Your wait is over. Dietary intervention to reverse carotid atherosclerosis. Shai I, Spence JD, Schwarzfuchs D, Henkin Y, Parraga G, Rudich A, Fenster A, Mallett C, Liel-Cohen N, Tirosh A, Bolotin A, Thiery J, Fiedler GM, Blüher M, Stumvoll M, Stampfer MJ; DIRECT Group. Source Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel. irish@bgu.ac.il Abstract BACKGROUND: It is currently unknown whether dietary weight loss interventions can induce regression of carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a 2-year Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial-Carotid (DIRECT-Carotid) study, participants were randomized to low-fat, Mediterranean, or low-carbohydrate diets and were followed for changes in carotid artery intima-media thickness, measured with standard B-mode ultrasound, and carotid vessel wall volume (VWV), measured with carotid 3D ultrasound. Of 140 complete images of participants (aged 51 years; body mass index, 30 kg/m(2); 88% men), higher baseline carotid VWV was associated with increased intima-media thickness, age, male sex, baseline weight, blood pressure, and insulin levels (P<0.05 for all). After 2 years of dietary intervention, we observed a significant 5% regression in mean carotid VWV (-58.1 mm(3 95% confidence interval, -81.0 to -35.1 mm(3); P<0.001), with no differences in the low-fat, Mediterranean, or low-carbohydrate groups (-60.69 mm(3), -37.69 mm(3), -84.33 mm(3), respectively; P=0.28). Mean change in intima-media thickness was -1.1% (P=0.18). A reduction in the ratio of apolipoprotein B(100) to apolipoprotein A1 was observed in the low-carbohydrate compared with the low-fat group (P=0.001). Participants who exhibited carotid VWV regression (mean decrease, -128.0 mm(3); 95% confidence interval, -148.1 to -107.9 mm(3)) compared with participants who exhibited progression (mean increase, +89.6 mm(3); 95% confidence interval, +66.6 to +112.6 mm(3)) had achieved greater weight loss (-5.3 versus -3.2 kg; P=0.03), greater decreases in systolic blood pressure (-6.8 versus -1.1 mm Hg; P=0.009) and total homocysteine (-0.06 versus +1.44 mumol/L; P=0.04), and a higher increase of apolipoprotein A1 (+0.05 versus -0.00 g/L; P=0.06). In multivariate regression models, only the decrease in systolic blood pressure remained a significant independent modifiable predictor of subsequent greater regression in both carotid VWV (beta=0.23; P=0.01) and intima-media thickness (beta=0.28; P=0.008) levels. CONCLUSIONS: Two-year weight loss diets can induce a significant regression of measurable carotid VWV. The effect is similar in low-fat, Mediterranean, or low-carbohydrate strategies and appears to be mediated mainly by the weight loss-induced decline in blood pressure. Clinical Trial Registration- http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Those eating low carb actually had greater regression of the arterial wall thickness though the difference between low carb and low fat was not statistically significant. Low carb was at least as effective.
I'll count this as one study indicating that a 2-year weight loss program induces a reduction in two indicators of heart disease - carotid atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. Let's get some more going.
The full text of the study can be found here: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/121/10/1200 While not taking away from the point in question here, its worth pointing out that the "low fat" diet that produced similar results to the low carb diet was not at all the same whole food, no added fats diet advocated on this thread. "...The interventions were reported in detail previously.11 Food diaries obtained from a subset of participants during the weight loss phase12 showed distinct differences between low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet in fat intake (41% versus 26% in the low-fat diet), carbohydrate intake (28% versus 48% in the low-fat diet), and dietary cholesterol intake (358 versus 174 mg/d in the low-fat diet)...."
Beware of the chicken meat. http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html What's astonishing about all this is that the FDA tells consumers it's safe to eat cancer-causing arsenic but it's dangerous to drink elderberry juice! The FDA recently conducted an armed raid in an elderberry juice manufacturer, accusing it of the "crime" of selling "unapproved drugs." And what's the name of this manufacturer that has been putting arsenic in the chicken feed for all these years? Pfizer, of course -- the very same company that makes vaccines containing chemical adjuvants that are injected into children. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_a...l#ixzz1OrIAMfmJ
NoDoji asserted that a low carb diet could not reverse heart disease, but only a vegan diet could achieve this end. Clearly that is wrong, and there is the proof.
"To the Editor: It is commonly believed that vegetarian diets are cardioprotective. But a recent analysis of three major epidemiologic studies of vegetarians in the United Kingdom failed to show significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality, when compared with omnivores of similar lifestyles (1)." "Among all subjects, age, gender, triglyceride, blood pressures, plasma homocysteine, and vitamin B12 concentrations were significantly correlated with IMT and FMD (all p < 0.02). There was no correlation between FMD or IMT and protein intake. On multivariate analyses, age (beta = 0.304), gender (beta = 0.169), and vegetarian group (beta = 0.464) were independently associated with IMT [r = 0.64, p < 0.0001], whereas triglyceride (beta = â0.202) and vegetarian group (beta = 0.588) were correlated with FMD [r = 0.67, p < 0.0001]. When plasma homocysteine or vitamin B12 concentration was added into the model, the vegetarian group remained significantly associated with IMT and FMD. This study showed that vegetarians had greater carotid intima-media thickening and less effective endothelial function than the age- and gender-matched omnivore control subjects, raising concern, for the first time, about the vascular health of vegetarians. The mean blood pressures and serum creatinine of this group of Chinese vegetarians were significantly higher than those of control subjects. This might be attributed to the high sodium contents of the local vegetarian diets, which include processed protein food substitutes, vegetarian oyster sauce, and tomato paste. In addition, vegetarians had higher triglyceride concentrations than the omnivores, probably because of the high carbohydrate contents, which also increase insulin resistance. Vegetarians had significantly lower plasma vitamin B12 and higher homocysteine concentrations, which might also be associated with greater carotid IMT and decreased brachial artery FMD. This suggests that vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarians might have adverse effects on their vascular health. A vitamin B12 supplementation intervention study in improving vascular function in vegetarians is awaited with much interest. In summary, contrary to common belief, vegetarians, at least in the Chinese, might have accelerated atherosclerosis and abnormal arterial endothelial function, compared with omnivore control subjects. The increased risk could only be partially explained by their higher blood pressure, triglyceride, homocysteine, and lower vitamin B12 concentrations." Vascular Dysfunction in Chinese Vegetarians: An Apparent Paradox? Timothy Kwok, MD, Ping Chook, MD, Lucia Tam, MPh, Mu Qiao, PhD, Jean L.F. Woo, MD, David S. Celermajer, PhD and Kam S. Woo, MD, FACC* * Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR (Email: ramsangwoo@cuhk.edu.hk). How did Campbell and TCS miss this?
