Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health: Which Diet Promotes Both?

Authors

Cheri Kelly, Lynchburg UniversityFollow

Specialty

Internal Medicine

Advisor

Thomas Colletti

Abstract

Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health: Which Diet Promotes Both?

ABSTRACT:

Objective: The purpose of this article is to investigate which diet type is most effective to treat obesity and related cardiovascular disease.

Methods: Two overlapping PubMed searches were conducted using the search terms obese patients, weight loss, low carbohydrate diet, ketogenic diet, protein diet, plant based diet, Mediterranean diet, and vegetarian diet; the second search added the terms lipid, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, and HDL.

Results: All diets resulted in short-term weight loss.^7,8,18 Plant-based diets tended to result in lower total and LDL cholesterol levels.^20,23 Whole foods diets are highly plant-based and may result in lower total cholesterol.¹⁶ Low carbohydrate diets tended to decrease serum triglycerides and improve HDL levels.^7,8 Mediterranean diets tended to have better results across all lipid components.^7,22

Conclusion: All the diet types studied promoted weight loss, but each had their particular benefits regarding serum lipid profiles, markers for cardiovascular health. Further research is needed to see which diets are best for sustained weight loss.

Keywords: Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, Diet Types.

Recommended Citation

Kelly C. Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health: Which Diet Promotes Both?. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2019; 1(4).