Commentary

The case for not restricting saturated fat on a low carbohydrate diet

Jeff S Volek^* and Cassandra E Forsythe

• * Corresponding author: Jeff S Volek jeff.volek@uconn.edu

Author Affiliations

Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

For all author emails, please log on.

Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:21 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-21

Published: 31 August 2005

First paragraph (this article has no abstract)

We would like to compliment Drs. Arora and McFarlane on their timely review of low carbohydrate diets in diabetes management [1]. Undeniably, the prescription of low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets to treat diabetes has to be questioned and the power of carbohydrate restriction seriously considered. The article dispels common myths and provides a convincing argument for successful use of carbohydrate restriction in treating diabetes. One point stressed by Arora and McFarlane was that mono and polyunsaturated fat should be emphasized over saturated fat as a way to achieve caloric balance on a carbohydrate-restricted diet. We contend that the recommendation to intentionally restrict saturated fat is unwarranted and only serves to contribute to the misleading rhetoric surrounding the health effects of saturated fat.