Duke Health Briefs: Low-Carb Diet Effective In Research Study


keywords : Diet, Cholesteroldate : 7/15/2002media contact : Tracey Koepke , (919) 684-4148 or (919) 660-1301
koepk002~mc.duke.edueditor's note : “Duke Health Briefs” contains consumer health information and is distributed every Monday by the Duke University Medical Center News Office.

DURHAM, N.C. – The high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet popularized by Dr. Robert Atkins has been the subject of heated debate in medical circles for three decades. Now, preliminary research findings at Duke University Medical Center show that a low-carbohydrate diet can indeed lead to significant and sustained weight loss.

There has recently been a resurgence of diets promoting low carbohydrate intake, but the scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of these diets is limited. This is the first published scientific study of the popular low-carbohydrate Atkins diet in two decades, and research is continuing.

The study appears in the July 2002 issue of the American Journal of Medicine and was funded by an unrestricted grant from the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine.

"Study participants were put on a very low carbohydrate diet of 25 grams per day for six months," said Eric Westman, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Duke and principal investigator of the study. "They could eat an unlimited amount of meat and eggs, as well as two cups of salad and one cup of low-carbohydrate vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower a day."

Researchers found that 80 percent of the 50 enrolled patients adhered to the diet program for the duration of the study and lost an average of 10 percent of their original body weight. The average amount of weight lost per person was approximately 20 pounds.

"While we're impressed with the weight loss of this diet, we still are not sure about the safety of it," Westman said. "More studies need to be done in order to be confident about the long-term safety of this type of diet."

For example, all participants developed ketonuria, the presence of measurable ketones in urine. The level seen in this study translates to roughly that of a non-dieting person if they didn't eat for a couple of days, said Westman. "This is a finding that we need to learn more about. The level of ketones present was not terribly high, but we don't know if this is safe or harmful to one's health over a long period of time."

The study further showed that patients' cholesterol levels improved by the end of six months -- a finding that was unexpected, according to Westman.

"We were somewhat surprised to find that patients' blood lipid profiles improved, even though there was much more fat in the diet," he said. "We had thought the fat in the diet would increase the cholesterol."

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that circulates in the blood stream and can accumulate to the point of blocking blood vessels and arteries. Having a high level of blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Although exercise was recommended, it was not a requirement for the study. Half of the subjects didn't exercise at all and still lost weight, according to the researchers. Because of the intensity of this type of diet program, Westman cautions that "if someone has a medical problem or is taking medications, they should only do this diet under the supervision of a health care provider." contact sources :Dr. Eric Westman , (919) 416-5242
ewestman~acpub.duke.edu

Gee; go into ketosis. Lose weight. Improve your health. Don't miss the junk. Whodathunkit?

Jude

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"While we're impressed with the weight loss of this diet, we still are not sure about the safety of it," Westman said. "More studies need to be done in order to be confident about the long-term safety of this type of diet."
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They never mention what they mean by long term. Is it 5 years, 10 years, 50? I think it's just the fence rider's excuse to put off deciding on a controversial idea that goes against the popular idea of what we should eat. Meanwhile those of us in the real world trenches fighting this battle have to suffer.

A few years ago this article would have made me worry about my health on a low carb diet. Now it just makes me angry with those people who would discredit the only WOE that has brought sanity to my life. It has brought my appetite under control and is helping me to lose weight. It just makes me more determined to stay on this WOL.

Whew!...I'm ok now. lol

Hi Mudknife,

While your point is true we still need to give Duke University credit for researching the Low Carb Diet. One day, and I think it wont be much further in the future that these universities and doctors studying this diet will find out that Dr. Atkins was absolutely right on the money in the correct way to diet and also to save lives.

I would worry when and if they should decide to stop research on the diet because I would think that they truely had found something wrong with it.

I think this is a positive thing; I'm glad that someone has actually accumulated scientific evidence. I'd like to see a longterm study comparing various weight loss diets and their effects, reliability, and safety over a ten year plus period.

It's common sense that low carb should be good for you, though. We're eating natural things, very little processed foods, fewer preservatives. It shouldn't even be very controversial.

Of course I'm glad that there is more research going on to support what I already know to be true. But they are surprised that blood lipid profiles are improving and that the cholesterol levels are lowering. Hmmm makes me wander what kind of research did they do before they began this study. If they would have read the good Doctors book they would have been expecting those results.
Oh well, growth takes time I guess.

Actually, when they say that low-carbing was never tested, I think they're right. Most of the studies that tried to look at the affects (positive and negative) of fat, studied fat in a high-carb diet. They did not study it in a low-carb diet, which, as we know, shows the true benefits of fat. Finally, they are starting to study low-carb diets and finding what we all know to be the true natures of fat and carbs.

So now, when they are finding the true benefits of fat, they're surprised. And no wonder.

Actually I always wondered why everyone is interested in "studies", but never seems to question the Atkins organization to provide feedback as to their long-term diet followers (or perhaps they have). After all, if the Atkins book has been out since 1972 (or whatever date...), there must be some history and data base that might show how many people have followed the diet for XX number of years, and what overall impact they've experienced with regards to their health.

At least, I'd have thought someone would have been interested in doing that... After all, if they could stand up with a sheet of paper saying that they have XXXXX people with 10/20/30 years on this lifestyle, then that certainly adds credance to it.

Or is there already such published information??

I think the problem with that, Kestrel, is that those results wouldn't have any statistical weight. With something this contested, really rigorous studies are going to be needed to convince the general public. Unfortunately, if they can't "scientifically" verify the length of time on the diet and the type of foods eaten, saying you've been on the diet for 30 years is pretty much anecdotal evidence. Too bad, but they're definitely making headway towards providing strong supporting evidence for what we all know about -- the crazy, amazing health benefits of LC!

Do we give Duke "credit" for doing this study, since it was funded by the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine?

Hi Quest,

Quote:

"Do we give Duke "credit" for doing this study, since it was funded by the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine?"

Sadly that is exactly what will happen in the end when the doctors and universities do reconize that Dr. Atkins was absoutely right about Low Carbs! That is just the way the human race goes!!

This is old news, people. Search thread titles in this forum for "Duke" and you'll come up with no less than four other references to this study.


This study was news when it came out.

More likely, it's an academic scientist's not wanting to be seen as an unpaid shill for something that, at the time this study came out, was widely seen as the dietary equivalent of cold fusion.


How does Dr. Westman's academic caution keep you from adhering to this diet?


Again, when this study came out last year, it was the first independent study in years that SUPPORTED the things Dr. Atkins was saying all along. This was GOOD news.

Given that the participants in this study were given supplementation of Omega-3 fish oil and flax oil in amounts roughly corresponding to Chapter 17 of DANDR, I would say the study authors probably did read the good Doctor's book. However, as scientific researchers, they probably saw their duty to regard it as an interesting hypothesis, not as revealed truth.

Does the "Atkins organization" have that kind of information for anyone other than patients of Dr. Atkins or his associates? Of those patients, how many were much sicker than the average person doing this diet? I doubt the "Atkins organization" has much information on the average person following the diet, and in any case, data provided by the Atkins organization would be almost useless to any serious medical researcher.


"Adding credence" is a job for marketers and salesmen, not researchers. If you want that sheet of paper, take it up with the Atkins organization.