Medical researchers
recommend that trading in some carbohydrates for a healthy fats
and protein maybe beneficial for the heart. Based on a trial
released in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(November 2005) the substitution of various carbohydrates for
protein and/or monounsaturated fat showed to support the overall
susceptibility to heart disease.
To assess
the types of diets that benefit the heart, researchers studied
164 participants with either the first signs of high blood
pressure or diagnosed with hypertension. Using three divergent
diet emphases: protein, carbohydrates and unsaturated foods,
patients were split into three groups.
Subjects
of the protein-rich diet consumed proteins cultivated from
plant sources, (in example: nuts, legumes, beans, and vegetable-based
meat substitutes) which generally have less fat than proteins
derived from animal sources.
In the
unsaturated-fat-rich group, the diet consisted of monounsaturated
fats. Foods and substances such as peanuts, olives and canola
oil are deemed as acceptable because they are not attributed
to artery-clogging cholesterol.
Because
the different groups were assigned to diets rich in carbohydrates,
protein or unsaturated fats, the dieting menus varied in preparation.
For instance, a typical lunch for a patient in the high carb
would be chicken sandwich on whole wheat grain bread with
mayonnaise.
Alternatively,
while the unsaturated-fat-rich dieters would have their chicken
on white bread with barbeque sauce and olive-oil margarine,
while the protein patient would enjoy a veggie burger with
a barbeque sauce on a traditional hamburger roll.
Subsequent
to the six-week study, researchers determined that both the
high unsaturated fat diet and high protein groups showed an
improved rate in blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL)
levels. Consequently, the unsaturated fat and protein diets
outperformed the heart disease risks associated to the carbohydrate
diet.
