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Plant Proteins - Key To Weight Loss,
Cardiovascular Health, Lower Cholesterol,
Suggests Study
Specific Plant-Derived Proteins, Peptides, Amino Acids Are Beneficial
For Cardiovascular Health As Well As Effective Weight Management.
A diet low in carbohydrates and high in plant-based proteins could improve
blood cholesterol levels while promoting weight loss, according to a new study.
In a paper published this week in the JAMA Journal Archives of Internal Medicine,
scientists suggested that popular low-carb diets with meat protein, which are often
promoted for weight loss, may contain high levels or saturated fat and cholesterol,
which could lead to the potential for adverse effects.
"This lack of a benefit for LDL-C control is a major disadvantage in using this
dietary strategy in those already at increased risk of coronary heart disease,"
concluded researchers of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto,
Ontario, Canada.
"A plant-based low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetable proteins and oils may
be an effective option in treating those with dyslipidemia for whom both weight
loss and lower LDL-C concentrations are treatment goals," wrote the authors,
adding that more research was needed to confirm the benefits.
The study found that overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-
carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight
and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart
disease risk factors.
The researchers randomly assigned 25 participants to this diet, which they refer
to as the 'Eco-Atkins' diet, for a period of four weeks. The vegetable proteins in
this diet were derived from gluten, soy, nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals and
vegetable oils.
Another 25 participants were given a high-carbohydrate, lacto-ovo vegetarian
control diet, which was based on low-fat dairy and whole grain products. The diets
provided 60 per cent of participants' estimated calorie requirements.
After four weeks, both groups recorded similar levels of weight loss - around 4kg
( 8 to 9 lbs.) However, reductions in LDL-C levels and improvements in the ratios
between total cholesterol and HDL-C were greater for the low-carbohydrate diet
compared with the high-carbohydrate diet, wrote the researchers.
The low-carbohydrate diet also appeared to produce beneficial changes in
levels and ratios of apolipoproteins, proteins that bind to fats. In addition, small
but significantly greater reductions were seen in both systolic (top number) and
diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure for the low-carbohydrate vs. the high-
carbohydrate group.
The authors said their study provides insight into "debatably more effective and
possibly safer tactics" for designing higher-protein diets for weight loss and
cardiovascular risk reduction.
"However, it is premature to recommend the 'Eco-Atkins' diet as a weight loss diet
of choice without confirmation of its efficacy in larger studies of more diverse and
higher-risk individuals. Long-term studies are also essential to ascertain both
sustainability and safety," they concluded.
Source: The Effect of a Plant-Based Low-Carbohydrate ('Eco-Atkins') Diet on
Body Weight and Blood Lipid Concentrations in Hyperlipidemic Subjects.
Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009.
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