London: People who follow a low-carb, high-fat diet (LCHF) are more susceptible to cardio-diseases, says a study.

The research was lead by Steven Hunter from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
“High-fat diets have become popular because they seemingly promote more rapid weight loss and because of their palatability," said Hunter.

"However, we now have proof that they do not help people lose weight any faster than more conventional diets, and the potential negatives of increased cardiovascular risks far outweigh the potential positives," added Hunter.

It shows that the risks of LCHF diets far outweigh the potential benefits gained by the obese through weight loss, including improvements in blood pressure and risk factors for coronary heart disease.

The results are particularly important for nearly a quarter of the UK adult population, and 16 percent of the child population, now classified as obese and at risk of Type 2 diabetes -- 80 percent of all people diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes are overweight.

Type-2 diabetes is the result of inadequate insulin production and/or insulin resistance, which means that the right levels of glucose (our main source of energy from food) are not maintained naturally by the body.

There are 180 million people worldwide with diabetes and the World Health Organization predicts this number will double over the next 20 years.

“The worldwide obesity pandemic is a major public health concern and strongly linked to rises in diabetes and cardiovascular disease," said Hunter.

"Advocating low-carbohydrate high-fat diets as a weapon against obesity and diabetes, health professionals could be contributing to a dangerous rise in cardiovascular disease,” warned Hunter.

-- IANS