Consumer_Reports_Eat_Healthy_and_Love_it_July_2017 (1)

Eating Plans That Work
Should
You Cut
the Fat
or the
Carbs?
What you should know before starting
a low-fat or low-carb diet.
Widely publicized diets, such as low-fat
or high protein and low carbohydrates,
seem so promising. It’s no wonder so many
of us have tried—or considered—them.
But does science support the claims? We
spoke with doctors and dietitians and read
the research. Here’s what you need to know
before starting either of these popular
eating plans.
Low-Fat Diets
If you’ve tried a low-fat or no-fat diet to
optimize your health and perhaps
lose a few pounds, you’re not alone. But
an eating plan that treats fat as the
enemy, cutting out everything from
beef to dairy to avocados, might not
live up to its promises, in part because
our bodies need fats.
THE PROMISE Proponents say these
plans can prevent or ease heart disease,
lower cholesterol levels, control blood
pressure, and help you lose weight and
keep it off.
THE TRUTH Without some dietary
fat, you can become deficient in
essential fatty acids and have trouble
absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. And
unsaturated fat actually helps protect
your heart and reduce the risk
of type 2 diabetes. A 2012 review of
studies by the independent Cochrane
Collaboration found that replacing
saturated fat (found in animal products
such as butter and ground beef) with
unsaturated fat (found in fatty fish,
avocados, nuts, and plant oils like olive
oil) lowered the risk of heart attacks
and strokes.
If weight loss is your goal, be aware
that low- and no-fat foods aren’t
always lower in calories. “Sometimes
the reduced-fat or nonfat version
of a product has added sugar and starch
to boost the flavor and texture,” says
Maxine Siegel, a registered dietitian
(R.D.) who heads Consumer Reports’
food testing.
THE BOTTOM LINE Stay away from noor
very low-fat diets; they can ultimately
be harmful. But if you’re like most
Americans and have been consuming
more than a third of your calories as
fat, reducing your overall intake and
picking good-for-you fats is probably
wise, says David Seres, M.D., director
of medical nutrition at the Columbia
University Medical Center in New York
and a member of Consumer Reports’
medical advisory board. A plant-based
diet, which includes plenty of good
fats, is healthy and associated with a
decreased risk of disease.
PHOTO: CAMERON WHITMAN/STOCKSY
20 EAT HEALTHY CR.ORG