How Effective Are Low Fat Diets

Health authorities have for a long time proposed a low-fat diet, a suggestion that has been widely received by the mainstream medical community.

This idea draws controversies due to recent findings that question the validity of their guidelines. However, most health authorities still hold the same view, even though it lacks strong scientific backing.

The issue is: do low-fat diets truly prevent heart disease or aid weight loss? If so, how effective are they?”

In this article, you will learn more about the controversy and hopefully shed more light.

WHAT IS A LOW-FAT DIET?

There are various definitions of a low-fat diet.

According to health authorities, the standard low-fat diet should have less than 30% of daily calories from fat.

Actually, a very low-fat diet only contains 10-15% (or fewer) calories from fat.

Furthermore, a value of 7-10% maximum is recommended by several health guidelines for the daily calorie ratio of saturated fats.

Most studies investigating low-fat diets seem to follow these definitions.

LOW-FAT DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS

Individuals who need to lose weight are often advised to try a low-fat diet.

This is because fat provides a larger ratio of calories per gram in relation to the other major nutrients, carbs, and protein.

Fat contributes 9 calories per gram against 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates combined.

Moreover, studies confirm that individuals who consume less fat, and therefore their calorie intake, experience some weight loss. On average, however small, it is considered relevant for health improvement.

So the question now is: how effective is a low-fat diet versus a low-carb diet?

LOW-FATS AND LOW-CARBS

It is common that a low-carb diet contains a high proportion of proteins and fats.

If you can properly control and monitor your food consumption, both the low-fat and the low-carb diets seem equally as effective for weight loss.

This was the outcome of a small study conducted among 19 obese adults over a 2-week period in a highly restricted metabolic laboratory.

In this case, there were two drawbacks, the period was short and the environment was unrealistic.

In reality, some studies involving free-living individuals not in a controlled environment generally conclude that low-fat diets are not as effective as low-carb diets.

It’s unknown why such inconsistency occurs, however, it might be due to the fact that low-carb diets primarily consist of quality whole foods like vegetables, eggs, meat, and fish. And the total exclusion of most junk foods with high refined carbs or added sugar.

Furthermore, low-carb diets are much richer in fiber and protein than low-fat diets.

These are some ways that a low-carb can promote weight loss successfully:

• Reduce calorie intake: A significant protein consumption will reduce calorie intake which suppresses appetite and elevate calorie burn.
• Suppress appetite: A low-carb diet can curb the appetite for sugar and carb intake.
• More sense of fullness: A high fiber intake triggers a feeling of fullness, ultimately reducing calorie intake.

Clearly, a low-carb diet is effective for some health benefits. On the other hand, a low-fat diet without food quality may lead to an increased intake of junk foods high in added sugar and refined carbs.

THE GUIDELINES FOR LOW-FAT AND THE EPIDEMIC OF OBESITY

Since 1977 when the guidelines for low-fat were first published, many of the major health organizations have not changed their position.

However, the epidemic of obesity started from the inception of the guidelines. This graph,  explains it all:

Indeed, many factors at that period had influenced society and it doesn’t entirely mean that the guidelines were solely responsible for the obesity epidemic.

However, it's credible to assume that portraying fat in a very bad light and extolling junk foods, may have something to do with it.

At this time, the market was saturated with several types of low-fat junk foods that contain refined carbs, sugar, and trans fats, which have a link to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and all those diseases the low-fat diet was meant to treat in the first instance.

LOW-FAT DIETS AND THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE

At the inception of the low-fat guidelines, scientists believed that the major cause of heart disease was saturated fat.

This notion was the basis of all dietary prescriptions for several years and decades. Most health organizations did not encourage the consumption of eggs, full-fat dairy, and meat—the ones that contain high saturated fats.

However, at that time, not all scientists were on board with the guidelines as it rested on very weak evidence. This scientist warned that recommending a low-fat diet could result in unprecedented repercussions in the future.

But as it turns out, several recent studies show saturated fats cannot be directly associated with heart disease, thanks to high-quality research being conducted today.

After all, in relation to heart health, polyunsaturated fats are better substitutes for saturated fats probably due to their anti-inflammation properties.

The guidelines for the standard low-fat diet restrict fat intake to less than 30% of the total calorie intake as well as reduced saturated fat intake.

But a number of studies show that reducing overall fat intake doesn’t promote your heart health. Rather, the idea may negatively induce risk factors for heart disease.

The notion that LDL cholesterol is "bad" cholesterol is not entirely true. Research shows it's the size of the LDL particles that determine how "bad" it is. If most of the LDL particles are small, the higher risk of heart disease you get. Conversely, if they are mostly large, they lower the risk of heart disease.

However, low-fat diets can adversely turn the harmless large LDL particles to shrink in size, making them dense and harmfully small to clog the arteries.

Other studies also reveal that low-fat diets can influence the reduction of “the good” HDL  cholesterol and aid blood triglyceride spike, with very significant risk factors.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

Both the 1977 and 1983 guidelines on low-fat diets were deficient in scientific facts. Several recent studies continue to erode their credibility, while the debate is ongoing.

Without a doubt, consuming less fat does not always translate to weight loss. Most people find low-carb diets very effective for weight loss.

There is so much contention that it is complicated to link fat with heart disease. A mere reduction of fat consumption may rarely lower the risk of heart disease.

Your main goal should be to improve the quality of your diet, instead of getting too concerned about your total fat consumption. You may start by choosing nutritious whole foods, and healthy fats that are good for the heart.