Study: Low-carb diet best for weight, cholesterol

A two year study comparing on the Atkins diet, Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet have shown that all three diets achieved weight loss and improved cholesterol. However, the study had revealed some very interesting findings:

• The Atkins diet and the Mediterranean helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet.

• The Atkins diet improved cholesterol more than the other two.

• Average weight loss for those on the Atkins diet was 10.3 pounds after two years whilst those on the Mediterranean diet lost 10 pounds, and those on the low-fat regimen dropped 6.5.
  
  More surprising were the measures of cholesterol. Critics have long acknowledged that an Atkins diet could help people lose weight but feared that over the long term,

The study had also quell fear about the long term effects of the Atkins diet - that it may drive up cholesterol because it allows more fat. However, the low-carb approach seemed to trigger the most improvement in several cholesterol measures, including the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, the "good" cholesterol. For example, someone with total cholesterol of 200 and an HDL of 50 would have a ratio of 4 to 1. The optimum ratio is 3.5 to 1, according to the American Heart Association.

The study also reveal that because women have more experience dieting and losing weight, they are more able to implement a complicated diet plan as compared to men. As such, men are more receptive towards the Atkins diet as it sets clear limits of what food should be consumed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080717/ap_on_he_me/med_dueling_diets;_ylt=As9c.3NMdvEb6devbS3dJfWISbYF