Letters from the October 2, 2004, issue of Science News
By Science News
On a diet
While heart disease victim Jody Gorran’s lawsuit against the Atkins empire will be decided in court (“Counting Carbs,” SN: 7/17/04, p. 40: Counting Carbs), the deadlier battle is being waged in the research laboratory. Several studies confirm that low-carbohydrate diets cause marked cholesterol elevations for many individuals. In contrast, a vegetarian diet high in soluble fiber and soy protein can lower serum cholesterol concentrations about as effectively as statin drugs do. The medical question, then, is, Why would anyone take the low-carb risk?