Low-Carb Vs. Low-Fat Diets: Which Is More Effective For Weight Loss?
Trying to lose weight by avoiding foods with high amounts of fat? According to a new study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, low-carbohydrate diets could actually be more effective for shedding pounds.
The study showed low-carb diets have a slight advantage over low-fat diets in reducing weight. Researchers also found that diets where you limit carbohydrates are relatively safe in the short term, UPI reported.
Read: Low-Carb Vs. High-Carb Diets: What's Better For Your Metabolism
To understand the overall safety and potential negative effects of certain diets, the research team analyzed data from January 2005 to April 2016. Findings showed that over a six-month period, people on low-carb diets lost between 2.5 and almost 9 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet.
In the short term, results showed no negative side effects on blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol, but the source or quality of the proteins and fats consumed on the examined low-carb diets were not disclosed.
Additionally, as researchers acknowledged, there are multiple variables when it comes to the amounts of carbohydrates in various low-carb diet plans.
"The best conclusion to draw is that adhering to a short-term low carb diet appears to be safe and may be associated with weight reduction. However, that weight loss is small and of questionable clinical significance in comparison to low fat diets," said Dr. Heather Fields, lead researcher on the study, according to UPI.
"We encourage patients to eat real food and avoid highly-processed foods, especially processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, deli meats, hot dogs and ham when following any particular diet," she added.
Read: Best Diets 2016: 10 Weight Loss Programs That Work
A previous study linked low-carbohydrate meals to healthy changes in a woman's metabolism, HealthDay reported earlier this month.
Source: Fields H, Ruddy B, Wallace MR, Shah A, Millstine D. Are Low-Carbohydrate Meals Safe And Effective? The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 2016.
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