Low-fat or low-carb? It may not matter

Two new studies are weighing in on the ongoing debate about whether the best diet is low-fat or low-carbohydrate, but Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) nutrition expert Frank Hu says that no one diet can claim to be best for everyone.

One new study found that a group of low-carb dieters lost about 12 pounds over the course of a year — four more pounds than a group of low-fat dieters. The second study, a review of 48 previous studies, found that both low-fat and low-carb dieters lost an average of 16 pounds more in a year than people not on diets.

In a Sept. 2, 2014 USA Today article, Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, said, “It’s possible to have a healthy low-fat diet, one rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains, but not loaded with sugar and white bread, and also possible to have a healthy low-carb diet, one not loaded with bacon and sausage. What matters most is that the individual can stick to the diet over the long term.”