More Vindication for the Low Carb Diet

High-Fat Diets Won't Harden Arteries

For this analysis, the researchers had data on 23 of 28 patients who lost 10 pounds on the low-carb diet, and 23 of 27 who did so on the traditional diet. Those on the low-carb diet lost the 10 pounds sooner than the low-fat group did -- just 45 days instead of 70 days.
There were no changes in arterial stiffness or endothelial function in either diet group, and that didn't change after the results were adjusted for the time it took to shed 10 pounds, Stewart said.

Georgia and I did the Atkins diet a few years ago on the advice of our doctor who said he had seen more people lose weight and keep it off that way than any other.  At the time, we both lost lots of weight, our blood pressure, and lipids stayed good, and we felt better.  We slipped off after a few years (asking an Irish/Italian lass to give up potatoes, pasta and bread was a bit much) and we gained much of it back.  Starting on New Years this year we went back on a low carbish diet (Georgia prefers to call it South Beach, but it's fundamentally the same) and we have again dropped a fair amount of weight; I'm down 30 lbs, and Georgia is down something like 20.  I haven't been to see the doctor since, but Georgia has, and it hasn't affected her BP or lipids.  We're hoping to stay nice and slim (OK, I still have a ways to go) for Alex's wedding in September.

I'm inclined to agree with proponents of the "Paleo Diet", who suspect the early humans rarely had access to large amounts of carbohydrates, and that we are evolutionarily equipped to deal with the life of the hunter/gatherer, where animal flesh, nuts, vegetables, and grains and other starches were relatively rare. But I could sure eat a Ding Dong right about now...

Another thing I just noticed:

Nor were there any acute effects on vascular function after a lone high-fat meal, the researchers found. In a companion study, 66 patients had no changes in endothelial function after eating a 900-calorie, 50-grams-of-fat meal from McDonald's. In fact, arterial stiffness significantly improved by 16 percent after that feast, the researchers found.

"It really seemed to make the arteries relax more, but we're not entirely sure how," Stewart said. "We'll have to look more deeply into that."

Remember that article about how a big, greasy breakfast might be good in the event of a heart attack? This seems to a possible mechanism.