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Comparison of a Low-Fat

2009-02-23T22:57:00.000-08:00

Comparison of a Low-Fat Diet to a Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Weight Loss, Body Composition, and Risk Factors for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Free-Living, Overweight Men and Women

Overweight and obese men and women (24–61 yr of age) wererecruited into a randomized trial to compare the effects ofa low-fat (LF) vs. a low-carbohydrate (LC) diet on weight loss.Thirty-one subjects completed all 10 wk of the diet intervention(retention, 78%). Subjects on the LF diet consumed an averageof 17.8% of energy from fat, compared with their habitual intakeof 36.4%, and had a resulting energy restriction of 2540 kJ/d.Subjects on the LC diet consumed an average of 15.4% carbohydrate,compared with habitual intakes of about 50% carbohydrate, andhad a resulting energy restriction of 3195 kJ/d. Both groupsof subjects had significant weight loss over the 10 wk of dietintervention and nearly identical improvements in body weightand fat mass. LF subjects lost an average of 6.8 kg and hada decrease in body mass index of 2.2 kg/m², compared with aloss of 7.0 kg and decrease in body mass index of 2.1 kg/m²in the LC subjects. The LF group better preserved lean bodymass when compared with the LC group; however, only the LC grouphad a significant decrease in circulating insulin concentrations.Group results indicated that the diets were equally effectivein reducing systolic blood pressure by about 10 mm Hg and diastolicpressure by 5 mm Hg and decreasing plasminogen activator inhibitor-1bioactivity. Blood ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrationswere increased in the LC only, at the 2- and 4-wk time points.These data suggest that energy restriction achieved by a veryLC diet is equally effective as a LF diet strategy for weightloss and decreasing body fat in overweight and obese adults.

Low-Fat Children

2009-02-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Low-Fat Diet and Children

Diets high in fat, especially saturated fat, are linked to high blood cholesterol levels and heart disease. High-fat diets can also increase risk for obesity and cancer. The American Heart Association, or AHA, has issued dietary guidelines for healthy adults and children over 2 years of age. The guidelines recommend choosing a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

Information

Until age 2, infants and toddlers need a diet that provides 40% to 50% of calories from fat. Parents should not restrict the amount of fat their child gets at this age. Breast milk, infant formulas, and whole cow's milk contain approximately 50% of calories as fat.

Both children and teenagers need calories and nutrients to ensure proper growth and development. Proper growth and development can still occur even when monitoring the amount of fat children have in their diet. A recent study looked at children who were on a diet of 30% fat for the first 5 years of life. These children had normal development and good nutritional status. Another study reported on a group of children 8 to 10 years old who were on a low-fat diet for 3 years. The diet contained 28% fat, with less than 8% from saturated fat. The children maintained adequate growth and mental health. They had enough iron and other nutrients in their diet. In addition, their LDL levels dropped.

The American Heart Association dietary guidelines have been established for healthy Americans and children over the age of 2. Therefore, monitoring the amount of fat in children's diets may help prevent the development of certain diseases later in their lives.

Starting children on a healthy, low-fat diet can set the stage for healthy eating habits as adults. Most fruits, vegetables, and grains are naturally low in fat. The primary sources of fat in a child's diet are dairy products, eggs, meats, baked goods, and snack foods.

Some recommendations to lower the total fat and saturated fat in a child's diet are:

Limit added fats to 5 to 8 teaspoons daily. This would include fats and oils added during cooking and baking. It also refers to what goes on top of foods, including salad dressings on salad and spreads on bread.

Increase servings of fruits and vegetables, legumes, soy foods, and whole grains. Legumes include beans and peas. Most plant foods contain unsaturated fats, which are better than saturated fats. Use the food guide pyramid to help determine the right number of servings and the serving sizes.

Prepare mixed dishes that use pasta, rice, beans and/or vegetables mixed with small amounts of lean meat. These can include stir-fries, chili, spaghetti sauce, soups, and casseroles.

Prepare low-fat meatless meals at least once a week. Try using legumes or soy foods as the main part of the meal.

Eat smaller portions of lean cuts of meat. These portions should add up to a total of 6 ounces a day. Lean cuts of meat will include the words "loin" or "round" in the name. Examples include sirloin, tenderloin, top round, and ground round. Also, trim any visible fat from meats before cooking. All fat should be removed after browning meat.

Use low-fat cooking methods instead of frying. These include baking, boiling, broiling, microwaving, poaching, roasting, or steaming. Use vegetable cooking spray to replace margarine or oil.

Add citrus juices, herbs, and spices to add flavor to food without the fat. Decrease the amount of cream and butter sauces.

Eat more fish. Each week, include two servings of fish in meals. Good choices include albacore tuna, salmon, lake trout, mackerel, herring, and sardines.

After cooking soups and stews, chill them and then take the fat off the top.

Substitute fat-free or low-fat milk, cheeses, and yogurt for their full-fat versions. Try to choose products that contain 1% or less fat.

Limit liver, brains, chitterlings, kidney, heart, sweetbreads, and other organ meats.

Serve low-fat desserts such as fresh fruit, sherbet, or frozen low-fat yogurt.

Read the Nutrition Facts section of food labels for fat content. The amount of saturated fat is required on the nutrition facts panel. Use the 3-gram rule. If a product has 3 grams of fat or less per 100-calorie serving, it counts as a low-fat choice.

Read the Nutrition Facts on a food label for percent daily value. Try to select foods with a % Daily Value that is low. In general, a low value is considered having a Daily Value of 5% or less. A high value is considered to be 20% or more.

Become familiar with ingredient lists on food labels. Some foods are low in saturated fat but become more saturated during processing. A key word to look for on a label is "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated." This process turns liquid oil into a solid form, making it more saturated.

Choose margarines with liquid vegetable oil listed as the first ingredient. Check the Nutrition Facts to see if one tablespoon has 2 or less grams of saturated fat.

Low-fat diets

2009-02-23T22:13:00.000-08:00

Low-fat diets can prevent cancer relapse

(NaturalNews) Eating a diet low in fat may reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer relapse, according to a study published on December 20 in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute."

Researchers studied 2,400 post-menopausal women who had been successfully treated for breast cancer, and monitored their condition for five years. The women had all previously received standard treatments for their cancer, including surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

One group of women was asked to consume less than 33 grams of fat per day — 20 percent of their total calorie intake. The control group ate a standard diet of approximately 51 grams of fat per day, or 30 percent of their total daily calories. After five years, the relapse rate among those who had eaten the low-fat diet was 9.8 percent, compared with 12.4 percent for the control group — in other words, a 20 percent lower risk. The difference was statistically significant, said researchers.

When the researchers divided the breast-cancer cases depending on whether or not the tumors contained receptors for estrogen hormones, a different pattern emerged. Among those with estrogen-receptor-negative tumors, women who ate the low-fat diet had a 41 percent lower risk of recurrence. Preliminary results suggested that this difference became even more drastic when the observation period was extended past five years. Among those with estrogen-receptor-positive tumors, however, a low-fat diet produced no statistically significant difference in relapse risk.

The study could not determine the cause for the correlation between reduced fat intake and reduced risk.

Prior studies have shown a correlation between obesity and breast cancer risk, such that gaining 22 pounds can increase person's risk of contracting breast cancer by 18 percent.

The recurrence study — called the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study — was funded by the American Institute of Cancer Research.