Many 21st Century studies have compared the effect of these two popular pieces of advice. At least 18 studies of the highest quality have clearly shown a better weight loss result from a low-carb diet. Low-fat and low-cal diets have not won in any comparison.

Now, a new analysis selecting 13 of the most well-designed and reliable long-term studies, summarizes the results. The winner? You probably guessed right. The same as usual.

Reality now becomes increasingly difficult for opponents to explain away.

The Comparison

The analysis summarizes the results from all long-term (at least 1 year long) studies that compared the following advice:

• LCHF-like food (up to 50 g carbohydrates per day) or
• Low-fat and low-calorie food

Participants must also have been randomized to their groups for a fairer comparison and a more reliable result. A total of 13 long-term studies met the requirements. The analysis is based on the results from these studies.

Results for Weight

Advice on a low-carbohydrate diet resulted on average in statistically significant more weight loss in the long run. The winning margin was 0.91 kg more weight lost than in the group that received advice on low-fat and low-calorie food.

Three comments on the size of the winning margin:

1. The number only shows the advantage as compared to the other group, that also lost weight. The total weight loss was of course more. It is not mentioned here, but in another new review of studies on LCHF-like food, one found on average more than seven kilos of weight loss in a time-period during which advice on a low-carbohydrate diet was provided.

2. People in the studies lived at home and shopped, cooked and ate the food on their own during a year or more. In the study, only advice on following different diets are given. Adherence to dietary advice (regardless of type) is usually terrible in long-term studies – most people soon revert to old habits. This obviously greatly reduces the effect.

For example, the weight loss of 7 kilos (15 lbs) is the average for all, including people who didn’t follow the advice. How much weight was lost by those who followed the advice is not obvious, but it has to be more. The same may apply to the difference between the groups.

3. In the majority of studies the LCHF-group was allowed to eat until satisfied. The fact that they still clearly lost MORE weight than those that were to count calories and go hungry is impressive.

Results on Health Markers

The LCHF groups on average improved blood lipid numbers in the form of lower triglycerides and more of the good HDL cholesterol, two positive changes that are seen more or less clearly in all the 13 included studies.

They also showed a slightly higher LDL cholesterol (which the article mentions can be offset by the LDL particles becoming larger and fluffier on a low-carbohydrate diet).

The LCHF groups on average improved their blood pressure, and this was statistically significant for the diastolic pressure.

Summary

Advice to overweight people on an LCHF-like diet will, even in the long run, produce more weight loss and better health markers than advice on low-fat and low-calorie foods.

Time for the health care system to wake up?

Interestingly enough, a Swedish expert review on diet for obesity will soon be released. I have already read the preliminary work that is not yet official. However, I can reveal that the investigation is looking at more or less the same studies on low-carbohydrate diets that this analysis does, and they will, not surprisingly, reach similar conclusions.

Towards the Future

Of course, opponents will try to find excuses for ignoring this study too. But it doesn’t matter. It is only a matter of time until reality catches up with them.

There are now at least 18 RCT studies and several meta analyses (both short-term and long-term) finding better weight and health markers with advice on LCHF. It is becoming more and more unlikely that future studies will point in an entirely different direction. It is more likely that for every year there will be more and more studies showing the same thing, with increasing certainty.

Like constantly dripping water wears away a stone, the opposition will be worn away. To speed up the inevitable we can send the doubters the link to the new analysis (below). Then more overweight people may dare to eat themselves thin and satisfied with real food.

The Study

The new analysis (the abstract is free): 

Bueno NB, et al. Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2013 May 7:1-10. [Epub ahead of print]

Previously

“I Was Wrong, You Were Right”

A Low-Carb Diet Superior for Overweight Children Once Again

Warnings Against the Atkins Diet “Outdated”

LCHF Seems to be Healthful in All Ways

The Science of Low-Carb

Vegetarian: Atkins Best for Weight Control (Google translated from Swedish)

18 studies: A Low-Carbohydrate Diet Best for Weight Loss

The post New Analysis: LCHF Best For Long-Term Weight and Health Markers appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

Here’s ANOTHER company, eat-rite, selling “low carb” pizza, chocolate and candy. As usual it sounds too good to be true.

Amazingly products with wheat flour etc. as their main ingredient are labeled “low carb”. And when they’re analyzed it turns out they contain between 4 and 8 times more carbs than the label claims. For example, one product didn’t contain 7 grams of carbs as listed on the label, it was really 53 grams.

High carb

So what happens after their lies get exposed on TV? Nothing. The company keeps selling their fraudulent products as if nothing has happened, and the FDA seems not to care.

The lesson? Never ever trust a processed product with a “low carb” label, especially not if it’s similar to bread, pasta or sweets. Chances are you’re being played for a fool. Eat real low-carb food instead.

The post Why You Should Never Trust a Low-Carb Label appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

Question: How do you know if a low-carb bread is really low carb?

Answer: You made it yourself.

Here’s another company – Carb Krunchers – lying through their teeth and selling bread full of carbs calling it low carb. There are many companies like them.

