High Cholesterol - Effects of a Low Carb Diet

High Cholesterol - Effects of a Low Carb Diet

When you think of low carb you generally envision rich high fat meals loaded with protein and cholesterol. The truth is a low carb diet will actually improve your good to bad cholesterol ratio. It does this by increasing your good cholesterol (HDL).

The conventional wisdom is eating a high cholesterol diet will increase your blood cholesterol. Putting you at greater risk for heart disease. However, double blind scientific studies show otherwise.

For example, this is from study published in the prestigious "The New England Journal of Medicine" in May of 2003. The study was titled "A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet for Obesity".

This study compared the effect of a low-carb, high protein, high fat (Atkins) diet to a low calorie, high carb, low fat diet on blood cholesterol and triglyceride. Both considered risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The researchers concluded the low fat diet caused greater weight loss at three month. The low carb dieters had increased good cholesterol while bad cholesterol did not change. The low carb dieters also had lowered their triglyceride levels. These worked together to significantly lower their risk factors for heart disease.

There are many more studies like this one. They show beyond any shadow of a doubt that low carbohydrate, high fat, high protein diets such as the Atkins diet lower your risk for heart disease. Improve your good to bad cholesterol ration. And lowers your triglyceride levels.

It's important to note that most studies show there is no difference in weight loss between the two diets after one year. The heart health benefits continue beyond one year when on the low carb diet.

How can this be possibleall It's simple. The food you eat does not effect your blood cholesterol nearly as much as your genetics. Your body produces almost all the cholesterol it needs. If you eat more cholesterol, your body simple produces less.

So, if you're going low carb you can go ahead and enjoy that big juicy cut of prime rib. You know that it's not only delicious, but it's good for you too!