A new study funded by the Atkins foundation has recently come out, which shows that a low carb diet reduces the metabolic syndrome and the risk of diabetes in a sample of obese patients.

Among the authors of the study we find Dr. Volek, who is one of the most famous researchers in the field of low carb or ketogenic diets.

Already these two elements, the conflict of interest and the choice of a doctor known for his stances against carbohydrates, had left me perplexed, so I read the study in detail to understand more.

LOW CARB DIET: DOES IT REDUCE METABOLIC SYNDROME?

Metabolic syndrome is a set of clinical conditions that create the picture of a compromised metabolism: high cholesterol, increased visceral fat, hypertension, high triglycerides and high blood pressure are the conditions that determine this syndrome, combined with an intestinal inflammatory state.

The study therefore examines a sample of obese or overweight subjects who respond to these parameters, and after a period of “observation” with a normocaloric diet, subjects them to three dietary interventions.

• A low-carb, high-fat diet for 4 weeks.
• 4 weeks of moderate-fat, moderate-carbohydrate diet.
• A high-carb, low-fat diet.

Protein in all three diets accounted for 20% of the daily calorie requirement, which stands at 2950 calories on average.

Between one diet and another, the participants followed two weeks of normal nutrition on which, however, we have no information.