"To the Editor: It is commonly believed that vegetarian diets are cardioprotective. But a recent analysis of three major epidemiologic studies of vegetarians in the United Kingdom failed to show significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality, when compared with omnivores of similar lifestyles (1)." "Among all subjects, age, gender, triglyceride, blood pressures, plasma homocysteine, and vitamin B12 concentrations were significantly correlated with IMT and FMD (all p < 0.02). There was no correlation between FMD or IMT and protein intake. On multivariate analyses, age (beta = 0.304), gender (beta = 0.169), and vegetarian group (beta = 0.464) were independently associated with IMT [r = 0.64, p < 0.0001], whereas triglyceride (beta = â0.202) and vegetarian group (beta = 0.588) were correlated with FMD [r = 0.67, p < 0.0001]. When plasma homocysteine or vitamin B12 concentration was added into the model, the vegetarian group remained significantly associated with IMT and FMD. This study showed that vegetarians had greater carotid intima-media thickening and less effective endothelial function than the age- and gender-matched omnivore control subjects, raising concern, for the first time, about the vascular health of vegetarians. The mean blood pressures and serum creatinine of this group of Chinese vegetarians were significantly higher than those of control subjects. This might be attributed to the high sodium contents of the local vegetarian diets, which include processed protein food substitutes, vegetarian oyster sauce, and tomato paste. In addition, vegetarians had higher triglyceride concentrations than the omnivores, probably because of the high carbohydrate contents, which also increase insulin resistance. Vegetarians had significantly lower plasma vitamin B12 and higher homocysteine concentrations, which might also be associated with greater carotid IMT and decreased brachial artery FMD. This suggests that vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarians might have adverse effects on their vascular health. A vitamin B12 supplementation intervention study in improving vascular function in vegetarians is awaited with much interest. In summary, contrary to common belief, vegetarians, at least in the Chinese, might have accelerated atherosclerosis and abnormal arterial endothelial function, compared with omnivore control subjects. The increased risk could only be partially explained by their higher blood pressure, triglyceride, homocysteine, and lower vitamin B12 concentrations." Vascular Dysfunction in Chinese Vegetarians: An Apparent Paradox? Timothy Kwok, MD, Ping Chook, MD, Lucia Tam, MPh, Mu Qiao, PhD, Jean L.F. Woo, MD, David S. Celermajer, PhD and Kam S. Woo, MD, FACC* * Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR (Email: ramsangwoo@cuhk.edu.hk). How did Campbell and TCS miss this?
My wife and I switched to basically a primal/paleo diet about 3 months ago. My wife lost 25 of the 35 pounds she wanted to lose and we haven't even really started an exercise regimen yet. I didn't have any weight to lose, but have had many benefits. - Mentally I am much sharper. I feel like a haze has been lifted from my head. I thought I was just getting old, but I feel as sharp as I did when I was 20 again. - My energy level and focus stays more even throughout the day. - I need less sleep and the sleep I get is much more restful. - Umm, sex life is noticeably... better. - I don't get hungry much any more. I only need to eat twice a day and I have mostly lost the urge to snack. I did a good amount of research before I started this, and I feel some of the recent science around eating a low-carb diet is very convincing. Please note, you can't just eat any fat you want and reduce your carbs and call it good. There are certain fats you want to load up on and certain fats you want to eliminate completely. I like Mark Sisson's strategy and generally follow it. I urge everyone to at least do some reading on this with an open mind and evaluate the studies for yourself. I tried being a vegetarian for over a year, and while I did notice some slight improvements in some areas, it was not nearly as dramatic as the improvements I have made with Paleo. I think in the coming years, more and more science will come out that supports this position. It seems like the real scientists are finally starting to be heard over the din of the PETA-inspired veganistas.
The study you quote was published in 2005, same year as The China Study. I don't think it would have been included even if they had had the time to evaluate it. It's just another study comparing one unhealthy diet with another. Just removing animal protein does not magically make a diet healthy. Most vegetarians I know eat a way that is as bad if not worse than the standard american diet (SAD). Same goes for vegans. Most vegans I know have become vegan for other issues than health (ethics, animal rights etc) and eat no better than the SAD. This thread has highlighted the whole foods plant based diet which is something entirely different.
This is an good summary of a whole foods plant based diet (with a solid base in modern science) that is extremely healty: Eat To Live. It's not necessarily vegan, but many people that follow it are.