Research Library
Effect of a High Saturated Fat and No-Starch Diet on Cardiovascular Disease
Hays, J.H., DiSabatino, A., Gorman, R.T., et al., Effect of a High Saturated Fat and No-Starch Diet on Serum Lipid Subfractions in Patients with Documented Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 78(11), 2003, pages 1331-1336.
Summary:
The following information is available at Pub Med and was not written by Atkins professionals.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a diet of high saturated fat and avoidance of starch (HSF-SA) results in weight loss without adverse effects on serum lipids in obese nondiabetic patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease participated in a prospective 6-week trial at the Christiana Care Medical Center in Newark, Del, between August 2000 and September 2001. All patients were obese (mean +/- SD body mass index [BMI], 39.0+/-7.3 kg/m2) and had been treated with statins before entry in the trial. Fifteen obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (BMI, 36.1+/-9.7 kg/m2) and 8 obese patients with reactive hypoglycemia (BMI, 46.8+/-10 kg/m2) were monitored during an HSF-SA diet for 24 and 52 weeks, respectively, between 1997 and 2000.
RESULTS: In patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, mean +/- SD total body weight (TBW) decreased 5.2%+/-2.5% (P.001) as did body fat percentage (P=.02). Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis of lipids showed decreases in total triglycerides (P<.001), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides (P<.001), VLDL size (P<.001), large VLDL concentration (P<.001), and medium VLDL concentration (P<.001). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and LDL concentrations were unchanged, but HDL size (P=.01) and LDL size (P=.02) increased. Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome lost 14.3%+/-20.3% of TBW (P=.008) and patients with reactive hypoglycemia lost 19.9%+/-8.7% of TBW (P<.001) at 24 and 52 weeks, respectively, without adverse effects on serum lipids.
CONCLUSION: An HSF-SA diet results in weight loss after 6 weeks without adverse effects on serum lipid levels verified by nuclear magnetic resonance, and further weight loss with a lipid-neutral effect may persist for up to 52 weeks.
The following information was written by Atkins professionals.
Obese patients with heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, or reactive hypoglycemia decreased body weight and body fat after following a diet of high saturated fat and avoidance of starch for 6 weeks. In addition, improvements were seen in triglyceride levels. Controlled carbohydrate diets high in saturated fat appear to promote weight loss without increasing heart disease risk in patients with documented heart disease. This is interesting because while many believe diets high in saturated fat will increase heart disease risk, these results suggest that they may actually decrease risk by improving the blood lipid profile.
