Trying to figure which diets, foods, and exercise regimes actually promote the most effective weight loss and overall health can be difficult, especially when it seems that every other day, a new study makes a conflicting claim. But now experts are insisting that perhaps the most classic dieting tactic—going low-carb—really does have the science to back it up. And what’s more: It doesn’t just help us lose weight, but it’s good for us, too. (And yes, there is a huge difference between the two.
A new study that’s received attention from The New York Times, NPR, and CBSshows that people who eat more fats (even those of the much-feared, saturated variety) and fewer carbohydrates have lower body fat and fewer cardiovascular risks than those who follow a low-fat diet. In other words, the Atkins diet just got a big plug.
In the study, one group was instructed to follow a low-fat diet for a year, while another was told to follow a low-carb diet, both with specific restraints set by dietitians. And while 79 percent ended up sticking with low-carb versus an 82 percent who maintained low-fat, the people who ate fewer carbohydrates lost an average of 12 pounds that year. The low-fat group only averaged a four pound loss.
The only exception to this new “all fats are good” rule is trans fat, which we most often see as “partially hydrogenated oil” in shortenings and highly processed foods. But the experts involved in the study were shocked to discover that saturated fat—found in dairy products and vegetable oils—is not something to be generally avoided, as previously thought.
But why, again, should we trust this study in particular, when we’re told conflicting information about the way we should eat almost daily? It’s because the way that this research was conducted sets it apart from the others. Firstly, it was held around a group of 150 racially diverse men and women, which apparently is very rare in these kinds of studies. This group also followed the constraints for a year, which is considered long-term for diet research. And finally, unlike the vast majority of weight-loss trials, the participants weren’t told to restrict their calories in any way.
This is definitely major, and will hopefully put fat-fearing to rest once and for all. (Eat that coconut oil instead of just putting it all over your body! Just look at Miranda Kerr!) But we’ll still note that at the end of the day, it’s more important to practice moderation and choose a healthy lifestyle in general rather than nitpick certain levels of macronutrients. You’re more likely to maintain that in the long run—and it won’t make you crazy in the process.