardiovascular risk factors, the direct effect of different dietary strategies on vascular endothelial function is not known. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a low-fat (LF) diet improves endothelial function compared with an isocaloric low-carbohydrate (LC) diet. Obese (n=20; body mass index: 29 to 39; mean systolic blood pressure: 107 to 125 mm Hg) and otherwise healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to either the American Heart Association modeled LF (30% fat calories) diet or an isocaloric LC Atkins’ style diet (20 g of carbohydrates) for 6 weeks (4-week weight loss and 2-week maintenance phase). Brachial flow-mediated dilation and dilation to nitroglycerin were measured with ultrasound using automated edge detection technology (baseline, week 2, and week 6). Blood pressure, weight loss, and cholesterol profiles were measured throughout the study. Weight loss was similar in LF (100±4 to 96.1±4 kg; P (95.4±4 to 89.7±4 kg; P pressure decreased similarly in both groups (LF: 8/5 mm Hg; LC: 12/6 mm Hg) at 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, the percentage of flow-mediated dilation improved (1.9±0.8; P<0.05) in the LF diet but was reduced in the LC diet (–1.4±0.6; P panels was similar at 0, 2, and 6 weeks. Despite similar degrees of weight loss and changes blood pressure, LF diets improved brachial artery flow-mediated dilation over LC diets. LF diets may confer greater cardiovascular protection than LC diets.

I read this study when it first came out. I didn’t put a whole lot of stock in it because of the small number of participants and the fact that the actual diets used weren’t presented. I’d like to know a little more than that one group went on an Atkins diet while the other went on an AHA-type diet. According to the paper, these subjects all got their food from the study center, so it would have been easy to describe the diets better. I’m always a little wary of studies showing an unexpected effect when the authors decide not to include an important part of the data. This missing factor tells us something about the peer-review process where low-carb diets are concerned. I’ll guarantee you that if this study had shown the opposite effect, the peer-reviewers would have insisted that the individual diets be described. But since the study confirms the bias of most reviewers, they didn’t ask that it be included. Another thing that got my antennae up were the differences in caloric intake at the start and at maintenance. According to the study, the group randomized to the LC diet was consuming significantly fewer calories than the members of the group randomized to LF. The LF group cut more calories during the 4 wk weight loss phase than did the LC group, then during maintenance the caloric intake of the LF group didn’t go as high as it was pre-study whereas the LC group went higher. It doesn’t make sense to me how this could happen. It also doesn’t make sense that subjects on a LC diet of 20g CHO per day could eat that many calories, which is why it would have been nice to have seen the actual food choices.

But, even if we assume that the study were perfectly done (ignoring the fact that there were a tiny number of subjects), it is only one study. And as I’ve said countless times, one study doesn’t prove anything. It would have to be repeated again and again before one could say definitively that LC diets made endothelial function worse.

with thanks and regards,
Cassandra

It’s tough. Often carb cravings can often be decreased with magnesium supplementation. Maybe try 300 mg at bedtime.

Thank you Connie and Dusty… a gynecologist won’t help; I’m a ‘Gabriel’ but my wife could go there! Thanks for the suggestions.

By the way, Mary Vernon (in Kansas) and Eric Westman (in NC), do use low carbohydrate diets as part of their practice and they also teach doctors how to use it.

Cheers!

I’ll take you up on it next trip to Chicago.

Mike

Killer Carbs – Appetite Control Cells Deteriorate As We Age, Says Study

“A diet rich in carbohydrate and sugar that has become more and more prevalent in modern societies over the last 20-30 years has placed so much strain on our bodies that it’s leading to premature cell deterioration,” Dr Andrews said.

http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/killer_carbs_appetite_control_cells_deteriorate_as_we_age_says_study

This comes from an interesting but pretty technical paper. Good stuff.

Did you happen to read this peice about olympic gymnasts adhering to a low-carb diet:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5317716/

Now, onto a question. Why does it always seem like i have a question for you? Probably because you are a great source of knowledge and reasoning. Here goes, in a local Irish paper today, there was a snippet that said that taking heart medication with orange juice reduces the effectiveness of such medicine. Do you think there is any validity to this notion? The answer is important to me, because i have family who take heart medication.

