Low fat diets do not provide adequate nutrition and increase heart disease risk factors

This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition Vol. 23, No. 2, 131-140 2004

Study title and authors:
Effect of Low and High Fat Diets on Nutrient Intakes and Selected Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Sedentary Men and Women
Kulwara Meksawan, PhD, David R. Pendergast, EdD, John J. Leddy, MD, Melanie Mason, MS, Peter J. Horvath, PhD and Atif B. Awad, PhD
Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (K.M., M.M., P.J.H., A.B.A.), School of Public Health and Health Professions and School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York

This paper can be accessed at:
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/23/2/131

The object of the study was to determine the effects of a low fat diet (19% fat) and a high fat diet (50% fat) on the nutritional status and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy individuals over a 3 week period.

The study found:
(a) Consumptions of essential fatty acids, vitamin E and zinc were improved in the high fat diet.
(b) Compared with the 50% fat diet, subjects consuming the 19% fat diet had significantly lower levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1).

The paper concludes that a low fat diet (19%) may not provide sufficient calories, essential fatty acids, and some micronutrients (especially vitamin E and zinc) for healthy individuals, and it also lowered the beneficial ApoA1 and HDL-C. Increasing fat intake to 50% of calories improved nutritional status, and led to higher HDL cholesterol values.

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