Good low-carb diet, bad low-carb diet

The low-carbohydrate diet fad seemed perfect for me. I could lose weight and still enjoy the steaks, burgers, pork, and barbeque chicken I love to eat.

Turns out, I might be doing myself long-term harm. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that those with low-carb diets based on animal sources of protein died earlier.

On the other hand, low-carb diets that emphasize vegetable proteins (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, tofu, lentils and kidney beans - yuck) were "associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular disease" death.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and National University of Singapore tracked the diets and health of 85,168 women and 44,548 men for 26 years and 20 years respectively. Over that time 12,555 of the women and 8,678 of the men died. And those who ate animal-based low-carb diets were 23 percent more likely to die. On the other hand, more vegetable-oriented low-carb consumers were 20 percent less likely to die and 23 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease..

Sad news indeed for meat lovers, like me, who need to lose a few pounds.
http://www.annals.org/content/153/5/289.abstractTo check out more Check Up items go to www.philly.com/checkup.