low fat diets can be unhealthy

From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Sat May 15 1999 - 12:28:21 MDT


Citations: 1-2
<1>
Authors
  Wells AS. Read NW. Laugharne JD. Ahluwalia NS.
Institution
  Centre for Human Nutrition, University of Sheffield, Northern General
  Hospital, UK. a.s.wells@sheffield.ac.uk
Title
  Alterations in mood after changing to a
  low-fat diet.
Source
  British Journal of Nutrition. 79(1):23-30, 1998 Jan.
Abstract
  The effects on mood of reducing dietary fat
  while keeping the energy constant were examined in ten male and ten female
  healthy volunteers aged between 20 and 37 years. Each volunteer consumed a
  diet containing 41% energy as fat for 1
  month. For the second month half of the subjects changed to a
  low-fat diet (25% energy
  from fat) and the remainder continued to eat the
  diet containing 41% energy from fat.
  Changes in mood and blood lipid concentrations were assessed before, during
  and at the end of the study. Profile of mood states (POMS) ratings of
  anger-hostility significantly increased in the intervention group after 1
  month on the low-fat diet,
  while during the same period there was a slight decline in anger-hostility in
  the control subjects (group F 6.72; df 1.14; P = 0.021). Tension-anxiety
  ratings declined in the control group consuming the higher
  fat diet but did not change in the group
  consuming the low-fat diet
  (group F 6.34; df 1.14; P = 0.025). There was a decline in fasting
  concentrations of HDL-cholesterol after the
  low-fat diet and a small
  increase in subjects consuming the medium-fat
  diet (group F 4.96; df 1.12; P = 0.046), but no significant
  changes in concentrations of total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol or
  triacylglycerol were observed. The results suggest that a change in
  dietary fat content from 41 to 25% energy
  may have adverse effects on mood. The alterations in mood appear to be
  unrelated to changes in fasting plasma cholesterol concentrations.

<2>
Authors
  Morgan SA. O'Dea K. Sinclair AJ.
Institution
  Department of Medicine at St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria,
  Australia.
Title
  A low-fat diet
  supplemented with monounsaturated fat results in less HDL-C
  lowering than a
  very-low-fat
  diet [see comments].
Comments
  Comment in: J Am Diet Assoc 1997 Aug;97(8):840
Source
  Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 97(2):151-6,
  1997 Feb.
Abstract
  OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a
  very-low-fat
  diet with a low-fat
  diet supplemented with monounsaturated oil on plasma lipid
  levels in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. DESIGN: The 8-week study was
  divided into one 2-week baseline diet and two 3-week
  intervention periods in a randomized crossover design. SETTING: The study was
  conducted in an outpatient setting at the Deakin Institute of Human
  Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia. SUBJECTS: Twenty-four
  free-living subjects with hypercholesterolemia participated in and completed
  the study. INTERVENTION: After a 2-week baseline period of a self-selected
  diet, subjects were assigned to one of two
  dietary interventions: a
  very-low-fat (10% of
  energy from fat), high-carbohydrate diet or
  a low-fat (26% of energy from
  fat) diet supplemented with olive oil and
  an olive oil-based margarine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lipid measurements
  included total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
  cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride
  concentrations. Plasma cholesteryl esters were measured to monitor
  compliance. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: A paired t test was used to assess
  differences between treatment periods for each subject. The dependence of the
  difference between treatment periods on the covariates of age, sex, initial
  cholesterol concentration, and energy intake was analyzed using repeated
  measures and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: The
  low-fat diet supplemented
  with monounsaturated fat resulted in significantly less
  high-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering than the
  very-low-fat
  diet (P=.005). Both interventions resulted in significant
  reductions in both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and
  total cholesterol compared with the baseline diet.
  APPLICATIONS: This study suggests that a
  low-fat diet enriched with
  olive oil provides advantages over a
  very-low-fat
  diet in the control of serum lipoproteins among persons with
  hypercholesterolemia.



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