A vegetarian, low-carb diet may be the best way to lose weight and boost heart health.
Researchers in Toronto tested a diet nicknamed the “Eco-Atkins diet.” It is a low-calorie, low carbohydrate diet that is high in plant-based proteins. In the study, 22 overweight patients followed the diet for four weeks. They lost, on average, about 4 kg (8.8 lbs). The results were exciting because the diet also had positive effects on cardiovascular health: reduced LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improved blood pressure and fewer fats in the blood.
This is an improvement on the standard Atkins diet because it protects against the raised LDL cholesterol associated with eating meat, said author Dr. David Jenkins from St. Michael’s Hospital. The study was published in the June 8 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
