High blood pressure? Just cut the carbs
No Contest
What happens when you pit a low-carbohydrate diet against a low-fat diet in a head-to-head test?
Yes, we’ve seen this one before. The weight-loss outcomes tend to be similar. The big difference is long term. Sticking to a low-carb diet reduces risk of type 2 diabetes – obviously a huge bonus as we age.
But what happens if you conduct a head-to-head low- carb/low-fat trial and give the low-fat group the added advantage of a popular diet drug?
Well, life isn’t fair, is it? Duke University researchers conducted this very test. The low-fat subjects got a daily dose of Alli. And the result? The weight-loss outcomes were quite similar. The cholesterol outcomes were quite similar. BUT the low-carb diet was significantly more effective in lowering blood pressure.
In a Duke press release, one of the authors noted: “It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects.”
That IS important to know!
The nearly 150 subjects in this study had an average age of 52, all were overweight, and many coped with typical problems that go with carrying too much weight: type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
So here’s what’s really remarkable: Subjects in both groups lost a full 10 percent of their body weight on average–a really successful outcome for a weight-loss study. And the BP numbers were equally impressive: Close to HALF of the low-carb subjects were able to decrease or discontinue their blood pressure medication, while only 21 percent were able to reduce BP medication in the low-fat group.
I should note that weekly group counseling was offered throughout most of the one-year trial. This intensive counseling was particularly important for the low-fat group because you really can’t cheat on your diet while taking Alli.
The repercussions aren’t pretty.
No extra charge for punishment
A couple of weeks ago, the FDA issued a warning about counterfeit Alli sold through Internet sites. The counterfeit contains a high dose of an active ingredient from another weight-loss drug. This ingredient may cause heart palpitations, anxiety, nausea, elevated blood pressure, and may even raise heart attack and stroke risk.
But if you’re certain you’ve purchased authentic Alli, don’t think you’re out of the woods.
As I’ve mentioned before, Alli provides a built-in punishment for dieters who don’t stick with a strict low- fat diet. (Fair warning–put aside any food you may be eating.)
Alli partially blocks absorption of dietary fats (including essential fats such as omega-3 fatty acids), so when an Alli dieter indulges in foods that contain too much fat, where does the fat go? According to the Alli website (myalli.com), “…oily spotting, loose stools and more frequent stools that may be hard to control.”
Lovely!
The Alli website also recommends users take a multivitamin that contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene. And what do all these vitamins have in common? They’re fat- soluble. In other words, while Alli impedes absorption of fat, it also impedes absorption of these VERY important vitamins.
So…high blood pressure patients, which diet are you going to go with? Low-carb, or low-fat with Alli?
Low-carb? Somehow, I saw that coming.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Sources:
“Low-Carb Diet Effective at Lowering Blood Pressure” Duke Medicine News and Communications, 1/25/10, dukehealth.org
“A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet vs Orlistat Plus a Low-Fat Diet for Weight Loss” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 170, No. 2, 1/25/10, archinte.ama-assn.org
“Fake Forms of Glaxo Diet Drug Can Be Dangerous: FDA” Lisa Richwine, Reuters Health, 1/25/10, reutershealth.com
