Low-Carb, Mediterranean Diets May Be More Effective Than Low-Fat Regimens

Low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets may be superior to low-fat regimens, reports the New England Journal of Medicine.

Some 300 adults (mostly men) who were overweight or had diabetes or coronary heart disease were randomized to follow one of three diets for 2 years: low-fat, calorie-restricted; Mediterranean, calorie-restricted; or low-carb, non–restricted-calorie. (The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation partly funded the study.)

Among the findings:

• Mean weight loss was greater with the low-carb diet (4.7 kg) and Mediterranean diet (4.4 kg) than with the low-fat regimen (2.9 kg).

• The low-carb group achieved the greatest improvement in total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio.

• Among diabetics, only the Mediterranean diet decreased plasma glucose.

The authors conclude that low-carb and Mediterranean diets may be "effective alternatives" to low-fat diets, given their greater effects on weight loss and metabolic endpoints.