Low Fat Diet or Low Carb Diet?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/health/low-carb-vs-low-fat-diet.html

This is a great controversial article I found on the New York Times website! There is currently a lot of attention surrounding whether a low fat diet or a low carbohydrate diet is better for weight loss and overall health. As we all have seen with the multitude of diets that have come and gone in the media, there is a forever changing idea of "what we should eat". In class, specifically NTR 201, we learn what the body actually needs to function properly while maintaining homeostasis. This article presents the facts observed in a scientific study, comparing a group of individuals who followed a low fat diet and a group who followed a low carbohydrate diet. Upon first reading it, it seems the skies have opened and we now have the answer to all of our weight loss questions. But looking further, and using our education in nutrition, we can see the flaws in the content of this article. First off, fats and lipid digestion is a much slower and more complex process than that of carbohydrates, causing a person to feel satiated for longer after a high fat meal. This could be the cause of the loss of weight between the two groups, as one was eating less. Also, the body looks for glucose to burn as fuel first- it is the preferred source for brain and neuro function, and drives physical movement. When your diet consists of more carbs, there is never a need to tap into stored glucose as it is always readily available for use. When your diet consists mostly of fats and proteins, your body will search for this glucose in stored areas (such as muscles and liver) and when that is tapped, your body will go into ketosis; breaking down fats incompletely to obtain the energy needed for life processes. This causes fat to be burned up, hence why that group lost weight, however it leaves ketone bodies circulating in the blood stream (something you don't want!) The national guidelines for healthy consumption do promote unsaturated fats. They are not the heart disease causers- they are omega 3's, 6's, and many others that your body needs and wants- this article mentions very briefly that they were instructed to have unsaturated fats, no wonder their LDL's didn't skyrocket. Lastly, the loss in lean muscle mass is because they were not consuming enough protein to keep their muscles functioning how they were. Muscle is built by protein, more protein does in fact contribute to more muscle and lack of protein will in fact decrease lean muscle mass. These were just a few issues I noticed with this article! I would think if we looked at the actual study itself we might find more!

Lindsey Green