A low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet may not be as healthy as people believe, according to research by a doctor at Harvard School of Public Health.
Doctor Walter Willett and his colleagues found lower consumptions of saturated and trans fats is desirable, but some unsaturated fat is good for you.
However, replacing all fat with carbohydrates may not be beneficial because this lowers both LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol, and reduces vitamin E and essential fatty acids. The doctors claim that there is no proof that low-fat, high-fibre diets reduce the risk of cancer or help maintain body weight (N Engl J Med, 1997; 337: 562-8).