Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Mans Chest (DVD)

Results of a 6 Month Adherence to a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet Program

Author: Dr. Mark Johnson
Date Posted: December 02, 2006

A team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center has conducted an ongoing weight-loss study that entailed monitoring 50 subjects who were following the Atkins Nutritional Approach. The individuals were monitored throughout the initial six-month period, with data that included results of laboratory tests, weight/waist measurements, diet composition, symptoms and side effects. The results, published in the peer-review American Journal of Medicine, suggest that the ANA is not only effective in weight loss and management, but manifests significant improvement in a number of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Key points:

1. The overweight or obese healthy volunteers who wanted to lose weight were placed on a very low-carbohydrate diet (less than 25g/day of carbohydrates), including nutritional supplementation, recommendations about exercise, and attendance at group meetings to determine the effect of a very low-carbohydrate diet program with no limit on caloric intake.

2. Forty-one individuals or 80 percent followed the nutrition regimen for the duration of the study.

3. The regimen led to sustained weight loss during the six-month period. Body weight decreased significantly by 10.3 percent (or an average of almost 20 pounds) from the beginning to the end of the study. Body mass index decreased by 3.2 kg/m2. Average percentage of body fat significantly decreased by 2.9 percent.

4. Total cholesterol level decreased by 11mg/dL; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level decreased significantly by 10 mg/dL; triglyceride level decreased with a high level of significance by 56 mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level increased significantly by 10 mg/dL; and the cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was also significantly decreased by 0.9 units.

5. There were no serious adverse effects. Further controlled research is warranted.

In addition to the ongoing weight-loss study, Duke researchers also performed a two-armed, randomized controlled trial to study 120 obese hyperlipidemic adults. The study compared the controlled carbohydrate Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM to the American Heart Association (AHA) Step I diet advocated by many health professionals for cardiovascular health. In each arm of the study, 60 subjects were monitored for clinical values, side effects, body composition and bone-mineral density. Food records provided measures of caloric intake as well as carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. This comparative study demonstrated that subjects on a controlled carbohydrate eating program lost both more weight and more body fat than subjects following a low-fat diet. In addition, those subjects controlling their carbohydrate intake showed a decrease in triglycerides and total cholesterol as well as an increase in HDL (“good”)cholesterol levels. The full results of this research, including some groundbreaking data regarding our expanding knowledge on the role of cholesterol in heart disease, has been submitted for publication in scientific journals.

About The Author

Mark Johnson is one of the administrators of Free Atkins Diet Recipes.

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of Nutrition articles.

Write an online review and share your thoughts with other readers!