Prometheus 6

Quote of note:

All three diets produced large enough drops in blood pressure and LDL cholesterol to cut the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease by at least 16 percent. But the diets rich in protein and healthful fats outperformed the standard high-carbohydrate diet on both measures, cutting risk by 20 percent.

"We have a two-part take-home message here," Appel said. "All three diets were healthy and had favorable effects. But the current recommended DASH diet that is rich in carbohydrates can be further improved by partially replacing some of those carbohydrates with lean protein from plants and low-fat dairy products, or with monounsaturated fats" such as olive oil or nuts.

You know this supports the Atkins diet, right? And you know why Dr. Atkins' diet was pummelled in the media immediately after his death, right?

Oh, you don't know how much of the economy is driven by corn and agricultural subsidies, never considered how our diet is impacted by the economy.

Anyway... 

Scientists Fine-Tune Diet by Adding Beans
By Sally Squires
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 16, 2005; A04

Trading about 10 percent of carbohydrates in the diet for beans and healthful fats such as olive oil can help control high blood pressure and raise the level of "good cholesterol," according to a new study.

Experts said that the findings will help alter the standard dietary advice for people at high risk of heart disease. They also underscore the health benefits of popular foods including nuts, avocados and olive oil.

"We've got evidence to say that people should be more selective about what they eat," said Edward J. Roccella, coordinator of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. "If they follow a diet similar to that in the study, it may give them a chance to lower their risk of heart disease. And for some this might mean taking fewer drugs."

The results, presented yesterday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Dallas, caught even some of the study's researchers by surprise.

"I thought that we were going to see a protein effect" on cholesterol and high blood pressure, said Lawrence Appel, professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and lead author of the trial. "But the addition of unsaturated fat in lowering blood pressure was a surprise."