The post Another Low-Carb Bread Company Lying Through Their Teeth appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

A lot of people miss bread on a low-carb diet. There are lots of special low-carb breads sold in stores, but be careful! They usually suffer from one of two common problems:

1. The bread is full of carbs and the nutrition information is full of lies
2. The bread is not edible

A good example of the first problem was Julian Bakery’s low-carb bread. As I wrote earlier it turned out that people’s blood sugar increased just as much as by eating real bread. And when the “low-carb” bread was sent for analysis it turned out to contain 17 times more carbs (!) than specified.

Julian Bakery’s bread used to be an example of the first problem: high-carb bread fraudulently marketed as low-carb.

After being exposed they apparently decided to change the recipe into a truly lower-carb version. Instead of using “Sprouted Whole Grains” i.e. wheat flour as the main ingredient they are now using “Non-GMO Wheat Protein Isolate” i.e. gluten (!) as the number one ingredient. Not very Paleo. The result can be seen in the video above.

Have you found a good option for real low-carb bread? Share it in the comments below.

Earlier about fake low-carb products

The post The Problem With Low-Carb Bread appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

Have you missed my video interviews with experts on low-carb diets? There are more coming up! During the Low-Carb Cruise I brought two large suitcases, mostly filled with video equipment. Three cameras, three lights and six tripods as well as microphones.

The result is six interviews ready to edit. The interviewees are Dr Jay Wortman, Jonathan Bailor, Jimmy Moore, Dr Dwight Lundell, Bjarte Bakke and myself.

What interview do you want to see first? Tell me in the comments and it could soon be ready.

Earlier interviews

The post More Interviews Coming Up appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

I had a great time on the Low-Carb Cruise last week. One of the main reasons was getting to spend some time with my Norwegian friend Bjarte Bakke (pictured above with Ruben, our excellent cab driver and guide in Honduras).

Bjarte Bakke is a management consultant, philosopher and an impressive guy. Apart from travelling to 50 countries before me (I’m stuck at 49) he’s interested in finding the most important things in life and helping others to achieve them.

Do you know what the most important things in life are? If not, check out Bakke’s blog Rethinking Truth:

• The four most important things in life
• Health is the most important thing in life. Here’s how to achieve it!
• The key skill you need to build great relationships in life

If you want get updates on how to improve your life you can also like Bakke’s brand new Facebook page.

The post What are the Most Important Things in Life? appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

Here’s a report from the Low-Carb Cruise from the always funny Tom “Fat Head” Naughton:

The Cruise Report

The post Cruise Report #1 appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

Now I’m back in Sweden again, with good access to the internet, after three weeks of travelling in America. Thus there’ll be more regular updates again.

Here’s a quick example of how bad low-fat products can be for your health. It’s nothing new, but even worse than what I’ve seen back home.

Here’s yogurt served at breakfast on the cruise last week. Notice that all of them except the plain one have the words “low fat” on the top. It sounds healthy – but it’s not. Have a look:

The low-fat yogurt contains almost no fat. Instead it’s filled with sugar and modified starch, rapidly absorbed bad carbs. And not a little: 22 grams per 113 gram serving.

About 70 percent of the energy in the yogurt is pure sugar. And it’s very noticable: it tastes like eating candy for breakfast.

The reality is that the manufacturers have removed 2 grams of fat from the container of yogurt. Then they’ve added about 15 grams of sugar, seven times more, and they sell it implying that it’s healthy for you.

Is anyone surprised that there are three times more obese Americans today, compared to when the fear of fat took hold back in the 1980′s?

Earlier about failed low-fat diets

The post Another Dreadful Low-Fat Product appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

This is pretty impressive. I just got an email from Cord in the pictures above, he wanted to share his story:

The E-mail

I found your blog early in my journey, thank you for publishing it.

Here is my story and you have my permission to publish it, along with my first name and attached photo.

I began following the Atkin’s diet, in April of 2012 with 225 lbs to lose. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and have only succesfully lost any significant weight using low carb, and a medically supervised fast, both that put my body into ketosis.

Soon after beginning I learned about LCHF and Keto and altered my diet to include more fat and spent the majority of my carbs on green leafy vegetables. My focus was not on calories, instead I concentrated on keeping my macronutrients at approximatly 5% carbs, 60% fat and 35% protein. The weight came of very quickly. I have a tremendous amount of energy, I am seldom hungry, and never feel denied.

My physician was involved the whole way and we verified that my cholesterol, while in the ‘good’ range pre-diet, actually went down during the diet. All of my bloodwork is excellent, and all of my doctors support my decisions.

Today, I am about 65% of the way to my goal weight and losing about 8 pounds per month. I am very happy with my progress and plan to continue with this eating lifestyle indefinitly. I know that when I reach my goal weight, I will add back a few foods, but refined sugar and wheat will not be on my menu.

Cord

Comment

Congratulations Cord!

More

Earlier stories of weight loss

LCHF for beginners

How to lose weight 

The post Losing 135 Pounds in One Year With LCHF appeared first on DietDoctor.com.

Click to enlarge

The post A Tale of Two Meals appeared first on DietDoctor.com.