Plant proteins key to weight loss, healthy cholesterol, suggests study

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Plant proteins key to weight loss, healthy cholesterol, suggests study

Nutraingredients.com, 10-Jun-2009

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

effectsâ€.

 

" 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, " write David Jenkins, M.D., of St. Michael's Hospital and the University

of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues.

 

" 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

lossand lower LDL-C concentrations are treatment goals, "  wrote the authors,

adding that more research was needed to confirm the benefits.

 

‘Eco-Atkins’

Their study, which was supported by the soy protein manufacturer Solae, 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 term

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 or 8.8lbs. 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.â€

 

‘Debatable’ benefits

The authors said their study provides insight into “debatably more effective

and possibly safer tacticsâ€Â 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.

 

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; 169 (11): 1046 DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.115  Authors:

David J. A. Jenkins; Julia M. W. Wong; Cyril W. C. Kendall; Amin Esfahani;

Vivian W. Y. Ng; Tracy C. K. Leong; Dorothea A. Faulkner; Ed Vidgen; Kathryn A.

Greaves; Gregory Paul; William Singer.

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