Best,
Peter

Uh, heart medication covers a lot of ground. There are only about two hundred different medicines it could be and still be heart medication. I would need to know what kind before I could comment intelligently.

http://lowcarbdoctors.blogspot.com/

I didn’t see one in Chicago other than a Gynecologist so I am assuming you won’t need that (unless Gabe is short for Gabriella), but when you do find one send the info to Jimmy so others can benefit.

Thanks for the tip. I’ll remember it next time I’m in Chicago.

MRE

Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:285-293

When I read it and analyzed the data of the articles the authors chose (they used the Cochrane Research Strategy, explained in the article), it turns out that none of the studies that looked at LDL looked at particle size so the data just showed an increase in LDL, which by itself doesn’t mean squad. The conclusion of that meta analysis were:

“Low-carbohydrate, non–energy-restricted
diets appear to be at least as effective as low-fat, energyrestricted
diets in inducing weight loss for up to 1 year.However,
potential favorable changes in triglyceride and highdensity
lipoprotein cholesterol values should be weighed
against potential unfavorable changes in low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol values when low-carbohydrate diets to
induce weight loss are considered.”

“Appear to be at least as effective as low fat… the actual studies show that the low carbohdyrate approaches (they all have a different low-carbohydrate structure, so I wouldn’t call them truly low carbohydrate but oh well…) were superior to the low fat diets. HDL improve more in the low-carb diets than it did on the low-fat diets, etc., all the improvements we all know happen on a low-carbohydrate diet. The conclusion, however, warns about the unfavorable changes in LDL (again, based on the actual number and not particle size), even though there is a lot of improvement in triglycerides, HDL and weight loss.

The latest meta analysis is a nice breeze and I hope will get the right press. I’ve been looking for a physician in the Chicago area (any info on this will be greatly appreciated!) that is not strange to low-carb diets and wouldn’t mind monitoring me while I’m on that. I haven’t found one yet and I’ll have to settle for one that is open to ‘holistic’ approaches, rather than just medications. This meta analysis will definitely be in my briefcase when I go for my appointment.

Hey Gabe–

Mike

http://www.lighterlife.com/how_does_lighterlife_work/foodpacks.aspx

They sell a prepackaged 4 “meal” a day food plan which is fairly low carbohydrate and plentiful protein.

So, the authors are, in effect, giving the low carb approach whatever agreement which published quality studies can provide.

It’s always good to look at the sponsor or sponsors of published studies. But it’s also good to look at the actual data and how it was obtained. This isn’t the best study I’ve ever read, but it does include all the studies I’ve seen. And the criteria for study selection was pretty rigid. Usually when companies sponsor studies and the results aren’t to suit them, the end result is lack of publication. So most of the studies published showing a benefit that is also a benefit to the sponsor. Those that don’t, never see the light of day.

i moved to a very-low carb diet after reading GCBC and various sites such as yours.
i lost about 15 pounds quickly and have plateaued some 6 months later.

my blood work prior to the weight loss compared to after (about an 8 month time span)
was markedly improved w/ respect to blood pressure, lower triglycerides, higher hdl and lower ldl. my liver function was unchanged w/ no indication that there was any damage or “stress” placed on my organs as a result of moving to a very low carb/high-fat diet.

i didnt tell my family doctor until after the tests how i lost the weight and she was upset that such a diet could have “long term” implications for health. i asked her to order what ever tests she felt would be needed to examine my body and show evidence of damage that i could be doing w/ my diet, and that i would return for next years physical hopefully still on a very-low carb/high-fat diet. she agreed to this when i return and i will be one of her test subjects as she is somewhat open-minded in the face of quantitative evidence that low carb diets are not destructive (at least in the short-medium term)

my only question is w/ respect to cravings. after over 6 months on the diet w/ only the occassional carb/dessert i still carve sweet stuff immediately after eating, even if im totally full. this craving is usually satisfied w/ a spoon of peanut butter but the only kind i enjoy does have some sugar (2-3 grams per spoon) and some transfat to stabilize it. (the natural stuff just doesnt satiate me and only makes following the diet more difficult)

are such strong sugar cravings indicative of a flaw in my approach, or just a mental pre-occupation w/ sweets.

any feedback would be much appreciate.

thx

coba

It may be a little preoccupation with sweets, but it also may be a magnesium deficiency. I would take at least 300 mg of magnesium at bedtime and see what happens.