THREE TOP
LOW-FAT DIETS
BY DORI T. MITCHELL, RD, LD
Consumers are often surprised to learn that scientists do not agree on the ideal diet. While it is clear to scientists that Americans' high-fat diets are responsible for our very high rate of heart disease, there is a difference Of opinion about the "ideal" amount of fat in the diet.
THREE APPROACHES TO LOW-FAT DIETS
Experts debate the ideal
Three of the nation's leading diet and nutrition experts debated the "ideal American diet" at a recent nutrition conference sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Washington, D.C. Each expert proposed a different approach for reducing fat intake.
The mainstream position in the low-fat diet debate was taken by Virgil Brown, MD, president of the American Heart Association (AHA). At the CSPI conference, he advocated that the AHA Step One Diet — a low-fat, well-balanced diet that
includes a modest amount of animal protein — is the ideal American diet. The average American diet is 37% fat and 14% saturated fat (in percent of total calories). The Step One Diet restricts dietary fat to no more than 30% of total calories, and saturated fat to no more than 10% of total calories. Brown advocated the AHA Step One Diet because it is practical and easily attainable for most people and has been shown to lower cholesterol and improve health. [Editor's Note: For more information on the AHA Diet, you can get a copy of "The American Heart Association Diet: An Eating Plan for Healthy Americans" from your local chapter of the AHA or by writing the American Heart Association, National Center, 7320 Greenville Ave.. Dallas, TX 75321.]Dean Ornish, MD, from the University of California at San Francisco, advocated a lacto-vegetarian phenibut (dairy and vegeta
bles) diet that includes egg white and nonfat dairy products. He recommended LIMIT FATS a fat intake of no more than 10% of the T01.0% OF total calories from plant sources only, and CALORIES an unlimited caloric intake from plant foods. While Omish agreed that a 30% fat diet is acceptable for individuals with normal blood LDL-cholesterol levels, those with elevated levels and/or heart disease should have far less fat in their diet, he argued. He reported that arterial plaque can be dissolved with a 10% fat diet. Ornish concluded that individuals should be given the opportunity to try a very low-fat diet before beginning cholesterol-lowering medication. [Editor's Note: For more information on Dr. Omish's diet, you can consult his book, Dr. Dean Ornisb's Program for Reversing Heart Disease.]