Atkins was wrong: Study shows no benefit to ketogenic diet

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

New study in the American Joural of Clinical Nutrition says Atkins was

all wrong. 2 groups were assigned either a low-carb ketogenic diet

(60% energy from fat, 5% from carbs), or a low-carb non-ketogenic diet

(30% energy from fat, 40% from carbs).

Both groups lost equal amounts of weight after 6 weeks, but ketogenic

group had higher inflammatory risk and low energy (vigor).

Dave

link and abstract below:

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/5/1055

Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over

nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets1,2,3

Carol S ston, Sherrie L Tjonn, Pamela D Swan, White,

Hutchins and Barry Sears

1 From the Department of Nutrition, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ

(CSJ, PDS, and AW); Conscious Cuisine, sdale, AZ (SLT); and

Inflammation Research Foundation, Marblehead, MA (HH and BS)

Background:Low-carbohydrate diets may promote greater weight loss than

does the conventional low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.

Objective:We compared weight loss and biomarker change in adults

adhering to a ketogenic low-carbohydrate (KLC) diet or a nonketogenic

low-carbohydrate (NLC) diet.

Design:Twenty adults [body mass index (in kg/m2): 34.4 ± 1.0] were

randomly assigned to the KLC (60% of energy as fat, beginning with

{approx}5% of energy as carbohydrate) or NLC (30% of energy as fat;

{approx}40% of energy as carbohydrate) diet. During the 6-wk trial,

participants were sedentary, and 24-h intakes were strictly controlled.

Results:Mean (±SE) weight losses (6.3 ± 0.6 and 7.2 ± 0.8 kg in KLC

and NLC dieters, respectively; P = 0.324) and fat losses (3.4 and 5.5

kg in KLC and NLC dieters, respectively; P = 0.111) did not differ

significantly by group after 6 wk. Blood ß-hydroxybutyrate in the KLC

dieters was 3.6 times that in the NLC dieters at week 2 (P = 0.018),

and LDL cholesterol was directly correlated with blood

ß-hydroxybutyrate (r = 0.297, P = 0.025). Overall, insulin sensitivity

and resting energy expenditure increased and serum

{gamma}-glutamyltransferase concentrations decreased in both diet

groups during the 6-wk trial (P < 0.05). However, inflammatory risk

(arachidonic acid:eicosapentaenoic acid ratios in plasma

phospholipids) and perceptions of vigor were more adversely affected

by the KLC than by the NLC diet.

Conclusions:KLC and NLC diets were equally effective in reducing body

weight and insulin resistance, but the KLC diet was associated with

several adverse metabolic and emotional effects. The use of ketogenic

diets for weight loss is not warranted.

Key Words: Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets • nonketogenic

low-carbohydrate diets • weight loss • adults • insulin resistance