The plethora of diets on the weight loss market is often confusing. Low-carb diets, in particular, go under numerous names - such as Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, and Ketogenic. So which of these is the best option for weight loss? Are the diets safe, and is there a huge difference in results between them?
The Mayo Clinic in Arizona aimed to review studies that examine low-carb diets, in order to find out if they are safe and effective for weight loss, and cardiovascular and metabolic health. They published the results of their study in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Depending on the diet, the physicians found that the definition of low-carb diet is highly variable. Previous studies have shown low-carb diets as comprising less than 45 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates. However, this figure is not dissimilar to the typical Western diet that has more than 50 percent.
While all of the reviewed diets were based on the idea of carbohydrate restriction, the allowed carbs accounted for anywhere between 4-46 percent of daily calories, which the researchers say "co
nvolutes the evidence."
Physicians advise eating 'real foods,' not highly processed meats
An analysis of 41 trials that evaluated the effects of low-carb diets on weight loss revealed that participants lost between 2.5-9 more pounds than individuals who followed a low-fat diet.
"The best conclusion to draw is that adhering to a short-term low-carb diet appears to be safe and may be associated with weight reduction," says Dr. Heather Fields, an internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic and lead researcher on this study.
"However, that weight loss is small and of questionable clinical significance in comparison to low-fat diets. We encourage patients to eat real food and avoid highly processed foods, especially processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, deli meats, hot dogs, and ham when following any particular diet," she adds.
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