According to a new study, the high fat, low carbohydrate Atkins diet is heart burdening during the maintenance phase. The maintenance phase comes after required weight loss achievement.
This recent study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the time span was January 2006 to December 2006.

Involving 18 healthy people with an average body mass index; BMI, the study was aimed to know the changes in cholesterol levels and cardiac conditions.

The BMI of the participants was 22.6 i.e. 18.5 to 24.9, which is thought as normal weight. To conclude the research, participants took different diets randomly ordered in 4 weeks.

The diets were given as Atkins: 50 percent fat, South Beach: 30 percent fat and Ornish: 10 percent fat. At the beginning of the research and at the end of each 4 week diet, participants were examined for cholesterol levels and other cardiac risk factors.

Also the food records at the end of each 3 day diet phase were checked, and blood vessel functionalities were examined too.

Dr. Michael Miller, director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore said, blood vessel dilation decreases with the elevation in the amount of saturated fat in the diet.

Vice president of nutrition and education at Atkins Nutritionals, Colette Heimowitz said though sample size was diminutive with feeble interrelation, evaluations indicate for critical care for diets like the Atkins diet that are dependent upon large quantities of saturated fat effecting heart.

It’s important to know that low-carb diet is not the same as low sugar diet that is highly recommended to those with IBS. Foods to avoid in IBS