A national trial was recently conducted by researchers regarding the effects of a low-fat diet on cholesterol levels. The findings will be featured in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the Womans Health Initiative (WHI). The trial dispels myths that a low-fat diet negatively affects the blood levels of good fats, such as HDL cholesterol. In fact, a low-fat diet was found to be good for the heart and may even help lower the risk of heart disease.
The national trial gave some women extensive training and education on eating a low-fat diet. This groups health was then compared to the health of a group of women who made no changes to their eating habits. The women who followed the low-fat diet are said to have consumed 29.3 percent of their calories as fat. In comparison, the women who didnt follow a low-fat diet consumed 37 percent of their calories as fat. The study also showed that women who decreased their intake of certain fats, such as saturated fats and trans fatty acids, had a lower risk of developing heart disease. However, a low-fat diet was found to have no real impact on the blood levels of good fats, like HDL cholesterol, or bad fats, such as triglycerides.
Researchers concluded that as far as cholesterol diets go, theres no easy answer. Though in order to lose
