Low-carb diets may increase risk of stroke, heart attack, clogged arteries

[Willaien]

Low-carb slimming diets may clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, a study suggests.

Diets based on eating lots of meat, fish and cheese, while restricting carbohydrates have grown in popularity in recent years.

But the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found such eating habits caused artery damage in tests on mice.

The researchers and independent experts both agreed a balanced diet was the best option.

Low-carb diets have attracted a lot of attention and controversy after a surge in interest in them in the 1990s.

The Israeli team decided to investigate their impact on the cardiovascular system after hearing of reports of people on the diets suffering heart attacks.

They fed the mice three different diets - a standard mouse type, a western diet which was high in fat, and a low-carb, high-protein version, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported.

The low-carb diet did not affect cholesterol levels, but there was a significant difference on the impact on atherosclerosis - the build-up of fatty plaque deposits in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

After 12 weeks, the mice eating the low-carb diet had gained less weight, but developed 15% more atherosclerosis than those on the standard mice food. For the western diet group there was 9% more atherosclerosis.

The team could not be certain why the effect was seen, but thought low-carb diets may affect the way bone marrow cells effectively clean arteries of fatty deposits.

Adverse effects

Lead researcher Anthony Rosenzweig said the findings were so concerning to him that he decided to come off the low-carb diet he was following.

He added: "Our research suggests that, at least in animals, these diets could be having adverse cardiovascular effects.

"It appears that a moderate and balanced diet, coupled with regular exercise, is probably best for most people."

Joanne Murphy, from the Stroke Association, agreed following a balanced diet was the best advice.

"We know that foods such as red meat and diary products, which are high in protein, also contain high levels of saturated fat. These fats then cause the build up in the arteries."

But she added the research was still at an early stage and she wanted to see more work done on the subject.

Ellen Mason, from the British Heart Foundation, said it was difficult to apply the findings to humans.

But she added: "Low-carb, high-protein diets are not considered as healthy as eating a balanced diet, which is good for health because we get the different nutrients our body needs by eating from the different food groups every day."

Read bolded if tl;dr.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8218780.stm

[Danny Lilithborne]

I would have thought seeing how Atkins died would have revealed it as bullshit, but I guess not.

[Bryan Paulsen]

Originally Posted by study

Ellen Mason, from the British Heart Foundation, said it was difficult to apply the findings to humans.

The reason this study is useless can be found right here.

Humans, over the thousands of years we've existed, evolved eating a drastically different diet than mice. They are not, nor will they ever be, a valid template for what people should be eating.

No shit giving mice meat and dairy gave them more heart problems - last I checked that hasn't been something they've systemically evolved to handle.

Even among humans nutrient absorption varies greatly (ie: Asians absorb soy something like 64% better than non-Asians).

Oh yeah, just to destroy this idiocy - various cultures of humans evolved specifically on high meat/fat diets (eskimos, Native Americans, various African tribes) exclusive to other forms of nutrients, and had little to no problems with heart disease, only finding it an issue with the introduction of higher carb diets, which brought the issue of triglycerides to the front.

Low-carb means percentage-wise in relation to other nutrient intake, and unless an individual is very active (along the lines of an athlete), carb-intake has no reason to pass 20% of daily caloric intake. Why? Carbs, while being integral to thyroid production, are also the primary trigger of insulin, and insulin being a storage hormone, will store glycogen when needed, and fat every other single time for the hypothetical case of starvation. Why do we do this? Food wasn't always abundant in our evolutionary history, so we evolved to store fat extremely efficiently in case food was suddenly no longer available.

A "balanced diet" for the "average sedentary individual" will make them fat as hell. People should be eating according to their energy demands, and not cast arbitrarily into such absurd notions of "balanced".

My cholesterol is 110 (40 of it being HDL), based on a test done 5 months ago. Blood pressure was 112/72 when taken at that same time, and I'm 5'8''@201 pounds.

Daily calories: 3,694
Fat: 204.4 grams (51%)
Protein: 391.3 (43%)
Carbs: 62.1 (6%)

The vast majority of the carbs coming from broccoli/spinach.

Beyond lifting and walking for cardio, I don't do enough shit to merit eating a ton of carbs, beyond my carb-up done twice per week to maintain glycogen stores/thyroid production.

