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Facts of a Low Fat High Fiber Diet
Academy of Anti-aging Research
An important study has revealed that a low fat diet high in carbohydrates, fiber, legumes and low in red meat may not reduce total cholesterol levels and lower the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and colon cancer. The health authorities are therefore advised to make appropriate changes to nutritional recommendations and food labels
Schatzkin and co-authors at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) compared two groups of similar subjects from 2000 men and women aged at least 35 (average age is 61). One group ate their usual diets and the other group ate a lower fat higher fiber diet.
The subjects were then randomly assigned to either an “intervention” group or a “control group”. The intervention group was given 50 hours of counseling sessions, which included nutritional information, behavior modification techniques, and consultations with nutritionists and dietary assessments. The group also ate a low fat (fat ~ 20 per cent of total calories), high fiber diet (18 g of dietary fiber per 1000 kcal or ~ 35 grams per day) which included fruits and vegetables (3.5 servings per 1000 kcal or 5 to 8 servings daily).
The control group was given a brochure on healthy eating with general dietary guidelines from the National Dairy Council but no additional nutritional or behavioral information. They were assigned to follow their usual diet.
The subjects were followed for about four years after randomization. On average, there were no major differences between both groups in weight change (the control group gained about 1lb), folate intake (intervention group ate a little more and showed that folate did not have a big effect), multivitamin use (about 40 per cent took them) or calcium intake (about 1000 mg per day).
The intervention group ate more fiber, less red meat, less fat (about 35 per cent for the control group and 24 per cent for the intervention group), fewer calories (little difference which was bout 1900 cal per day for either group), more fruits and vegetables (from 2 to 3.4 servings per day for the intervention group, 2 to 2.2 servings for control); more whole grains (from 80 to 115 g per day for the intervention group and remained at about 75 g per day for the control group), more legumes (15 g per day for the intervention and about 15 g per day for the control).
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, despite eating more vegetables, fruits and fiber, serum carotenoid levels and total cholesterol were about the same as before and after the study for both the experimental and control groups. Both groups have similar incidence of colon cancer.
Subjects in both groups reported on an average similar variables such as age, sex, minority status, education, marital status, smoking (13 per cent does not distinguish heavy from light smokers), alcohol intake (7 to 8 g per day, about ½ ounce alcohol or about 5 ounces wine per day on average), body mass index (about 27), vigorous or moderate activity or both (about 12 hr per wk), aspirin use (20 per cent), use of calcium supplements (about 15 per cent), use of vitamin E supplements (about 17 per cent), total plasma cholesterol (about 200mg/dl), total serum carotenoids (about 90 ug/dl) and serum alpha-tocopherol 9about 1400 ug/dl). However, key dietary variables such as intake of essential fats were not measured in the groups or in the diet.
Information provided is courtesy of and compiled by the Academy of Anti-aging Research staff, editors, and other reports.
Anti-Aging Perspective:
This is an important study published in one of the most respected medical journals in America. Yes, its about time that America wakes up to the sad reality that simply following a low fat diet high in fiber, as that promoted by the medical community in the past 20 years, is unlikely to lower abnormal lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc) or prevent CVD. Government dietary recommendations and many prepared foods ought to be changed if the desired goal is to have a significant impact on CVD. The best strategy for maintaining healthy lipids and preventing CVD is to eat natural foods rich in essential fats, and eat few calories (only as much as needed to maintain ideal weight). The Mediterranean diet comes closest to this. Avoiding fat is not necessarily healthy, particularly if it means avoiding essential fats. However, we should avoid highly processed fats such as margarine and refined carbohydrates, as they release free radicals and leads to many harmful effects.
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