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Low-Fat Diet Raises Bad Cholesterol
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
April 07 2004 | 3,017 views

Mounting evidence has suggested that low-fat diets, even those filled with fruit and vegetables, have raised plasma levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol.

A study was performed to explore how changes in the diet affected LDL levels.

Participants of the study included 37 healthy women placed on two different diets. Both diets were low in total and saturated fats, however one diet was low in vegetables and the other was high in vegetables, berries and fruit.

The study revealed that those on the low-fat, low-vegetable diet had increased LDL blood levels of 27 percent and 19 percent in the low-fat, high-vegetable diet.

Both of the diets were shown to have small, yet significant, decreases in HDL, the "good" cholesterol.

Researchers attributed the increase in LDL levels as a response to an increase of a protein called lipoprotein "a" in the diets.

Arteriosclerosis Thrombotic Vascular Biology March 2004;24(3):498-503



Dr. Mercola's Comments:
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Once again, society has tried the low-fat nonsense approach to diet and found it a dismal failure.

There are several dangers associated with a low-fat diet. Now, in a small study of women, a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables caused an increase in the plasma levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol.

Lower fat diets may be beneficial and may work for some, especially those with carbohydrate metabolic types, but all of us need some beneficial fats in our diet in order to stay healthy.

Fat phobia and exclusion of all fats from the diet is a prescription for disaster. If you’re following a low-fat diet in the hopes of losing weight, a much healthier option is to follow the program outlined in my nutrition plan and consider Whey Protein with Aminogen®.

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