But maybe I should base my eating around a study done on mice! Never mind that cyclical ketogenic diets have been around for decades now in the fitness industry, oh no, let's listen to some mice.

[The Pink Ninja]

Results of these dietary things are so inconsistent and switch from year to the next.

My mum is always getting em to eat things saying it's good for me, then getting me to stop a year later because of some new thing she read.

[Bryan Paulsen]

Originally Posted by The Pink Ninja

Results of these dietary things are so inconsistent and switch from year to the next.

My mum is always getting em to eat things saying it's good for me, then getting me to stop a year later because of some new thing she read.

What's good for you, and what's not, can be answered by thinking about what your ancestors were likely eating. A lot of the things you find in grocery stores should not qualify as "food". It is very hard to go wrong between meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and to a much lesser extent grains/dairy (the most recent additions in eating history for mankind, as witnessed by 1/4 people being gluten intolerant, and lactase production dropping off after infancy).

Eating intelligently (for health) has been known for a very long time. There's nothing new under the sun here, either.

The problem is companies don't stand to get rich off of it, so they have to pull things out of their ass in order to dupe people into becoming codependent to their latest schemes. People, stupid sheep that they are, are constantly looking for that magic pill that doesn't exist, so they fall for it.

Once you understand how protein/carbs/fat work in the human body, and do an honest appraisal of what you're doing in your daily life, you'll have a pretty damn good idea of what/how much you should be eating.

[Karol!]

"It appears that a moderate and balanced diet, coupled with regular exercise, is probably best for most people."

omg breakthrough

[Rikudou]

Fucking useless article from useless 'researchers'.
Everybody knows carbs are important.
How redundant.

[Megatonton]

The more conflicting data hits my face like a slippery fish, the more I believe exercise is the only real solution to health problems.

Granted, this wouldn't make me go out and spear a dog, but maybe a good 5 mile jog a day could suffice.

[Rikudou]

Originally Posted by Megatonton

The more conflicting data hits my face like a slippery fish, the more I believe exercise is the only real solution to health problems.

Granted, this wouldn't make me go out and spear a dog, but maybe a good 5 mile jog a day could suffice.

Swimming, running or cardio.

Pick either of these, do that 2 hours long three times a week and watch those kilo's melt away! : zaru

Depending on your metabolism, adjust the hours.
Diet is for pansy ass pussies.

[Muah]

Whew im glad im not a mouse Best bet is to just eat whatever you can get your hands on. Diets are for ppl unable to scury up even the most simple of information on weight loss.

[onepostwonder]

Originally Posted by Karol!

omg breakthrough

japanese diet and some other island populations have the highest life expectancy.

they eat a lot of
fish
vegetables
rice
little meat
little wheat

most things raw and without that much chemicals in them.
and have relative low energy "intake" each day, compared to other countrys.

i think they are close to "natural diet"

[Karol!]

^ no kidding. my mom is Japanese and we eat rice ALL THE DAMNED TIME. lots of fish, too. its easy to get sick of Dx

[The Comedian]

^ the Atkins diet is racist.

Originally Posted by Danny Lilithborne

I would have thought seeing how Atkins died would have revealed it as bullshit, but I guess not.

Danny beat me to it

But yea, didn't Atkins die of a heart attack or something?



His own diet that made his fortune killed him. Life's a bitch.

[makeoutparadise]

This is study peer-viewed?

[Ruby Tuesday]

Originally Posted by Megatonton

The more conflicting data hits my face like a slippery fish, the more I believe exercise is the only real solution to health problems.

Granted, this wouldn't make me go out and spear a dog, but maybe a good 5 mile jog a day could suffice.

If you are a woman I wouldn't suggest you do that. Excessive jogging/running is really hard on the knees. Especially in women.

[dummy plug]

apparently the only safe food to eat are vegetables

but then people die from eating too much chips and fries

[Cirus]

Why don't the doctors just come out and say that any foods you eat can potentially cause all those problems? Really because that is the case. Anything you eat can cause health problems later on.

[kman4007]

Lo carb diets suck anyway. I hate how all these diets are overhyped by the media and celebs.

[Weaboo]

I thought this was common knowledge nowadays

[xpeed]

I knew it.....and people wonder why I don't stop eating bread, noodles, and pasta....they're so damn good! I rather die eating a good meal instead of dying and regretting not eating a good Japanese Miso Ramen with pork cutlet.