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Low-Carb Diet Lowers Blood Pressure

A low-carb diet similar to the Atkins Diet has been shown to help people lose weight. Now a new study compares this approach to a low-fat diet in combination with the diet drug orlistat. This medication is found in the prescription drug Xenical and the OTC weight loss pill Alli.

In this trial, 146 overweight people were randomized to one of the two regimens for almost a year. Both groups lost nearly 10 percent of their body weight. The low-carb dieters had lower blood pressure at the end of the study. This compared to a slight increase in blood pressure among the low-fat, pill-taking dieters.

The authors conclude that the low carbohydrate diet was just as effective as the low-fat diet plus orlistat for reducing weight, blood sugar and blood fats. It was more effective for lowering blood pressure.

[Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan. 25, 2010]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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