The effects of a low-carbohydrate, high-vegetable protein and vegetable oil plant-based diet and of a high-carbohydrate lacto-ovo vegetarian diet for 4 weeks on the lipoprotein-lipid profile were compared in a sample of 47 overweight hyperlipidemic men and women. Although weight loss was similar between the two groups, reductions in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, the cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio and the apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein AI ratio were greater for the low-carbohydrate compared to the high-carbohydrate diet. A significantly greater decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed for the low-carbohydrate vs. the high-carbohydrate diet. Thus, a plant-based low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetable proteins and oils may be efficient in treating dyslipidemic subjects for whom weight loss and a reduction in LDL cholesterol concentrations are needed. Although the paper of Jenkins et al. provided some evidence that a high vegetable protein diet could be effective and safe for weight loss and improving cardiovascular risk factors, Tuttle and Milton in their editorial believe that it is still premature to recommend the “Eco-Atkins” diet until more data are available to prove its efficacy in larger populations and higher-risk individuals.
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